Module One – What Is a “Great” Legal Job?
In this module, you will define what a “great” legal job is for you. You’ll examine aspects of a job that are frequently considered prerequisites for great jobs and decide their importance for you. You’ll also have an opportunity to add your own preferences. Finally, you’ll rank the identified features as “need to have,” “nice to have,” and “icing on the cake” elements that make up a great legal job for you.
Module Two – Thinking Like a Lawyer
In this module, you will discover that finding and obtaining a job as a lawyer requires a different way of thinking than that required to effectively perform the duties of a lawyer. Your analytical ability, attention to detail, logical reasoning, and structured decision making (i.e., thinking like a lawyer) that helps you get through law school and pass the bar may actually impede your progress of finding and obtaining a job.
It’s important to recognize that finding and obtaining a job is part science—facts, details, analysis, etc.— and (most importantly) part creativity — going with your gut, making decisions, and taking action even when you don’t have all the “evidence.”
Module Three – Plan Your Success
In this module, you’ll discover that without a solid plan for its achievement, a goal is nothing more than a well-intentioned wish. The path to obtaining a desirable legal job has defined action steps which require gathering information, making decisions, and taking action. Having a plan for performing those functions and taking those steps accelerates your journey along that path.
Module Four – Picking Your Specialty
In this module, you’ll discover the importance of choosing the area of law in which you would like to be involved and, correspondingly, your major. That is the first step in developing your plan for obtaining your great job.
Identifying and setting your sights on a particular area of law enables you to put your plan into action and focus your efforts on activities that will keep the plan moving forward. You’ll learn a three-step process for exploring the areas of law you find appealing. The results of your efforts may strengthen your attraction to a particular area, or conversely, indicate that you need to look elsewhere.
Module Five – Thinking Like an Employer
In this module, you will help the employer answer the question, “why should I consider you?”.
You’ll discover that to increase your attractiveness as a candidate, you need to demonstrate in clear and specific ways how you can help your ideal employer solve its problems and obtain its desired outcomes. Therefore, when presenting yourself as a job candidate, your first step is to consider the needs and objectives of a potential employer and its clients. You may care where you went to school, where you are from, and how much you have done in your life but the potential employer only cares about how you can help solve its challenges and achieve the outcomes its desires.
You’ll learn how to obtain information on your ideal employer’s challenges, the impact of these challenges, and the outcomes the employer desires. You’ll also learn how to achieve the most impact with three tools commonly used in job searching to establish a clear connection between your accomplishments and the desired outcomes of your ideal employer.
Module Six – Become an Expert on the Employer
In this module, you will help the employer answer the question, “why should I hire you?”.
You’ll discover steps you can take to obtain a deeper understanding of your ideal employer. You’ll also discover ways to articulate how hiring you will help the employer obtain the ideal outcomes desired and get these results more quickly.
You are more likely to be hired if an employer feels that you understand its culture, objectives, challenges, frustration, and goals and are able to both articulate that understanding and demonstrate how your unique skills and experiences can help. The information in this module will help you even if you don’t yet have a particular employer in mind. Going through this this process with a less than perfect employer is OK because it will sharpen your research and interview skills for a later time when you really want to make a positive impression.
Module Seven – Focus on the Plan, Not on Short-Term Outcomes
In this module, you will discover how to implement a long view strategy to help keep you sane (especially during this pandemic) and help you prepare for the unexpected and ambiguous twists and turns of the job searching process.
You’ll discover some tools to give you momentum to start creating your plan and to keep moving forward despite setbacks. Yes, there may be a misstep or temporary setback. But you’ll have the strategy and tools to handle them and quickly get back on track. You’ll also discover two common misconceptions during the job searching process and how to turn each rejection into an opportunity to become a stronger candidate.