Summer Idea #2: Keep an Open Mind

"Why are we so full of restraint? Why do we not give in all directions? Is it fear of losing ourselves? Until we do lose ourselves there is no hope of finding ourselves.” ~Henry James

I’ve been away a few days on a road trip to Boston, and experienced for the first time the joy of traveling with a GPS. Except for the occasional odd route that “Emmy” (doesn’t everyone name their GPS?) sent us, it really changed the way I think of travelling now. One amazing feature of this little technological miracle is her ability to correct my mistakes. If I miss a turn, she will announce that she is “recalculating” and then send me a new way.

I also found, however, after toying with Emmy a bit, that I could “disobey” her directions quite often and still make it to my destination. We even had a little game going on one day to see how many times we could turn the exact opposite way and still get home. I think we did it 5 times, and I swear I could detect just a hint of rebuke in each of those “recalculatings.” It even made me a bit apologetic for straying from her set course for me.

So I was thinking. We are all more comfortable with a set course. It is a relief to know that you don’t have to calculate every single turn. However, the pre-mapped path seldom fits perfectly. Maybe there is a construction detour. Maybe you wanted to swing by a certain store on the way. Maybe you just can’t handle the Throughway today. Don't worry, you’ll still get there!

As your career progresses, step off the path every once in a while. Even if you knew you wanted to be a prosecutor since you were 3, sit next to the tax attorney at the bar association dinner and ask her about her practice. Try volunteering a few hours a week or taking on a pro bono project. Go to a CLE in an area that you don’t know about. You may find a new route to your destination, or diverge completely into a path that leads to great happiness! Or as my travels with Emmy have taught me, it will at least make the journey more interesting.

Interviewing Tip #1: Think of it as an audition

"Every time you have to speak, you are auditioning for leadership.” ~ James C. Humes

In High School it seemed like I was auditioning constantly. If you have ever auditioned or tried out for anything, you know how nerve-wracking and ego-straining it is. It feels like a test, not only of your skills and talents, but of your very self worth. When I tried out for a part the high school play and was told I’d be much more useful in the orchestra pit, I felt like I could never look the drama teacher (who was also my English teacher) in the eye again. Interviewing for a job feels like that too, doesn’t it? If you don’t get the job, then you just must be completely worthless, you’ll never do anything right again, and the employer must think of you as something lower than pond scum. But, really, you know that’s not the case. If you think about interviewing as auditioning, it can help put the experience in perspective.

There are two reasons why interviewing is like auditioning:
1. It is an indication of future performance.
2. It is a test of where you fit at this time. It isn’t a personal value-judgment.

Because I know you are just dying for me to expound:

1. Future performance: Just like your singing audition will tell the director if you can project confidently into a crowded theater, the way you conduct yourself in an interview—what you say, how you look, how you make the interviewer feel—are all indications of how you will someday represent them. Whether it is a test of how you treat their clients, how you articulate your thoughts in court, or how you handle difficult questions with the press, your interview can give a glimpse of your future self. Even how you deal with your own weaknesses, like a grade or a lack of experience, can be an example of how you make case when all the facts aren’t as strong as they could be. You’re your first client, after all. An interview is your opportunity to show how you make your case for being hired!

2. Fit : You may think you were born to play Batman, but you might make a brilliant Robin instead! You may be a wonderfully smart person, but the interviewer knows that your personality is wrong for the job. If you keep in touch with the interviewer, despite not getting the job, her feedback may be instrumental in your career search and may steer you in a direction that will ultimately make you happier.

Timing: You’re a great tap-dancer, but there’s only one female part in “Singin’ in the Rain.” If you hang around, you may find that the understudy becomes the star! In an interview, you may fit in every way, but you may be the 5th stellar candidate for 4 positions. The employer would be delighted if you kept in touch with them because it’s hard to find great candidates. If you can get over your initial disappointment and find a way to keep in touch, I’m sure they wish they could have hired you, and would welcome another chance if they get one.

So here’s the takeaway. When you’re preparing for an interview, think of what the questions are for, and you will make a great impression. Whatever happens, if you view the interview at the very least as a way to make another career-related contact and possible mentor, you will always get something out of it. And if you remember that getting the job has nothing to do with how good a person you are, then you’re in great shape for the job search!

