Effective Job Searching
Finding a job can seem especially daunting in the current economy. It is critical to your success to break the process down into manageable steps that are completed with thoroughness and efficiency. While networking comes more naturally to some than to others, it is a skill that can be learned. Social networking is an increasingly invaluable resource in your arsenal of career management tools. Moreover, as job search sources have moved online, researching jobs has become easier. These topics, along with applying and interviewing for jobs, are covered below.
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Networking
Researching Jobs
Applying and Interviewing
Networking
Building Your Network (PDF)
Face-to-Face Networking in the Dot. Com World (PDF)
Researching Jobs
Essential Job Search Strategies in a Down Economy (PDF)
101 Careers: A Guide to the Fastest-Growing Opportunities, 1998
Michael Harkavy
Directory of Corporate Counsel (Volumes 1 - 2), 2001
Edited by Linda D. Humphries, Aspen Law and Business, a Division of Aspen Publishers, Inc.
Phone: (212) 597.0251, Fax (646) 728.3048
Law Firms Yellow Book, Leadership Directories, Inc.
Phone: 212.627.4140, Fax: 212.645.0931, E-mail: info@leadershipdirectories.com; Website: www.leadershipdirectories.com
The Lawyer's Guide to JobSurfing on the Internet, 2000
Career Education Institutes.
Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory
This directory is available online in three forms, a searchable CD-ROM version, the website: www.martindale.com and through www.lexis.com.
Martindale-Hubbell Law Digest (latest editions)
National Association for Law Placement Line
National Association for Law Placement Directory of Legal Employers
Available as a database on Westlaw, West Publishing Company's computerized on-line research service.
National Directory of Legal Employers, National Association of Law Placement
The Association of Law Schools and Legal Employers
Phone: 202.667.1666, Fax: 202.265.6735.
The Official Guide To Legal Specialties, 2000
National Association for Law Placement.
This publication offers a comprehensive look at 30 practice specialty areas. "Incorporating interviews with 130 attorneys from private law firms of all sizes, solo practitioners, public interest organizations, and government agencies…( this book) is the definitive resource for pre-law students, current law students and practicing attorneys."
Resources for Conducting an Internet Job Search, 1998
National Association for Law Placement
This brochure provides an overview of the types of services, resources and information available on line.
America's Greatest Places to Work with a Law Degree and How to Make the Most of Any Job, No Matter Where It Is, 1998
Kimm Alayne Walton
This book is a compilation of information taken from law school administrators around the country who were asked, "Where do your happiest graduates work?" Although not all legal employers are listed, this book can be a useful research tool for getting an inside perspective on what it's like to work at hundreds of profiled employers.
The Best of the Job Goddess, 1999
Kimm Alayne Walton
This book provides a compilation of answers to difficult questions posed by law school students and recent graduates.
Changing Jobs: A Handbook for Lawyers in the New Millennium, 3rd Edition, 1999
ABA Young Lawyers Division.
This manual is specifically geared for young lawyers who have been working for a couple of years and are in their first or second legal job. Section II of the book "covers all aspects of career planning for lawyers." Section III covers the job search process, "taking into consideration the factors that are unique to the legal profession." Section IV "provides detailed analyses of employment opportunities for experienced lawyers within various public and private sector practice settings." There are chapters that discuss specific topics, such as large law firms; small law firms; corporations; federal government; the judiciary; Legal Aid; Legal Services; and public interest organizations.
Ethics and Employment: A Guide for Law Students, 1997
National Association for Law Placement.
This brochure covers students' responsibilities during the hiring process. It addresses ethical concerns involved in cover letters, resumes, interviewing, offers and decision-making.
Jobs for Lawyers, Effective Techniques for Getting Hired in Today's Legal Marketplace, 1995
Hillary Jane Mantis & Kathleen Brady
"What makes [this book] unique and extremely valuable is the way it approaches the legal job search as a process that can be learned. It is filled with practical advice, productive exercises and insightful examples. This book identifies both the problems and opportunities and provides practical how-to's for resolving or taking advantage of them."
Career Strategies for International LL.M. Students, 1999
National Association for Law Placement
This 16-page booklet helps explain the process of a job search for international LL.M.Students, with sections on how to use the career services office, writing cover letters andresumes and networking, as well as an overview of the U.S. legal market, suggestions on whether to take a bar exam, and a summary of immigration regulations.
Guerrilla Tactics For Getting The Legal Job Of Your Dreams, 1999
Kimm Alayne Walton
This book leads you step-by-step through strategies you need to find the job you want. It discusses how to decide what your dream job is, how to get the most out of your career services office, how to write a cover letter, interviewing, the issue of grades, nontraditional careers, and assessment exercises and more.
How to Get the Job You Want in a Law Firm, 1997
Ann D. Turnicky & Eugene Theroux, John Wiley & Sons
The Insider's Guide To Law Firms, 5th Edition, 2000
Edited by Sheila Malkani & Michael Walsh
An in-depth profile of more than 200 large law firms based on interviews with summer associates and full time associates.
Jobs for Lawyers, Effective Techniques for Getting Hired in Today's Legal Marketplace, 1996
Hillary Jane Mantis & Kathleen Brady
Topics in this book address the job search process; creating a plan of action; self-assessment; informational interviewing and much more.
