Don't Let Perfect Be the Enemy of Good

The first post-law school job search will likely be your hardest one. You can make it easier by being flexible and keeping an eye on your long-term vision.

Over the years, CPD has seen grads talk themselves out of opportunities for a variety of reasons – imposter syndrome (“I’m not ready for that job!”), inflexible expectations (“It’s not my dream job!”), and fear of rejection (“What if I don’t get interviewed?”). We all get in our own way sometimes, but when searching for your first job as a lawyer, the best thing you can do is be flexible, while keeping your long-term goals in mind.

It’s unlikely that you’ll land your ideal job right out of law school, even in a job seeker's market. So when considering positions, ask yourself, not whether the job offers everything you’re looking for, but whether it will move you in the right direction. We counsel recent grads to contemplate whether a job could be a good fit for the next couple years. If a position would offer the chance to build new, transferrable skills, it’s probably one you should consider – even if it doesn’t seem exactly right on paper.

Geographical flexibility is important too. Not everyone can relocate (though please be sure to distinguish between can’t relocate and would prefer not to), but it’s important to consider opportunities within commuting distance. Looking at jobs outside of Seattle's city limits, for example, can shorten the amount of time it takes to get a job and allow you to advance your career more quickly. Smaller practice communities often offer more responsibility sooner. 

If you search only for the perfect job, you’ll miss a lot of good ones, and you could make it harder to eventually land that ideal position! Work with your CPD advisor on a plan for looking for appropriate opportunities that will put you on the path to a fulfilling career.

You're A Lawyer — Act Like It

You’ve heard of thinking like a lawyer, here’s where we tell you to apply for jobs like a lawyer.

Be strategic. Job seekers need to plan for contingencies in order to be effective, and no one can issue spot and find gaps like lawyers can, so use that skill. Numerous practice areas have been impacted by the pandemic. If the area you were most interested in is among them, it’s time to pivot and identify a solution. Look into areas, like family law and elder law, that are growing. Starting your legal career in a different practice area or geographic region than you initially anticipated isn’t going to prevent you from returning to your long-term goals when the time is right. The important thing is to get on the law job ladder. Ask 10 attorneys about their job trajectories and you’ll get 10 winding roads. It’s healthy to be flexible — just do so in a strategic manner by thinking about skills you hope to build for the future.

Be persistent. You've already proven that you have grit by graduating from law school, now use that persistence to dig deep when your job search calls for it. Don't lament the number of jobs you've applied for that you didn't get, or pine for every firm that didn't call you back, just keep moving forward. You only need one right opportunity, and you'll likely wade through numerous wrong ones before you get there. Lawyers don't win every case, but they learn from their losses and keep going.

Take your own advice. Lawyers are excellent problem solvers. As a lawyer, you've been trained to give sound advice, and chances are, you have good ideas about what you should be doing in your job search. Are you listening to yourself? Be your own best client and follow the steps you've laid out for success.

Finally, advocate for yourself. You’ve been trained to advocate for others, and job searching is an opportunity to advocate for you. When you write a cover letter, ask for a meeting, or pitch a program, use your advocacy skills to persuade your audience that you have a lot to offer.