Unless the job finds you first, you are the one who will be charged with leading the search party for a new position. And "party" may be a bit of a euphemism. The peaks and troughs of being in the job search are enough to make you question, well, just about everything. Did you choose the right major in college, was your decision to go to law school solid, should you have done a different internship after 1L, is it okay to do something completely non law-related? Heck, you may find yourself wondering if you should have played kickball instead of climbing monkey bars during recess in first grade.
You're a smart and talented person, and probably funny and personable too, should it be this hard to find a new job?
It is a tough economy. And even in a robust economy, finding the right socket to plug in your unique experience and education isn't always straightforward. But it is possible. As the job market finds its feet, law firms, companies, the government, and non-profit organizations will likely be launching broader candidate searches.So part of your search strategy involves being ready and knowing where to look. And that is where this list comes in. Check out the sometimes-serious, sometimes-humorous, always-possible ways to find your next legal or non-legal job. And with a 111 to pick and choose from, there should be at least a few that apply to you. Whether actual, virtual, or otherwise, the possibilities will give you at least an idea of what might be printed on your next business card.
A special thank-you to colleagues and friends who contributed to the compilation.
Please note: This list is neither comprehensive nor is it exhaustive. Mention of items or links to websites are for informational purposes and are not endorsements of the listed items.
Where, How, When to find your next job...
- FindLaw Cool Jobs newsletter
- With a former employer
- At a local Bar association evening mixer
- Through an informational interview
- Craigslist.org
- Mashable Jobs
- At yoga class
- Special Counsel
- On a golf course
- Law school career board
- At the empty desk of the family business
- Robert Half Legal
- Participating a charity half-marathon
- Non-profit job fair
- On a Kickball team (yes, they do exist)
- OpportunityKnocks.org
- Monster.com
- In the kitchen (think new gadget invention, recipe compilation)
- College career board
- While biking a century
- Linkedin.com
- At a non-profit legal services organization, while volunteering
- Law school alumni event
- In your garage (think Silicon Valley start-ups)
- At a CLE seminar
- Idealist.org
- Through a favorite hobby
- At a college alumni event
- From a recruiter
- Through former colleagues
- At your high school reunion
- While researching for a blog post
- At a start-up
- Attorneyjobs.com
- Tennis lessons
- On an airplane
- On you county's government website
- SimplyHired.com
- Hound.com
- On Facebook.com, from an unlikely re-connection
- From emailing a former professor
- TweetMyJobs.com
- While taking public transport
- From contacting places you applied-to, but didn't intern at in law school
- With the publishing company of your favorite law school supplement
- Oodle.com
- Jobster.com
- On a cross-country roadtrip
- From organizing a "pink-slip" happy hour with friends whose companies are hiring, or who are in the same boat
- At a book store or discussion group
- Through tutoring kids, and talking to their parents
- Consulting with a law firm
- Taking a language class
- JobServe.com
- From an email thread to all of your friends letting them know you are job searching and what you're seeking
- Volunteering on a political campaign
- USAJobs.com
- Yahoo! HotJobs [acquired by Monster.com]
- Through submitting a white paper to firms, companies, non-profits about an important industry development
- Helping with recruitment efforts for your law school or undergraduate alma mater
- Meeting other like-minded, diehard sports fans...while tailgating
- Putting out your shingle, opening your own practice
- On a Greedy Associates Board
- CoolWorks.com
- While consulting with a career/life coach
- At a gathering organized on Meetup.com
- While volunteering at one of the law school clinics you participated in as a student
- At a non-law job fair, after de-emphasizing your law degree on your resume
- Through a temporary, contract legal stint with a prominent solo attorney
- Talking on a ski lift ride up, or carving the slopes on the way down
- Weekly karaoke night
- CollegeGrad.com
- Jobfox.com
- From publishing legal articles in online journals
- At a conference
- Through contacting a friend or former colleague who had the position you seek
- Realmatch.com
- FindLaw Outplacement Center
- Playing pick-up basketball at lunchtime, on a weekday
- Attending local Chamber of Commerce small business mixers
- Volunteering with other attorneys at a Bar Association weekend charity event
- On a international trip, to a place you've always wanted to visit
- Doing pro bono research for a former professor in a field you are interested in joining
- FindLaw Legal Recruiter Directory
- TheLadders.com
- At a book signing event
- After organizing a "think tank" of fellow job seekers to generate leads and job search strategies
- Volunteering with a favorite cause
- At the dog park
- While talking to your hair stylist
- Indeed.com
- While hosting a garage sale
- After submitting a constructive critique of an existing product or service of a potential employer
- Through assisting other friends, family, former colleagues in finding a job or editing a resume
- During an evening or weekend class in a subject you want to know better
- From reading the leading publications in a field you are interested in joining
- JibberJobber.com
- Through carpooling
- Attending open houses of new businesses or restaurants
- After going to a major networking conference, in another city
- Assisting in fundraising efforts with an alumni association
- Through posting links on a topic you are interested in on Twitter.com
- Following users posting on a subject you are interested in on Twitter.com
- Learning marketable tech skills, such as simple HTML or advanced computing software
- Speaking at conferences or events or participating in speaker panels
- Volunteering as a small claims court mediator
- While interviewing leading figures for a book you are writing
- From asking your parents for help in the job search
- After obtaining an additional certification
- At the FindLaw Career Center
- While doing something you love to do
Editor's Note: Since the time this post was written in 2009, some of the websites referred to are no longer in operation.
Related Resources:
- The 20 Best Job Search Web Sites (PCMag.com)
- Top Job Boards (About.com)
- Secrets of the Job Hunt
- The Creative Job Hunt: 5 New Ways To Find Employment (TheDigeratiLife.com)
- Alternative Lawyer Jobs Career Blog (AlternativeLawyerJobs.com)
- 99 Things to Do With Your JD, Besides Practice Law (FindLaw's Greedy Associates)
- 9 Tips to Landing a Legal Job or Internship (FindLaw's Greedy Associates)
- How To Start a Solo Law Practice For Under $3K (FindLaw's Greedy Associates)
- Why You Should Do Pro Bono Work (FindLaw's Greedy Associates)
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