Resources, Resources, Resources

Whew! It has been a busy year and you're almost through with final exams! We're gearing up to do planning for the next school year so we encourage you to let us know if there's any particular programming that would be of interest to you.  In the meantime, there are a ton of resources in the iTunes U library and the Symplicity Document Library to help you explore your career development options.  As a reminder, we're here all summer, so feel free to make an appointment (we're happy to do phone appointments too) so we can help you strategize your next steps.

3L Upcoming Government Honors/Internship Deadlines

The Government Honors & Internship Handbook (login/password information in Symplicity) has a wealth of information about opportunities in various levels of government. Some upcoming deadlines to highlight (neither the list or the handbook are exhaustive):

3Ls:
• Dept. of Homeland Security, Office of General Counsel – DHS General Counsel’s 2011 Honors Program (Paid, Deadline Between Aug. 16 & Sept. 30, 2010)
• Securities & Exchange Commission – Law Student Observer Program Spring (Unpaid, Deadline Between Aug. 23 & Oct. 8, 2010)
• Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2 – Legal Internship Program Fall (Unpaid, Deadline Aug. 31, 2010)
• Federal Communications Commission, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau – Student Internship Program Fall (Paid & Unpaid, Deadline Aug. 31, 2010)
• Dept. of State, Office of the Legal Adviser (Civil) – 3-Year New Attorney Program (Paid, Deadline Sept. 1, 2010)

Please do not forget that the largest federal hiring program for new attorneys is through the US Department of Justice Honors Program, whose application is open and the deadline is September 7th. This is a lengthy application so start on it early!

There are also 35 federal and 13 state and local programs that will fill positions as soon as ideal candidates are identified. Get your applications in early for these employers!

Summer Networking Tips

Alisa has been using her commute time to read this summer on various timely topics -- legal education reform, networking, mentoring, and general career development. Here's five things you should be doing this summer to build on and strengthen your network:

1. Use Your Lunch Hour Productively: Attend a lunchtime seminar (the various bar associations, policy groups, and the College of Law offer programs throughout the summer), go out with the other interns/law clerks/summer associates to find out about others' projects and interests, check out the latest free art exhibit with a law school classmate. It doesn't have to be all about law school, sometimes it is just spending some time to strengthen a bond and get to know someone a little better. Though outside the lunch hour, attend events suggested to you by other attorneys, especially those supervising you, and set up coffee conversations with folks whose work or passions interest you.
   
2. Retool your resume and sync your online presence: developing the habit that each time you update your resume or your profiles online (LinkedIn/Google/Yahoo!/Facebook, etc. profiles, twitter bio, email signature line, wherever you control your image online), you need to update them all. It looks sloppy when you've missed one, so if you're not already checking your online presence regularly, start and regularize this habit.
   
3. Use Your Free Time Freely: volunteer with something that you love, read a couple of books for fun, find some free things to do around town (@explorechicago on twitter has some great stuff in Chicago), and just chat with people in line. It will make you practice communicating on the fly and you never know who you might meet while giving that doggie her bath at the shelter.
4. Develop a follow-up plan: You know a lot of people, you meet a lot of people. How are you keeping track of them all? (Using Sneider's exercises in her book below will help you consider who you know.) Have you developed a way to reach out that doesn't feel too often nor too infrequent. Contemplate what you have to offer your network, even if it is just sending an article on a mutual area (or just the other person's area) of interest. Not everyone is using all the same tools (not all everyone will be on LinkedIn for example), so you need to determine if using some kind of Excel worksheet or notebook system (see Gerson's Networking Log in her book below for an example) will work best for you. While you're at it, update your address book so you can create your holiday card list early.
5. Make an appointment with your career adviser: We're here all summer and we'll meet with you via phone if necessary. We want to hear about what you're working on this summer, what has excited you, and what has not. We'll be happy to encourage you on what you're doing well plus brainstorm some new ideas on career development, retooling your resume, crafting cover letters, and so much more. We're part of your networking team too.
   

Alisa's Summer Reading List: Never Eat Alone (Ferrazi), Best Friends at the Bar ( Smith Blakely), Educating Lawyers (Carnegie Report), To Kill a Mockingbird (Lee), Introduction to Type Dynamics and Development (Myers & Kirby), Revolt on Goose Island (Lydersen), Building Career Connections (Gerson), The Legal Career Guide: Law Student to Lawyer (Garner), A Lawyer's Guide to Networking (Sneider).

Personal Branding: Resource from PWC

Personal branding is a hot topic these days. It is a way to rethink how you sell yourself in various spaces and places - in person with your elevator pitch or as your relationships progress, online in your LinkedIn, Facebook, and other profiles, and in your job search materials such as your cover letter, resume, and even your writing sample. PriceWaterhouseCoopers created a new free personal branding guide, yet another tool to provide you with guidance as you develop, refine, and retool (hopefully a lifelong habit) your personal brand. Don't forget about the Harvard Business School Elevator Pitch tool and our guidance on developing a six word professional statement.

