How to Set Yourself Up for Career Success While Waiting for Bar Exam Results
Heidi is a career advisor at California Western School of Law where she’s helped students and alumni find their career footing for the past seven and some odd years. Jocelyn is a career advisor at the neighboring University of San Diego School of Law and has been helping law students and graduates find career satisfaction for 10+ years. Heidi and Jocelyn used to be actual office neighbors back in the day and would often converse loudly to each other through their shared office wall. They recently got together on a sunny Thursday to talk about the post-grad life. Here are some points they wanted to share with new graduates waiting for bar results — read on to find out where they agreed and disagreed.
Jocelyn: One of the best feelings in the world is to be done with the California Bar Exam. I remember feeling on top of the world after I took the exam, but those great vibes were momentary because I didn’t have a job lined up yet. My advice for unemployed grads is to connect with their career advisors and mentors as soon as possible to come up with a job search strategy.
Be intentional about reaching out to everyone you know to let them know you are looking for a job — this includes former employers and coworkers, professors, friends, relatives, people at your gym/church/favorite coffee shop. Remain positive and feel proud that you finished law school and you are embarking on the next chapter of your life. Organize your job search in a way that matches your personality. If you love lists, make a to-do list. If you prefer the buddy system, team up with a friend to provide/receive encouragement and to go to networking events.
If you thrive on routines, set a schedule. For example, Monday: conduct research on job postings and scour LinkedIn. Tuesday: work on job applications (especially your writing sample) and networking emails. Wednesday: touch base with people (legal and non-legal) you haven’t connected with recently; meet someone for coffee. Thursday: attend a community event, happy hour, or continuing education course (find the free or low-cost ones) to meet new people. Friday: volunteer at a legal clinic (or anywhere).
Heidi: I agree, finishing the California Bar Exam is an exhilarating feeling, but it can also be a very scary, unsettling feeling, particularly when you don’t know where you’re going to land. It reminds me of a memoir I just finished reading about a woman who spent six months running 2,000 miles on New Zealand’s wild Te Araroa Trail. After training hard, every day of her trek was planned right down to how far she would run, when she would stop and rest, what meals she would eat, and where she would sleep, with her end goal being to reach the Cape Reinga Lighthouse at New Zealand’s northernmost tip. She had no life plan beyond the lighthouse, and as taxing as the trail was, that great unknown was even more terrifying.
Similar to that brave New Zealand tramper, these bar-takers went to school for many years, followed a regimented bar study schedule, and reached their end goal of taking the bar exam, but are now facing the terrifying question, “What now?” I didn’t have a job lined up after the bar exam either, so I know that anxious feeling well.
All I can add to Jocelyn’s awesome advice is: 1) You’re in good company. Many people don’t have a post-bar job lined up, so be kind to yourself if you’re still looking; 2) These three-and-half months are going to fly by. This is a small blip in your career trajectory, so work if you want to, but it’s not the end of the world if you don’t, and it’s okay to take a breather; and 3) Network. (Had to repeat that last one.)
Jocelyn: (Insert side eye) Heidi, I really disagree with you on the length of the “breather.” I suggest taking a breather for a couple weeks, but then please revise your application materials and start applying for jobs right away. And on the topic of applications, I hear over and over from employers who are disappointed in recent graduates’ writing samples. Top writing sample mistakes employers complain about: a sample clearly derived from a template; something unpolished from 1L or 2L year; seminar papers that are lengthy and irrelevant to the employers’ practice areas — these are all no-nos. You say you don’t have a recent writing sample? Draft a new one now. You can even ask your favorite professor if you can draft a research memo (free of charge).
Heidi: (Insert rolled eye) Haha, Jocelyn, I should be more clear on my definition of “breather.” Grads, it’s not the end of the world if you’re not working at a legal job while you’re waiting for bar results. But yes, in addition to taking a well-deserved break, this is an important time to plant some seeds so that when bar results come in, whatever they may be, you’re in the optimum position to make your next move.
I would also be hard-pressed to find a recent law school grad who doesn’t have a suitable writing sample. Drafting something new, especially for free, sounds like a complete nightmare. I recommend brushing up your most recent legal writing assignment from a practicum course or a law school internship (redacted please). Don’t forget to add a cover sheet explaining the context of your work and any successful outcome or top grade you earned on it, and definitely avoid the pitfalls Jocelyn mentioned.
Finally, now that the bar is behind you, you hopefully have some time to mix and mingle, so be sure to update your elevator speech and practice your response to the question, “What do you want to do?” because everyone is going to ask you that. For example, Jocelyn and I love helping grads find their first post-grad positions, so we are doing exactly what we want to do, right, Jocelyn?
Jocelyn: 100%.