The Vault Reports Guide to America's Top 100 Law Firms, 2002
H.S. Hamadeh, Michael Hasday & Doug Cantor, Vault Reports, Inc.
Podcast: For International LL.M. Students and Attorneys: Navigating the US Legal Market and Planning Your Career 4/25/12 (MP3)
Online Resources
www.vault.com
Research companies, industries, salaries
Find attorneys, answers to legal questions, and other legal resources
All law school and undergraduate alumni websites and career centers are also good sources of networking opportunities and potential job postings.
Resources for People with Disabilities
Interviewing Tips for Law Students with Disabilities and Employers Who Recruit Them, 1999
National Association for Law Placement
This booklet covers such topics as: What are disabilities as defined by the ADA? What are "essential Functions" and "reasonable accommodation"? Pre-interview preparation for applicant and employer; Conducting and participating in the actual interview; How to know if a work site is accessible; and Post-interview follow-up.
Job Search Handbook for People With Disabilities, 2000
Daniel J. Ryan
"The goal of this book is to prepare you to best represent yourself to potential employers and to reassure them that you are a capable worker"… This book takes you beyond the interview including real life examples of such topics as negotiating salary, fitting into the work environment, and asking for reasonable accommodations. It also contains a list of employers who recruit and hire qualified individuals with disabilities.
Job Strategies for People with Disabilities, 1992
Melanie Astaire Witt
Melanie Witt combines state-of-the-art career decision-making and employment search techniques with the special interests of the disabled community for today's job market. This book answers questions about the law, career decision-making, and job finding as it tells the stories of real people with real jobs and shares their secrets of success.
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Applying and Interviewing
Job Hunting in a Down Market (PDF)
Returning to Work (PDF)
Preparing Resume, Cover Letter, Statements of Interest, Writing Samples and References
175 High Impact Cover Letters, 2nd Edition, 1996
Richard Beatty
Best Resumes & Cover Letters: Best Resumes for $75,000+ Executive Jobs, 1992
William Montag
Best Resumes for Attorneys, 1994
Joan Fondell & Mary Jo Russo. John Wiley & Sons
Better Resumes for Attorneys and Paralegals, 1986
Adele Lewis & David A. Saltman
Dynamite Cover Letters & Other Great Job Search letters!, 1994
Caryl Rae Krannich & Ronald L. Krannich
The Only Job Hunting Guide You’ll Ever Need: The Most Comprehensive Guide for Job
Hunters and Career Switchers, Updated and Revised, 1995
Kathryn Petras & Ross Petras
Resumes Don’t Get Jobs: The Realities and Myths of Job Hunting, 1993
Bob Weinstein
Information Interviewing: How to Tap Your Hidden Job Market, 1996
Martha Stoodley
Informational interviewing and networking are key components to a successful job search. This practical guide takes you step - by - step and teaches you what you need to do, how to get started and how to follow through to success. The book provides many sample letters, lists of questions and telephone scripts to help guide you through this process. You will see that "information[al] interviewing is a method for building a professional network, finding a mentor, searching for the right job... and building contacts for selling yourself."
Jobs for Lawyers, Effective Techniques for Getting Hired in Today's Legal Marketplace, 1996
Hillary Jane Mantis & Kathleen Brady.
Topics in this book address the job search process; creating a plan of action; self-assessment; informational interviewing and much more.
An Insider's Guide to Interviewing: Insights from the Employer's Perspective, 1996
National Association for Law Placement
Hiring attorneys from across the country share their advice on the qualities of a winning resume, interviewers' favorite questions, responses that impress most and least, questions interviewees should ask, employers' hiring criteria, the offer process, criteria for selecting an employer.
The Essential Book of Interviewing, 1995
Arnold B. Kanter
In this book, the author examines interviewing from both sides of the desk and provides information for both the interviewee and the interviewer. He addresses every stage of the interview process, from deciding what to ask, to closing the interview.
Fair and Effective Interviewing, 1995
National Association for Law Placement
The objective of this pamphlet on non-discriminatory interviewing is "to provide a quick sensitization that encourages busy interviewers to recognize the importance of developing interviewing skills."
Information Interviewing: How to Tap Your Hidden Job Market, 1996
Martha Stoodley
Informational interviewing and networking are key components to a successful job search. This practical guide takes you step - by - step and teaches you what you need to do, how to get started and how to follow through to success. The book provides many sample letters, lists of questions and telephone scripts to help guide you through this process. You will see that "information[al] interviewing is a method for building a professional network, finding a mentor, searching for the right job... and building contacts for selling yourself."
The Legal Job Interview: Winning the Law Related Job in Today's Market, 1992
Clifford R. Ennico
Stating Your Case: How to Interview for a Job as a Lawyer, 1982
Joseph D. Ryan
A complete guide to interviewing in the legal profession, written by a partner with O'Melveny & Meyers. The book is written from the employer perspective. The appendices provide some useful information such as sample government forms and addresses for various government agencies. There are also sample resumes.
Sweaty Palms: The Neglected Art of Being Interviewed, 2005
H. Anthony Medley
"The tips and strategies in this book come from the author's experiences in counseling job hunters and employers." Topics covered include: preparation for the interview, presentation, (dressing tips, small talk), and negotiation (what to do after you get a job offer). At the end of each chapter there is a checklist which highlights the important points made in the chapter that are worth reviewing.
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