Did you miss the Office of Career Planning’s Thursday program on job search resources for upper level students? Our discussion focused on three areas where national statistics demonstrate that law school graduates are likely to have success in the job search: self initiated contact with employers, referrals, and job postings.
Self-initiated contact with employers comes in many forms. As defined by the National Association for Law Placement (NALP), self-initiated contact includes a targeted mailing, an informational interview, or the result of networking. The time you spend researching employers of interest, identifying potential contacts through LinkedIn, and meeting with the Office of Career Planning to fine-tune your networking strategy can pay off! Our advice? Set aside time each week to focus on your networking and outreach strategy, building connections and relationships in the legal community.
Remember, also, that those connections and relationships can also sometimes benefit you in the form of referrals, the second area where law school graduates are likely to have success in the job search. Referrals can come from a business colleague, friend, relative, alumni, or school personnel. If you’re making strong connections within the College of Law and the legal community, don’t be afraid to talk with those connections about making introductions and referrals on your behalf. Not sure how to initiate that conversation? The Office of Career Planning can help. Stop by to discuss with us.
Lastly, don’t overlook the value of the Jobs section of CareerConnect, and the job postings contained within that section. Job Postings are the quickest way to learn about new opportunities. Be sure you’re using a sound strategy in your response to job postings, however. A tailored, specific cover letter that tells your story is the surest way to make sure your application doesn’t get lost in the high volume of applicants who apply to any job posting.
To talk more specifically about how self-initiated contact, referrals, and job postings can support your individual job search, log-in to CareerConnect and schedule an appointment to discuss.
