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How are part time jobs viewed?
Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2014 10:24 pm
by Kellanj
I'm basically just wondering how schools and prospective employers will view the part time jobs I've held throughout undergrad since I'll be going to law school directly after finishing my bachelor's. I've held two jobs at 40+ hours per week throughout my time in undergrad, and I live on my own, pay my own bills, all that fun stuff. Will this give me a similar advantage to those applicants who have worked full time career type jobs after they got their bachelors? Or do these part time jobs not really matter much?
Thanks!

Re: How are part time jobs viewed?
Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2014 10:34 pm
by njdevils2626
Kellanj wrote:I'm basically just wondering how schools and prospective employers will view the part time jobs I've held throughout undergrad since I'll be going to law school directly after finishing my bachelor's. I've held two jobs at 40+ hours per week throughout my time in undergrad, and I live on my own, pay my own bills, all that fun stuff. Will this give me a similar advantage to those applicants who have worked full time career type jobs after they got their bachelors? Or do these part time jobs not really matter much?
Thanks!

0L here so you can take this with some skepticism, but I would guess that it really depends on what the part time job was. I mean, if you worked at a bank, your position and experience may have produced some skills that are directly relatable to work in a law firm and maybe even with some of the cases you would be helping with. The same may not be said for a part time job as a bartender.
Re: How are part time jobs viewed?
Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2014 10:43 pm
by Kellanj
Yeah I wish it was at a bank lol. Both my jobs tend towards the bartender end of the spectrum. So it sounds like potential employers are more interested in what your past jobs have given you experience-wise that can help them, rather than you have "real-world" experience working any old job.
Re: How are part time jobs viewed?
Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2014 10:49 pm
by Splitter1415
Can you connect your work experience to the reason(s) you want to go to law school? I've worked a few deadend jobs to put myself through college. I probably wouldn't have thought about going to law school if my co-workers and I had not been treated like a piece of crap. I'm sure some people are aware that there are students who had to work to support themselves during undergrad.
Re: How are part time jobs viewed?
Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2014 10:55 pm
by Nova
Kellanj wrote: I've held two jobs at 40+ hours per week
that's full time
Post removed.
Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2014 6:49 pm
by mornincounselor
Post removed.
Re: How are part time jobs viewed?
Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2014 6:59 pm
by spleenworship
If it is relevant to the firm's practice area, that will help you get a job.
If it is interesting but not relevant, it gives you something to talk about in the interview.
If it is both, you are gold.
Re: How are part time jobs viewed?
Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2014 7:07 pm
by Nova
mornincounselor wrote:Nova wrote:Kellanj wrote: I've held two jobs at 40+ hours per week
that's full time
Of course it is. Full time work done with a combination of part time jobs. Still OP's question stands.
oh I didn't realize it was 2 jobs being done at the same time, rather than consecutively
anyway, these jobs do not req a college degree & do not seem relevant (OP should just say what the jobs are). They are def not going to be looked at as favorably as post grad work experience that either requires a college degree or has some sort of relevance.
Re: How are part time jobs viewed?
Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2014 7:10 pm
by SemperLegal
Won't help getting into law school, unless, maybe you are a splitter.
IMHO, it is a help at OCI. Employers seem slightly nervous of K-JD because they've never proven they can show up a nine indefinitely.