Let’s face it, this year’s graduating class did not expect a worldwide pandemic just months before graduation. Nor did they expect that their state bar exam might get pushed back well into the fall. None of us could have foreseen this. But it’s time for us to face it and figure out how to navigate this new terrain in which we have found ourselves.
Don’t Stress About the Bar Exam
First comes first. Do not stress about the delay related to the bar exam. If you happen to be in a state that delays the exam, so be it. Given that you are competing for jobs with everyone else taking the bar in the same state, you should have no cause for concern. Indeed, every year thousands of people fail the July bar exam, and even they are allowed to keep their jobs pending the results of the February exam.
Now, the bigger question is how will you spend those extra few months. I strongly encourage you not to start studying for the bar exam more than two months in advance. First, you will completely wipe yourself out if you do that. Second, you will probably forget a lot of what you start learning at the start if you give yourself too long of a window.
Trust me, I definitely over-studied for the bar. In many ways, I’m happy I did, because I only had to take it once. But even I – a seasoned, marathon-style, lifelong studier – had exhausted myself in just the two months I had to prepare. So really, don’t give yourself more time unless you know you’re going to have serious conflicts in your schedule down the road.
Even then, really assess whether those are serious conflicts or if it just means you’ll be a little less social over the two months prior to the bar. (And if it’s really the latter, use the time now to have all the virtual hangouts, birthdays, happy hours, brunches, game nights, and so on. You’ll get your fill – trust me.)
Get Serious About Your Job Search
What will be more important during this time is the need to get very serious about your job search. And I don’t mean papering your resume around town (or the electronic version of that). I mean being strategic.
There are a number of reasons strategy will be key. First, you can only imagine the hit the civil rights community is facing – and expects to face – as a result of this crisis.
My work is primarily focused on employment, school, and government abuses that result in litigation. Given that a staggering number of workers have been laid off or furloughed due to this crisis, the number of employment discrimination claims will certainly drop. It’s simple math: there are fewer employees who will suffer discrimination. And anyone claiming discrimination played a part in their coronavirus-timed lay off will have a hard time proving it given the economic downturn.
As for school abuse, most schools have gone virtual. Of course, certain civil rights attorneys will gain work from this. For example, education lawyers that help clients navigate their right to an education free of disability discrimination will likely see an uptick in clients on IEPs needing help. Given the online learning environment, those cases are likely to increase. Yet, physical or sexual abuse of students by school officials – the bulk of school cases I work on – will likewise drop when school is not in session. (Of course, this is a good thing for the community. Though it’s incredibly sad we need a pandemic to ensure our children are not sexually abused in school.)
The same goes for police misconduct. With fewer people out on the streets, the chances that there will be interactions with police officers that amount to constitutional violations is much lower. Again, a good thing for the community, but something to consider if you’re hoping to enter the field of civil rights.
On the other hand, in places where jobs may be needed, there may not be financing to hire. For example, non-profits may see a skyrocketing number of cases during this time. Yet, their budgets are not only set in advance, but their funding is also donor- and grant-based. Given the economic downturn, there is a strong likelihood these organizations will be on a hiring freeze for some time after the pandemic ends.
Perhaps you’re thinking, “Fine, I’ll go into BigLaw until the storm passes.” Even that may not pan out. My friends in BigLaw that represent employers are far busier than usual trying to digest and explain all of the new laws to their clients. At the same time, their clients are financially strapped. They need to pause litigation or substantially decrease the cost of such until they know whether they can make it through this pandemic. Which means that law firms can’t simply hire a bevvy of additional attorneys to handle the increase in work.
It is for these reasons that the key to your success during this time will be getting serious – being strategic – about finding a job.
Be Strategic in Finding a Job
Now more than ever is the time that resumes attached to a relatively generic cover letter will not be enough to get you to the next step in your career. Being strategic about your job search requires you to forge connections with people while casting a wide net.
You will need to learn how to network genuinely while also adapting those skills to network virtually. You will also need to start reaching out to people in the fields and firms where you want to work sooner rather than later. And you will need to develop compelling cover letters and resumes that really showcase the unique skills and perspective you bring to the table.
There is no set way in which to accomplish these tasks. My advice is to spend some of this time self-isolating to really think about who you are, what motivates you, and how to express your passion to a relative stranger.
Generic cover letters are not going to cut it. You need to tell a compelling story to a different audience each time. Also, having multiple versions of your resume depending on the sector or specific firm/organization will make a difference.
And if you end up getting an interview – even an informational networking one – be sure to show your gratitude. The power of a thank you card can go a long way.
Building Relationships is Key
Being genuine by building real relationships is going to matter more than ever during these times. And no, building relationships does not mean emailing people who you haven’t spoken to in years and asking for a favor.
I am updating this post because within minutes of finishing its earlier draft, I received a message from someone who I hadn’t spoken to in two years. After applying for a summer internship at our firm and declining the offer we made (for financial reasons), I never heard from this person again.
The email I received concerned how COVID-19 had delayed her start date for her post-graduate job and a request about whether we were hiring.
If I’m being honest, the email left an immediate bad taste in my mouth. I thought, “Really? I haven’t heard from you in two years, and now I’m getting this email asking not only for a favor, but a BIG favor?” I couldn’t help but feel annoyed at the transactional nature of the communication. Especially couched in an email that was meant to suggest a level of closeness between us.
Still, never one to leave an email unanswered, I wrote back. I explained that unfortunately, we were not hiring. (In the midst of the crisis, we have been doing everything we can to maintain our current staffing.) I was going to leave it there, but I couldn’t be that dismissive.
So I asked what type of work she was looking for. Since her start date was delayed – and since she had chosen to take a job in a different state – it was unclear if she was seeking full- or part-time employment.
It took another day before I heard back, and again, my immediate reaction was to be frustrated. Why? Not because of anything that the person had written. I just still had that bad taste in my mouth. Like I was one of a dozen or so people on a list that received the same meant-to-feel-close-but-not-truly-genuine email.
But again, I didn’t want to leave her in the lurch. I could sense what was important to her and ways to achieve those goals that were more realistic than getting a job through stale contacts.
After sharing my thoughts and tips, I finally received an email that felt genuine. The woman shared how grateful she was for my response and how I had been more helpful than her professors and mentors. She then opened up about her plans and how she was trying to see this delayed start date as possibly opening the door to other opportunities. It was only at this point that I understood some of the internal debates going on in her head, and I also felt appreciated as a person and not as a commodity.
It was surprising that we were able to have this exchange after the first email I had received. I can see many people being put off by the initial email and either not responding or offering a curt, “We are not hiring at this time” type of response. Which certainly would not have helped this woman in her job search.
So, what’s the takeaway? First, you need to build real relationships before attempting to leverage them for favors. And second, never attempt to hide a purely transactional request in a communication that’s meant to give off the impression of closeness. It is likely to leave the reader feeling used, even if there was nothing exchanged. And if that happens, there is very little chance the relationship will ever develop, let alone bear fruit.