What job would be better before law school Forum

[TUhustler]

I was accepted to a few schools and I am definitely starting in the fall. I have worked at the same golf course for a few years now and love it. They are going through an ownership change so I'm not sure if I'll be able to go back this year. I applied to a job that is a six month temp assignment that turned out to be with Bloomberg as a Junior International Financial Analyst and got it. So my question is assuming I can go back to the golf course which job would be a better idea before law school, the finance short term job to have on the resume or the golf job already on the resume. I am mainly curious to see opinions on whether this will help at all in getting a job in law or if I should just enjoy myself the next six months. Thanks in advance for any responses.

[jelizabeth88]

GOLF COURSE ALL THE WAY! Your resume is irrelevant at this point and, to me at least, that Bloomberg job sounds really boring. :/ I think you'd regret not spending your last days of freedom in the sun when you're sitting in the library for hours upon hours. But that's just me.

[DoctorNick189]

I can't believe people are voting for Bloomberg.

[Veyron]

No one cares what you do your 0 L summer!

[TUhustler]

Thanks everyone for the input. I'm leaning golf course too at this point. It's just weird to turn it down because if I had this opportunity right after graduation I would have done it and never even thought about law school. Now that I have looked into law school and realized it the right path for me, a job in finance seems awful.

[macattaq]

No one cares what you do your 0 L summer!

This

[mountaineerlaw]

I had a similar situation - except it was between working in minor league baseball or working at an accounting firm. Easiest decision of my life.

[JazzOne]

I did a judicial internship during my 0L summer. How many times do you think that has come up in interviews with law firms this semester? It has come up in EVERY single interview so far. I personally disagree with the whole "no one cares what you do 0L summer" stuff. Having said that, it won't kill your legal career to do something trivial for one last summer.

[TUhustler]

I did a judicial internship during my 0L summer. How many times do you think that has come up in interviews with law firms this semester? It has come up in EVERY single interview so far. I personally disagree with the whole "no one cares what you do 0L summer" stuff. Having said that, it won't kill your legal career to do something trivial for one last summer.

This is my main question. I agree with you that what you do can help you but can't hurt you. I am wondering if working at Bloomberg can help me. The poll says yes so far but the comments seem to point to no. Thanks again for all the input.

[scionb4]

Golf course, hands down. If it's a nice course, you'll get a lot of corporate fat cats wanting you to lub their giant golf bags around for eighteen holes while they smoke a stogie. You'll hate every minute of it, but the tip will be worth it. Believe me.

[traehekat]

I had to decide whether I wanted to teach tennis this summer or try and find some kind of internship. Wasn't too hard to choose teaching tennis. I love doing it, it pays decent, and I like the people I work with. Plus, like others have said, what you do the summer before law school is pretty irrelevant, at least in regards to your resume. However, I think it is important you do something you will actually ENJOY before you start the law school grind. So whether that is taking a vacation, staying at a job you love, or playing Call of Duty for 10 weeks straight, these are the kinds of things you should be doing.

[Great Satchmo]

What you do will always matter.

Sure, it may not make or break your career, or be a particularly influential piece of your history. But it matters.

Don't be lazy, challenge yourself.

[TUhustler]

Well I think I have some serious thinking to do. Thanks to everyone who voted and left a comment, I really appreciate your help.

[Great Satchmo]

Well I think I have some serious thinking to do. Thanks to everyone who voted and left a comment, I really appreciate your help.

I just lean toward the idea that even though it may not directly enhance your career after law school, it could be an intellectually stimulating experience and that it'd be dumb to pass up on an opportunity that could enrich you.

In your education and following career, are you going to pick the lazy, simple thing? Or are you going to take advantage of any opportunity that comes your way?

Maybe it's just me...

[Blindmelon]

I did a judicial internship during my 0L summer. How many times do you think that has come up in interviews with law firms this semester? It has come up in EVERY single interview so far. I personally disagree with the whole "no one cares what you do 0L summer" stuff. Having said that, it won't kill your legal career to do something trivial for one last summer.

This. My internship/job experience helped me land an amazing summer gig regardless of my okay grades. job experience doesn't help if its something like a paralegal or whatever, but if its real substantive work, it helps a ton.

[TUhustler]

I did a judicial internship during my 0L summer. How many times do you think that has come up in interviews with law firms this semester? It has come up in EVERY single interview so far. I personally disagree with the whole "no one cares what you do 0L summer" stuff. Having said that, it won't kill your legal career to do something trivial for one last summer.

This. My internship/job experience helped me land an amazing summer gig regardless of my okay grades. job experience doesn't help if its something like a paralegal or whatever, but if its real substantive work, it helps a ton.

Well then I guess my next question would be do you guys consider six months at Bloomberg, basically translating financial statements from Portuguese to English, substantive work? Something to keep in mind is that the basic qualifications that got me the job I oubviously already have so all I would be doing is applying my current skills.

[mikeyp]

Wow, I'm calling shananagans on most of these responses.

The clear answer is Bloomberg. When you're applying for jobs for 1L summer, having experience like this will put you FAR ahead of the pack of people who have no relevant work experience (like myself). I was lucky enough to land 1L job without very much relevant work experience (one law internship abroad during junior year), but there is a common factor of all my 1L friends who got second interviews: previous work experience.

A lot of people come to law school after having worked for a few years in a law office, whether it be a secretarial position or paralegal. Of course grades are the dominating preference, but with the economy in the state it is, and the fewer jobs available, work experience will give you a leg over much of your peers.

