When attempting to find a position in this stormy job market, you need to be persistent and patient. Match the work that you are seeking with your personality. The match should be a conscious choice because enjoying your work will help you to thrive in your career over time. This approach can be summarized by the acronym :AILS: Aptitude, Interest, Lifestyle, Self-Actualization. First, aptitude: do what you are good at doing naturally. Second, interest: what you are interested in doing may not be the same thing as what you are good at doing. If you have a real interest in the subject you can get immersed and lose track of time. Third, lifestyle: figure out how your work and life outside of work are likely to interrelate and assess whether that balance will work for your needs. Interview people doing the work you think you want to do to obtain that information. Fourth, self-actualization: consider whether the work and culture of the workplace will help you to grow as a person as well as a lawyer in the way you want to.

 

As to which markets you should investigate, big business has been hard hit and is currently underutilizing large law firms in the practice areas that assist big companies on the up side of the market, such as mergers and deals and real estate transactions. The down side of the market is booming and provides opportunities for legal work in practice areas such as bankruptcy, benefits, litigation, and compliance. The federal government is likely to need more hires as it engages in more activities to right the economy and police violations of SEC and other laws. Read up on recent and developing trends that are global, national and local and think in terms of where the legal work you are best suited for is likely to flow as a result. If you have skills on the “up” side of the market (such as financing for deals), translate that into skills that work for the “down” side of the market (such as workouts and liquidations).

 

Look outside BigLaw and big cities to kick start your career. Some practice areas and smaller to mid-sized firms as well as legal workplaces in geographic areas away from big cities have the potential to offer more opportunities with somewhat fewer lawyers vying for the opportunities that do arise. Consider an unpaid internship if you cannot find a paying job at first. Volunteer if necessary to get experience. Legal clinics are in great need of lawyers these days. Use the right kind of networking approach to your job search. Do not sit at your computer all day sending out resumes. Always network in person. Don’t mention the “J” word (job) in the early part of your search or your conversations will be too short and not long, gossip-rich, rumor-filled conversations that you need to gain market knowledge. Think of your search as both a quest and a campaign. Identify the workplaces that fit your needs and your skill set, use the internet to learn as much as you can about these places, then go out and wend your way through the woods by talking with people to get market knowledge about where the work is and who is at the workplaces you are trying to connect with. Campaign to get endorsements from people who are connected with the workplaces you are trying for.

 

Who gets jobs? Even in a down market, here is the formula: 1) Your skill set has to be a close match for the need of the workplace. If you can argue that your skill set will translate well to the need of the workplace, that advocacy has to be done in person. 2) You come to the attention of the workplace through a trusted contact, ideally with an endorsement from someone in the workplace or well-respected by the workplace. 3) The workplace actually has WORK coming in the door or coming soon, meaning the workplace is busy, active, and growing. 4) The music is good between you and the interviewers.

 

In addition, there will be surprises in your career. Work ethic, avoidance of alcohol and drug crutches, willingness to help and give gifts of information and your time to others creates good will and friendship which is the basis of a network that will support and sustain your career. For more information on how to conduct your search, go to my website to read articles about how to network the right way in this market

http://www.nielsencareerconsulting.com/.

 

 At the National Association of Women Lawyers Backpack to Briefcase program held at Loyola University School of Law in Chicago, career counselor, Sheila Nielsen, provided advice on how to navigate the current stormy job market. This article summarized her remarks.