New lawyer Anna moved to New York to find a job at a prestigious law firm, but she quickly realized that to survive the job hunt, you have to have a few interview tricks up your nicely starched sleeve.
Anna's Story
"Everyone looking for a job is on a mission."
I'm a new attorney who recently moved to the city and embarked on an incredible job hunt. My initial goal was to get a job before moving to the big, bad city, but that didn't pan out, so I decided to take a shot in the dark, make the move and get life started.
While I feel unique in the fact that I'm looking for a job, I know that that I'm not alone. This is not a small town. There are a lot of people here, and everyone is looking for a job. I've quickly realized that I have to be much more assertive, much more proactive and less sensitive than I am in order to be successful. Job hunting is not for wimps.
I decided to speak with a legal recruiter, and she was a really great person. She helped me figure out some ways to make my job hunt very empowering, as well as adventurous.
1. Network as much as you can. Just get out there.
The market is really competitive, so you have to be really hungry for a job. Speak to as many people as you can, and learn how to speak the language. That's how you're going to get the job, and ultimately how you're going to be successful in the legal market.
2. Relay your passion to employers.
I've always wanted to be a lawyer. I'm very passionate about it, but I need to make sure that comes across to the employer, because employers don't really know you. They just have kind of a one shot picture of you, so you need to be proactive in showing them who you are.
3. Use assertive, direct language on your resume.
I received some criticism about my résumé. The legal recruiter said to me, 'No one wants to see that you assisted anything. They want to know that you took a step and that you played an instrumental role in this project." Cross out language like "assisted," and say "drafted" or "created" instead, which makes it much more assertive.
4. Use multiple versions of your resume.
I try to have at least three or four different types of résumés on hand. Even though it's law and the firms are generally the same, you have to tweak your résumé depending on the type of firm. If it's a bigger firm, you might want to highlight experiences that might be more important to large firms. On the other hand, a smaller firm might care more about a different type of experience.
5. Let your personality shine.
It's hard to tell a potential employer about yourself. I mean, where do you start? What do they really want to know? I've narrowed that down to a two-minute spiel about graduating from law school, a little bit of where I'm from and how I started out. The best interview experiences I've had are where people ask questions that are kind of unique, like, "What's your favorite movie?" In these interviews, I get to be a little bit creative and bring out more of my personality, which is kind of rare.
6. Stay calm.
Before an interview, I calm my nerves by listening to energetic music, something upbeat to make sure that I am feeling upbeat. After I listen to the music, I tell myself, "You know, I don't know if I really like this firm. I don't know if I like the building." When I walk in, I'm just as indifferent to them as they are to me. And it really calms my nerves.
7. Get feedback.
If the employer tells you something that you can change, it's always good because you're growing and moving in an upward direction. It also builds your confidence, because if you can take a little bit of feedback, you can probably handle a difficult client later on. You can take a horrible day, or you can take losing a case in front of a judge. It may be difficult to hear or make sense of sometimes, but keep in mind, it can also help you make a greater connection with an employer or fellow attorney, which often leads to learning about more job opportunities.
"Job hunting has been quite an education... not quite as hard as law school, but close."
I've come across different types of people. I've been able to speak to people. And as I'm looking for job, I'm also interviewing them. It can be overwhelming, but job hunting can also teach you a lot about yourself, it can be empowering, and it is certainly an adventure.
