Being a student in 2013 is more anxiety-inducing than ever, what with all
the news stories surrounding the issue of crippling student loan debt and the
lack of worthy employment. Law school graduates in particular are feeling the
heat; it's a competitive field and there's no shortage of news coverage about
the number of unemployed law grads. Becoming a young, successful lawyer is not
an impossible feat, but it does require hard work – many lawyers, like Marshall
Davis Brown of TX, had to go through the [sometimes tedious] motions
of getting hired, and you will too. Here are some tips that can help you better
your chances.
Network,
Network, Network
Networking is important in any discipline, but it's imperative if you
want to become an attorney. Take advantage of the fact that it's easy to
network in this day and age – you've got LinkedIn and other social media
profiles, blogging sites, message boards, and other technological advancements
that make it easy. There is definitely some truth to the statement, "It's
all about who you know." Ask your professors or mentors for advice if you
don't know where to start with networking – and start sooner rather than later.
Ask for
Internships
A big mistake that students make is waiting around for internships to be
posted. Then, they're all competing for the position and their chances of
actually getting it are reduced. E-mail some of your local law firms and ask
them for an internship – it can't hurt! It's all about selling yourself. Polish
up that resume and show them you'd be a great contributor to their office. As
long as you remember that you're going to have to work for free or little pay
for a while before breaking into the field, you'll do fine.
Be
Persistent
There's nothing more frustrating when you're looking for a job than
hearing that you're ambitious and qualified, but there are no openings. If a
firm seems to be interested but still won't give you a job, don't let them
forget about you! Keep e-mailing or returning every few weeks to show them that
you're really interested and to ensure that they don't hire anyone else if a
position should open up.