What is your six word professional statement?

I have been using the below activity with a lot of success with students. It is based off of the book "Six Word Memoirs".

To better understand who you are (or want to be) as a professional, create six word professional statements. Below is one example by a career adviser from another school.

SIX WORD PROFESSIONAL STATEMENT:

STEP ONE: Brainstorm (list all words and phrases that come to mind as you think about your professional self):

Media, telling stories, listening to stories, adviser/advise, counselor, career, strategy, marketing, brand, story, connector, educator, create, relationships, values, creating careers, hustle, holistic, creating lives, creating futures

STEP TWO: Create 6 word professional statement (review your brainstorming list and try to construct a professional statement of only 6 words).

1. Holistic counselor and media career professional.
2. Student-centered counselor, media career strategist. (I like this one)

This exercise is a great beginning step for cover letters, resumes, 30/60 second commercials and interviewing.

We suggest pairing it with the Harvard Business School exercise on elevator pitches we highlighted last year.

Retro Manners

Mary Crane writes about Retro Manners -- specifically, how to avoid those little gaffes that are costing applicants interviews and offers. In a tight economy, the smallest things matter and this article will provide you insight on the things you know but sometimes forget when you get nervous or harried.

Personal Branding

Personal branding is a part of your personal marketing toolkit. But how do you create one? First, you need to got through your CSI (Credentials, Skills & Interests) assessment. What do you bring to the table? What do you want to do with that? Second, develop your elevator pitch. Go through this Harvard Business School Exercise to develop and then determine the strength of your current pitch. Third, consider how your personal brand is (or is not) present in your cover letters, resume, LinkedIn profile, and how your references talk about you. Don't forget to make sure you're adjusting your personal brand techniques as you target different employers -- this blog posting will help you consider some key language to show that you've thought out your strengths, weaknesses, and why you'd be the right person for the job.

1L Hiring Index from NALP Directory of Legal Employers

The NALP Directory of Legal Employers allows students to generate their own custom index of NALP employers that hire first-year students. Using the Advanced Search feature, students can enter their specific criteria and then select 1Ls from the "Organizations that Hire" drop-down list. Employers that indicated Yes or Case-by-Case (CBC) will appear in the results list.

Unstalling the Job Search

All too often career advisors are hearing something along the lines of what this recently interviewed college graduate said: "It's easy to fall into a routine of just copying and pasting in a new company name". All too often, jobseekers want the easy, one-stop process of applying online, from one job board, with one generic cover letter. That isn't going to cut it in this economy -- as this Wall Street Journal article points out, it will be a test of stamina, creativity, and using multiple methods to find your next opportunity.

PSLawNet Resources

PSLawNet is a subscription service for which Law Career Services provides students and alumni access for their public service job search. This rich resource, in addition to its national and international job postings, also has an additional career resource library covering a large range of topics, including government search resources, careers in criminal law, summer or career funding, and much, much more. The PSLawNet Advisory Board just met last week and additional resources are being developed. Create your account and check it out today and often!

Document Library

We try to make as much available as possible no matter the time or day of the week. Check out the Document Library in Symplicity today to look at guides on Cover Letters, Resumes, Writing Samples, Guide to Bar Admissions, Interviewing, and so much more. We've just updated the Public Interest Summer Funding Resource List so check it out today!

Cover Letters

Stuck on what to include in a cover letter? What is the purpose of a cover letter? What do I need to address that is different from my resume? First, start with your personal marketing plan. How can you tie together the 2-3 things you want the employer to see as threads or trends from your experiences, skills, and interests? How do these pieces help this employer accomplish their goals? Remember, the cover letter is about the employer and their needs and how you will help meet them. Then move onto the LCS Cover Letter booklet in Symplicity's document library for samples. Finally, your LCS advisor would be happy to review your cover letter template if you email it to her. A well crafted cover letter will show that you have researched the employer thoroughly, you have the skills they are seeking, and highlight both trends in your resume as well as skills not apparent from your resume.

Personal Marketing Plan & Networking

Before launching (or when re-evaluating) a job search, candidates are encouraged to think out their Personal Marketing Plans. This basically means the two to three qualities, skills, interests, and/or experiences you have to offer every employer, and then making sure those two to three things then translate well for each employer, and making adjustments as needed. Those two to three things should be reflected widely in your resume, in each individually crafted cover letter, in each interview answer, and in your follow-up communication. Tickled by Life provides a glimpse into thinking about your gold nuggets. You should also share this strategy with your mentors and networking contacts. Speaking of networking, the Lawyer Avenue Blog shares some insights on networking in this tough economy and why it is more critical than ever. Particularly insightful is her approach to networking -- essentially as relationship building first, job assistance second.