Firms like to see that you're doing something, so if you choose the golf course it certainly won't hurt you. But having that office experience is pretty handy. Thus, I vote Bloomberg.

[scionb4]

Wow, I'm calling shananagans on most of these responses.

The clear answer is Bloomberg. When you're applying for jobs for 1L summer, having experience like this will put you FAR ahead of the pack of people who have no relevant work experience (like myself). I was lucky enough to land 1L job without very much relevant work experience (one law internship abroad during junior year), but there is a common factor of all my 1L friends who got second interviews: previous work experience.

A lot of people come to law school after having worked for a few years in a law office, whether it be a secretarial position or paralegal. Of course grades are the dominating preference, but with the economy in the state it is, and the fewer jobs available, work experience will give you a leg over much of your peers.

Firms like to see that you're doing something, so if you choose the golf course it certainly won't hurt you. But having that office experience is pretty handy. Thus, I vote Bloomberg.

I have a pretty vulger sense of humor, but even I find your profile pic a bit tasteless.

[jks289]

I think if you have never had a stressful office job, Bloomberg is a good experience. Part of the reason I know I don't want Big Law is that I know no amount of money can compensate for my current lifestyle. You learn a lot about yourself, what you thrive in and what you hate, by taking jobs that aren't fun. Since it is so short term I think the benefits outweigh the unpleasantness.

[GATORTIM]

I'm going to quit my 70k job shortly and work at a golf course for 3 or 4 months before LS. I really need a low-stress job and free golf prior to starting.

[UCLAtransfer]

I completely disagree with those who say what you do 0L summer doesn't matter. I found during interviews for 1L summer jobs and even 2L OCI that firms were VERY interested in the substance of my experience before law school.

Think about it this way: if you were asked in an interview to talk about what you did the summer before law school, do you think you would be able to sell yourself and your experience better talking about the golf course, or talking about Bloomberg?

You already have the golf course on your resume. Give yourself another opportunity to prove yourself to potential employers- go with Bloomberg.

[kurla88]

Wow, I'm calling shananagans on most of these responses.

The clear answer is Bloomberg. When you're applying for jobs for 1L summer, having experience like this will put you FAR ahead of the pack of people who have no relevant work experience (like myself). I was lucky enough to land 1L job without very much relevant work experience (one law internship abroad during junior year), but there is a common factor of all my 1L friends who got second interviews: previous work experience.

A lot of people come to law school after having worked for a few years in a law office, whether it be a secretarial position or paralegal. Of course grades are the dominating preference, but with the economy in the state it is, and the fewer jobs available, work experience will give you a leg over much of your peers.

Firms like to see that you're doing something, so if you choose the golf course it certainly won't hurt you. But having that office experience is pretty handy. Thus, I vote Bloomberg.

This. Golf course jobs are for kids in high school. At this point you've probably got everything you were going to get, experience-wise, out of the golf job. Try not to focus everything on what you can put on your resume... working in a fast-paced corporate environment for a while (especially assuming it's not something you've done before) is not only going to give you a leg up in interviews, but in working/real life in general.

Translating documents is not the most fantastic of jobs, but I think it's worth it to at least get your foot in to a corporate environment and see how you feel about it.

And this:

Think about it this way: if you were asked in an interview to talk about what you did the summer before law school, do you think you would be able to sell yourself and your experience better talking about the golf course, or talking about Bloomberg?

You already have the golf course on your resume. Give yourself another opportunity to prove yourself to potential employers- go with Bloomberg.

[shutterbug]

I can't believe people are voting for Bloomberg.

+1

[mikeyp]

I completely disagree with those who say what you do 0L summer doesn't matter. I found during interviews for 1L summer jobs and even 2L OCI that firms were VERY interested in the substance of my experience before law school.

+1

Think about it this way: if you were asked in an interview to talk about what you did the summer before law school, do you think you would be able to sell yourself and your experience better talking about the golf course, or talking about Bloomberg?

+1

You already have the golf course on your resume. Give yourself another opportunity to prove yourself to potential employers- go with Bloomberg.

+1

Golf course jobs are for kids in high school. At this point you've probably got everything you were going to get, experience-wise, out of the golf job. Try not to focus everything on what you can put on your resume... working in a fast-paced corporate environment for a while (especially assuming it's not something you've done before) is not only going to give you a leg up in interviews, but in working/real life in general.

Translating documents is not the most fantastic of jobs, but I think it's worth it to at least get your foot in to a corporate environment and see how you feel about it.

+1

[scionb4]

I completely disagree with those who say what you do 0L summer doesn't matter. I found during interviews for 1L summer jobs and even 2L OCI that firms were VERY interested in the substance of my experience before law school.

+1

Think about it this way: if you were asked in an interview to talk about what you did the summer before law school, do you think you would be able to sell yourself and your experience better talking about the golf course, or talking about Bloomberg?

+1

You already have the golf course on your resume. Give yourself another opportunity to prove yourself to potential employers- go with Bloomberg.

+1

Golf course jobs are for kids in high school. At this point you've probably got everything you were going to get, experience-wise, out of the golf job. Try not to focus everything on what you can put on your resume... working in a fast-paced corporate environment for a while (especially assuming it's not something you've done before) is not only going to give you a leg up in interviews, but in working/real life in general.

Translating documents is not the most fantastic of jobs, but I think it's worth it to at least get your foot in to a corporate environment and see how you feel about it.

+1

Only an orver-privilaged person would ever disrespect a job in such an offensive manner. Way to shit on the THOUSANDS of non-high school people who work at golf courses. Seriously, go fuck yourself.