Melissa Smart will be an associate at a family law firm in San Mateo starting in early January. She graduated from GGU in 2012 with her JD.
by Melissa Smart (GGU JD 12)
As I take time this holiday season to reflect on the year past, I have a lot to be thankful for. Not least of which is that I was offered and accepted the exact attorney position that I was searching for. I will begin my career in early January as an associate attorney for a family law firm in San Mateo. I cannot be more excited.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I have to say with truth and sincerity, that I got my job through networking. To my knowledge, my position was never posted on a job board, nor was it announced in any formal way. The partners at my firm spread the news of the opening by word-of-mouth. It just so happened that two of those who heard of the position were family law attorneys that I had met through networking. I started connecting (and reconnecting) with Bay Area family law attorneys immediately following the Bar Exam, and two of the attorneys I met way back in September were the ones who forwarded the details of the position to me. Without these contacts, I never would have heard about the job and I am forever grateful to them watching out for me.
Of course, it didn’t hurt that I was working at LCS and had access to amazing and gracious career counselors on a daily basis. And I certainly used their services. I asked for advice on how best to draft emails to potential employers, I did mock interviews, and when I was in the fortunate position of having job offers on the table the counselors walked me through how to handle the situation step by step.
So if I have any advice to share, it would be this: network. Network in any manner that makes sense to you and gets you engaged in the field you want to work in. For me, it was meeting one-on-one with family law attorneys, especially through informational interviews. For others, it may be attending events, doing pro-bono, or reaching out to alumni. The method is not the most important thing - it’s about getting your name out there and having contacts that will watch out for you. Stay positive. There are jobs out there, and as you land interviews, it’s important to come off as someone that others want to be around. And finally, use the services at LCS – the counselors are here to help and have a wealth of knowledge on how you can find a job that offers a secure future doing what you love.
