Assistant Director for Professional Development
See the New Year as a fresh start. The first month of the year is always a good time to step back and examine one's job search strategies:
- Resume and Cover Letter Review: Ensure that your resume and cover letter are as good as they can be - Are your documents as polished as they can be? Is the language short and succinct? Are you tailoring your cover letter and resume for each job to which you apply? Are you presenting yourself in the best light possible? Have you tested sending your documents to someone else to ensure that your formatting is not getting scrambled?
- Re-Assessment: Consider what worked well for you last year and what did not. What sources led to good leads and interviews and which were duds? Take stock of your tactics and put time into the effective ones. Do a self-assessment of your strengths, which will remind you that you do have a lot to offer a potential employer. Practice a mock interview with a friend or LCS to get back in practice after the holidays with talking about you and your skills.
- Focus: Apply to jobs where you have at least some of the qualifications. (If you are a 1L, don't worry if you don't have any legal qualifications. Your interest and enthusiasm may be enough.) You don't always need to have 100% of the requested skills to land an interview, but target those positions where you have a fair shot.
- Target Several Employers: Target six potential firms, agencies, or companies where your skills would be a good fit and reach out to them. Use your creativity to connect with each organization. Who do you know there? Who do you know who may know someone there? Do any GGU alumni work there? Alumni love to help GGU students and their fellow alumni. Ask any and all of these individuals out for coffee. Research attorneys at the organization whose work you find interesting. Email them about your interest in their background and set up time to discuss your mutual interests and for advice on your job search. Go to events at the professional associations to which people in the organization belong.
I am happy to help you with any of the above strategies. A very happy New Year to you!
