The vast majority of job candidates know the law. Those who shine know themselves even better.
By Elizabeth Moeller
Published in The National Law Journal
September 28, 2015
As you undoubtedly know by now, you are learning to think like a lawyer. You are also gaining some practical, technical lawyering skills, in addition to learning about and understanding various subject areas, all of which are invaluable in your career.
In addition to learning your craft, some of what you truly need to focus on, both now and throughout your career, are the so-called “soft skills.” These important skills will help you discover what you want in a career, enable you to learn about unique opportunities that may not be posted anywhere, help you land jobs and clients and, ultimately, become a successful professional in the career path of your choosing.
Before we get to these soft skills though, be sure to take some time to engage in introspection — reflect on your goals, values, skills and interests. Many law students have spent their lives up to this point trying to do well in order to get into the best colleges and best law schools they could attend. If this is you, guess what? Now that you have gotten to law school, you need to find the best career path for you. Finding what is best for you may take you on a very different path than finding the most prestigious job you can get or the job that your classmates want or that others in your life think is best for you.
This is not to say that your academics and law school grades don’t matter. They do. Good grades can open doors, but your intelligence and drive will only get you so far. Even with less-than-stellar grades, you are smart, hard-working and motivated, or you wouldn’t be in law school to begin with. This is where your soft skills come in. Your ability to establish and maintain relationships, your professional reputation, your ability to effectively communicate and work in teams, a positive attitude, good judgment and resiliency are among the key competencies that will set you apart in both launching and maintaining an interesting and successful career.
The Whole Package
Because law is a service industry that is client-centric, many employers are evaluating candidates for the whole package. They want to see that you have numerous skills that will be essential for your success as a lawyer. They want to hire someone they can introduce to others within the organization, trust with their clients, co-counsel, opposing counsel and judges. They want lawyers who are enthusiastic about their work, who are creative go-getters, and who can work independently as well as on teams. Employers look for these and other key competencies when they are looking for law students and lawyers to hire.
Here are a few pieces of advice to help you hone these skills and launch your career: Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Law school can get overwhelming, but the good news is that there are many people who want to help you through the journey. So don’t be afraid to ask for help. Your career services and student service offices are here for you so knock on their doors.
It’s your career — be proactive. Your law school and career services office will offer numerous opportunities for you to learn about different practice areas, meet lawyers and hone your networking and interviewing skills. Take advantage of as many of these opportunities as you can. Law school will get busier than you can imagine, but you must carve out time for your own career development as nobody is going to hand you opportunities. Meet with a career counselor, attend and participate in programs and events, take advantage of mentor programs and opportunities to meet lawyers and consider joining bar associations.
Network and conduct informational interviews. In addition to taking advantage of programs and events, ask lawyers for informational meetings to learn more about different career paths and opportunities. Alumni and other lawyers have bittersweet memories of law school and understand what you’re going through. Ask them for advice.
Most will be happy to help and may even want to mentor you. Your career services office can help you in crafting a request and preparing for an informational interview so you can go in feeling confident.
It’s a small world. The legal community is much smaller than you would think, and your reputation begins immediately. It has the power to either help or hurt you. Keep your word, treat everyone with respect and courtesy, give your best to all that you do, be interested in others and build relationships, own up to and correct your mistakes along the way and stay positive. In other words, play nice in the sandbox. It will go a long way.
Ensure your application materials are excellent. You want to be certain that your resume first rate and error-free and that your cover letter is well-written and tailored to the particular job for which you are applying. These documents will evolve as you go through law school, so be sure to continue to check in with your career services office and reevaluate these materials with fresh eyes.
Practice interviewing. Most of you are not used to walking around telling others how great you are. So you need to conduct some mock interviews to practice. You also need to conduct research on the employer (and yourself) and prepare for your Achilles heel questions, such as bad grades or a gap in your resume.
Check your online profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, create one and be sure to upload a professional picture on it. Google yourself so that you know about any red flags. If you are concerned about something you find, check in with your career office.
Be true to yourself. Engage in self-assessment. Think about what led you to law school and what you want to get out of it recognizing that these things may change along the way. You want to find the right fit, but you will also need to be realistic and flexible.
Be open. Your first job (or summer position) will not be your last. To quote Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer of Facebook, “Careers are a jungle gym, not a ladder.” You need to gain legal experience so take advantage of opportunities along the way, even if they do not seem to fit into your dream job category. If you do your best work, make connections, act professionally and courteously to everyone and have a positive attitude, other opportunities will come your way. And, you never know, the job you didn’t think you wanted may just turn into your dream job.
Although these are still challenging times, there are numerous opportunities out there for law students and graduates. While you need to be prepared for a marathon and get comfortable with having some rejection along the way, you will meet a lot of interesting lawyers, and be able to find some really fascinating work that will lead you to a fulfilling and successful career.
Elizabeth Moeller is assistant dean of career services at University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, where she counsels students and alumni.