It’s hard to keep this in mind when you’re in the middle of it, but I guarantee you will look back on interviews and know that most of them turn out the way they should. Looking back, at my own aspirations for a theatrical "career," of course I realize now that I would have made a terrible Adelaide in Guys and Dolls, and when the sax player got mono, it was a good thing I was in the pit, ready to play the “Luck Be a Lady” solo!

Comment Call #1: Do you have a cool summer job?

"Life is the only real counselor; wisdom unfiltered through personal experience does not become a part of the moral tissue.” ~Edith Wharton

We have a number of "series" posts planned for this blog, as the more observant of you could surmise by the #1 in the "Summer Ideas" post. The COMMENT CALL series is an open invitation for you to participate with your own stories, insights and wisdom! Thanks to R&W Professor Laura Reilly for this great idea!

So without much (more) ado, Comment Call #1:

Do you have a really cool summer job, internship or study abroad lined up? Tell us all about it!

Click on "# comments" below and try to include:

1. Name of your "employer"
2. Your title/function
3. What city it's in
4. Briefly, what your project will be (if you know)
5. Why you're excited about it
6. We're going to be putting out a comment call in the future asking for stories about how you found your jobs/internships, but feel free to tell us here too!

(remember this is a moderated-comment blog, so there will probably be a delay before you see your comment appear...)

As you're thinking about this, don't forget to let the CSO know what you're doing! Weren't you curious about what people did over the summer? We don't know until you tell us! Email me directly (you could even refer to your comment on here and just tell me privately who you are) or fill out the survey in Symplicity (in your profile, click on "employment" and then "add new").

And. if you would like to submit a post about your experience during the summer, e.g., a really gratifying project, or enlightening event, let me know and I will give you a guest spot!

Summer Idea #1: Join a Bar Association!

"The only real training for leadership is leadership." ~Anthony Jay

This is the first in a series of ideas of things to do, besides work, intern, sleep and watch movies over the summer.

Remember back in high school when everyone told you that you needed to have a lot of activities to round out your college applications? Then, the same rule applied for law school? Know why? Our noble profession, as any great profession, thrives and grows through leadership and participation. Those colleges and law schools looked for future leaders to help shape the profession and to represent us well in society. As you transition from student to lawyer, start looking to bar associations and other professional groups as your next step. They can help you find the perfect job, and cultivate a ready-made network of peers at the same time!

The summer is a great time to join (you don't have to pass an exam or anything...)! There are hundreds and hundreds of bar and trade associations that would love you to join them as a student member. They are organized around many themes: geographic (national, state, county, city), demographic (gender, ethnicity/race, sexual preference), or practice (sector, practice specialty, function). Usually, membership for students is free or very nominal, and buys you incredible benefits that can help you as you move forward in your career. Although stated benefits of these groups often differ slightly, here is a short list of reasons to join (all of these are phenomenal job-search strategies too):

1. Periodicals: Usually, there is a newsletter or bar journal included in your membership that will help you keep up on current legal issues in the field, and start introducing you to familiar names in that circle.
2. Events: CLEs, receptions, dinners, committee meetings, etc. You’ll be in a room full of lawyers that do what you want to do, where you want to do it! Talk to them! Some organzations, like the Hispanic National Bar Association, and the American Intellectual Property Law Assocation, to name just two, host student job fairs for members!
3. Leadership Opportunities: Often, you can join a sub-section or committee of the organization, or at least introduce yourself to the chair of one, and offer to help. If you can contribute your energy and enthusiasm to a project, it is the best way to make a great impression!
4. “Virtual” Presence: If your intended job market is far away, an affiliation with
the local bar can give you the savvy, networking and recognition that you need to keep linked up with that market.
5. Practice Expertise: By participating with a professional organization, you’ll start to talk the talk and sound like a lawyer!

Sound good? Here are two really great lists of bar associations. Hieros Gamos hosts a fantastic one that is geographically organized, and includes all of North America. Click on the state you’re interested in and an incredibly robust list appears. FindLaw provides a good supplement to this one, that is more national and specialty-oriented. Of course, neither is absolutely exhaustive (I noticed that the American Association of Nurse Attorneys, isn’t on either of them), so Google up one that suits your interest.

And don't forget our UB Law Alumni Association! They offer all the same benefits and more for students and alumni. For more information, and to join, click here. Those clubs that you joined back in high school were good training for this!