• Self-analysis
• Identification and exploration of career options
• Proper packaging of your skills and qualifications

Step-By-Step Guide to Securing the Right Job

1. Self-analysis: Figure out who you are and what is important to you
   
   
   • Identify your areas of interest
     
     

     Given today’s tough legal market, many students think they will have to take any job they can get. Don’t fall into this trap. Access your personal aspirations, values, and needs. In what sort of setting would you like to live and work? Do you want to make a difference in the world or in individual lives?  Are money and prestige important?  What about “quality of life” issues?  Do you want control over your schedule?  Are you willing to work 60-80 hours a week?  Do you want to travel?  Are you happy sitting behind a desk all day?  Do you like to work alone or as part of a team?  Do you need creative freedom or is guidance necessary?  The answers to these and other important questions can be discovered through self-assessment. We also offer workshops designed to help you with your own personal self-assessment.

     
     
   • Identify your abilities
     
     

     Next you need to define your abilities: intellectual, emotional, physical, and interpersonal.  These are the attributes, expanded by your education and experience, which you have to offer potential employers.

   
   
2. Identify and Explore Your Career Options
   
   
   • Identify Your Options
     
     

     Once you have a career path in mind, you need to find out what jobs are available.  Certainly there are positions in small, medium, and large firms.  There are also positions in the judicial system, in state and federal agencies, in large corporations, and in public interest organizations.  There are also “alternative” legal careers in academia, corporate America, and consulting firms.  The options are endless and it is up to you to discover them.  The CSO offers a number of programs and resources to assist you in the identification process.
     
     

   • Research Your Options
     
     

     After you have identified different areas of interest, you must begin your research phase.  Read as much as you can to learn about various positions.  What kind of educational background, work experience, and skills do they require?  How well would the position satisfy your needs and aspirations?  Talk to people at different levels in a variety of jobs.  Get their perspectives on the advantages and disadvantages, requirements, day-to-day activities, etc.  We offer numerous resources, networking opportunities, and workshops that teach you step-by-step how to build and utilize a legal network.

   
   
3. Properly Package Your Skills and Qualifications
   
   

   Once you know what career path you are pursuing, you need to properly sell potential employers on your eagerness and ability to fill the position.  You must be able to write effective cover letters and resumes, conduct informational interviews, and perform well in job interviews.  We provide workshops, resources, and individual counseling sessions to assist you in these endeavors.

Job Search Checklist

First Year:
Fall Semester/Holiday Break

• Attend Super Start Saturday
• Schedule an appointment with the CSO to discuss job search strategy
• Draft resume; submit it to the CSO for critique
• Develop targeted list of employers
• Draft targeted cover letters
• Begin networking; visit geographic area(s) to conduct informational interviews
• Prepare a list of references to contact and provide each one with a copy of your resume
• Decide on writing sample (5 to 15 pages) and make it flawless

First Year:
Spring Semester/February Break

• Send resumes and cover letters to targeted employers (resumes to large firms should be sent by early January; inform the employers you will follow up with a letter when your class rank is available)
• Continue networking and conducting informational interviews
• Attend CSO workshops and informational programs
• Brush up on interviewing skills - conduct a practice interview, read books on interviewing (available in the CSO library), and attend workshops
• Attend "Lawyers in Practice" program
• Attend any relevant career fairs
• Check out summer positions bulletin board in CSO or on web page

Summer After First Year

• Make the most of your summer - if working a legal job, gain as much experience as possible and earn either an offer to continue or a great reference; consider volunteering 10 or 20 hours per week with a legal employer
• Continue networking and conducting informational interviews
• Record your work assignments and keep written work on a disk for potential writing samples (with appropriate redactions to protect confidentiality and approval of your employer)
• Update resume, cover letter, references, and writing sample
• Review CSO Summer Newsletters; note resume collection deadlines; check web page on regular basis for fall recruiting updates
• Begin researching firms scheduled for fall recruiting

Suggested Resources (also see on-line resources section)

• Nalpdirectory.com—detailed hiring information for select large law firms from the National Association of Law Placement; use “search employers” information or “browse employer info”
• Bar Directories—search the many city & county bar directories in the CSO; become a student member of a bar association where you intend to practice; and add this to your resume
• Martindale.com—search for attorneys, law firms, and UDSL alums by practice area and geographical location
• LawMatch—frequently check this on-line job bank which lists UDSL job postings plus postings from six additional Ohio law schools, IU, and others
• ­­CSO Website—check recruiting schedules such as on-campus interviews and the CSO newsletter “The Opening Statement”
• Bulletin Boards in CSO—same information will be found in LawMatch & OSBA (see below)
• Ohiobar.org—Ohio Bar Association job postings
• Job search web links on CSO home page
• Google it--search for state, city, county web sites (consider surrounding areas, too)
• Periodicals—i.e., IP Today, Ohio Bar, Indiana Lawyer, and Florida Bar in CSO
• Job Search Reference Guides in CSO
• Top Firm Lists for Dayton, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis—copies in CSO
• Local newspapers
• Law professors
• Undergrad school: career office, advisors, or professors
• Networking—talk to everyone you know, especially those connected with law firms, courts, government agencies, etc.—the #1 way to get a job!
• Reciprocity to use another school’s Career Services Office for 3Ls and graduates (see Rita in CSO)
• UDSL Alumni Office (located in the Dean’s suite)
• Resource Library in CSO

Application Materials (Have these materials accessible at all times and take copies to your interviews.)

• Resume
• References (3-4 including one law school professor, on nice resume paper)
• Writing Sample (5-10 pages preferred or excerpt with fact pattern on cover sheet; on plain white paper)
• Cover Letters (create a generic letter that you can tailor for each employer)
• Law School Transcript (get an original from the UDSL Registrar’s office and make copies for employers) Note: It typically takes 2-3 days to get a transcript, so plan ahead!
• Undergraduate Transcript (needed especially for IP employers)—can take up to 3 weeks to get from some schools, so plan ahead!

Reminders

• Only submit the specific materials requested by the employer.
• Always include a cover letter unless the ad says not to.
• Carry copies of all above mentioned materials with you in a leather portfolio to every interview and job fair.