[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Susan D. Strayer, Jobless Lawyer. Jobless Lawyer said: Recession Job Search Tips for the Unemployed Lawyer- How to Create a Successful Job “Surge” http://tiny.cc/ZUFjb [...]

I just stumbled upon this post today after Googling “sample attorney resume.” I enjoyed reading some of the posts. Yours is one of the very few that manages to remain upbeat. Plus, it's well-written. Keep your spirits up! Hey, is it too late to go to med school?

Really appreciate your web posts. Not only entertaining but quite informative. Please don’t leave us in a lurch by getting a job and not letting us know. Keep up the good work and god speed.

Great job on web posts. Keep up the good work.

“1 from a Response to a Craigslist Ad (as offerree)”

I guess those clowns never responded.

Did you try to talk to anyone at the App. Div. again?

Have you had any experiences with job listings in Bar Bulletins?

Did you get any JOB offers?

Hi, I’m an occasional reader of your blog (and also a fellow jobless lawyer) and I have to commend you on this post. The strategies you’ve used are both creative and pragmatic, especially how you asked your former coworkers to advocate for you in advance of an interview. Thanks for the solid advice and great work.

Still using Hound.com? I was intrigued by your recommendation since your criticism of other resume/employment services seemed spot on (I recently ditched theladders and monster).

I am already on lawcrossing, and hound.com is another one of their (many) affiliated sites. I’m apprehensive after reading just one press release from hound.com that was riddled with typos and seemed to have been translated from English to Portuguese and back a few too many times.

Great site by the way, tons of good content.

just wanted to share this 5 tips on how to get the job you want https://www.jobsindubai.com/career.asp?qArticle… is it true that now a days it is quite hard to find a job but if you will just learn the 5 tips being mentioned on the article I shared you can surely be hired

I find your post ammusing only because you write well. I will share your blog with clients. Your tips are good. One networking tip is to make sure one trys to figure out how to help other. Many (not you) go to networking event hoping someone will hire. Not good. Try to build relatioships and help others. They will remember you for this.

You haven’t posted since Dec 1 and I hope it’s because you got hired.

Best of luck I’m going to follow your posts, should you post anymore.
Cheers, Lorin Mask
http://www.thelegalappeal.com

i upvoted this post

DUI Attorney

So, any update on how things turned out from the “surge” or any interviews since then?

Market looking any better?

What happened to you? Did you find a job?

Thomas Edison couldn't have said it better himself, “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up, the most certain way to succeed is to try just one more time.” I just stumbled on your blog and I must say, I really enjoyed reading it as well as how you put to light situations which some may even call “dire” in such a humorous way. The part about self-esteem is really important for all job seekers — confidence is a really big plus because without it, you won't look as effective as you actually are. Anyway, hope you find a job! I will be looking forward to your other posts. Mind if we swap links? I have a blog of my own as well which is all about employment (or the lack of it) too.

http://www.wearyworker.com

Good luck!

It’s rough and difficult to even give it away at the moment. I thought I would be able to pro bono my way to a different type of practice – but I’ve waited months to get a crack at a couple of places. In the meantime, my local, rough and ready law centre had an opening for a woman solicitor (attorney) and I grabbed it – it had half the competition of the other positions.

Now that I’ve got my foot in the door, it’s been easier for me to get involved with their other clinics. The benefit to me is that it keeps me fresh and does take me out of my comfort zone. The Saturday ladies’ legal problems aren’t confined to one or two areas of law.

Thanks for your post. it’s easy to feel like the lone ranger.

Are you going to be posting anymore?

Where’ve you been? Does this mean you got a job? Hope you find a way to tell us that story (as well as interview tips!)

” I provided them with a list of the places I had submitted a resume and the contact individuals for each. I had them place unsolicited calls in advance, addressing the layoff procedures and my work product.” – Interesting approach

Whom did you have them call?

yeah good luck loser

is iggy429 a Hadley High School drop-out?

A better idea, though non-conventional. Find a job you want, and realize that they will be receiving 200-300 resumes for the posting. This means you need to either have a personal relationship with someone there, or other personal connection. Your goal is to get in front of the hiring partner, before screening by nay-sayers.

Here is how to do it: First, find out who the hiring partner is. Ask for his or her hourly rate, and tell his secretary that you need his input on a legal matter, and will bring an hour's worth of his time with payment for the initial consultation. Tell them it is a complex legal problem, that you would prefer to discuss in person. The partner will think you are a potential client.

Dress well, and when you meet with the partner, hand him a check for the consultation at his hourly rate. Explain that you understand that he has successfully established a practice, and tell him you are paying him for his professional career advice. Ask him to review your resume (tailor it to the position you want), and ask him how he got started. He will probably be flattered that you are paying him $300-$400 just to meet with him for advice. Don't even mention the opportunity at his firm–tell him that you know he interviews a lot of candidates, and you want to know what hiring partners at prestigious firms (whether or not the firm is well-known), are looking for, and that you found his firm through Martindale-Hubble and noticed that they were AV rated, had a great client list, and they practiced in your area of specialty.

Let him talk about his own career as much as possible. Don't overtly flatter him, but ask about career advancement/client development strategies that have worked for him. Take copious notes, and ask follow-up questions on how he built his practice and ask him “If you were to give a commencement address to recent graduates, what would you tell them?”

Ask him if he has any additional ideas that come to him later, to please call you, as you will be happy to pay his hourly fee if he thinks of anything else, or hears of any open opportunity from colleagues from local firms that might fit your profile.

At worst, he will consider you a “go-getter”, and may become a valuable contact/reference/advocate for your search. At best, he will seriously consider you for the open position they have that you pretend you know nothing about and never mention.

Beats the hell out of emailing resumes to firms who receive 300 applications for one job, with no face contact for 290 of the applicants

Unemployed lawyers should consider applying to BP Fund administrator Kenneth Feinberg for a job. Total attorneys' fees to be paid from fund could be upwards of $5 billion. Make the argument to Mr. Feinberg that those could be greatly reduced, maybe by 80%, if he structured the program so that all legal work was done by lawyers who are compensated on a salary basis.

Interviews are a nightmare, I had to go on at least 20 before I landed my job.

Also on an unrelated note, whatever happened to Surge soda? It was all over the place when I was in middle school. Kind of like the precursor to modern energy drinks, but now has gone the way of betamax and the soon-to-be-dead-due-to-piracy music/movie industry: http://lawblog.legalmatch.com/2010/06/01/the-in…

Interviews are a nightmare, I had to go on at least 20 before I landed my job.

Also on an unrelated note, whatever happened to Surge soda? It was all over the place when I was in middle school. Kind of like the precursor to modern energy drinks, but now has gone the way of betamax and the soon-to-be-dead-due-to-piracy music/movie industry: http://lawblog.legalmatch.com/2010/06/01/the-internet-piracy-revolution-protecting-your-intellectual-property-rights/

This is a bit of a shameless plug, but for those who are looking for attorney positions, I would recommend that you check out http://www.resumelaunchpad.com. It’s a new site that helps you search for law firms and easily send them your resume and cover letter.