The realities of job hunting as a 0-2yr lawyer – what your law school won’t tell you – reflections from recent job hunting

Job hunting as a 0-2yr lawyer can be a shock for students who been led to believe by their law school that it is relatively simple to get a job after university. The reality is that getting a job and building a career is just as difficult, if not more difficult, than getting through university. Knowing what job hunting is really like can help you manage your expectations and recover your confidence quickly from any setbacks. This blog post aims to bridge the void between what students are led to believe about job hunting and the reality of job hunting as a junior lawyer.

The top 20 realities of job hunting as a 0-2yr lawyer:  

1.       It is very unlikely you will be able to work in your favourite area of law to start with

In the current competitive graduate climate, only very lucky graduates land positions in the areas of law they want to work in straight away. Getting legal experience should be a priority, which may mean accepting a position where you may not be working in your favourite area of law. You are infinitely better off getting legal experience for 12 months then remaining unemployed for 12 months while trying to get into the specific area you want to work in. Even if you are working at a law firm that practises the area of law you want to work in, it is likely you will be part of a rotation system where you have to work in a variety of different areas of law during your graduate year(s). Always have a long term strategy to get into the area of law you want, but don’t be afraid of working in other areas to help get you there. For example, as a law graduate I worked in property law, family law, and commercial disputes and insolvency. After those 12 months, with solid experience and references, I finally was able to get a position in industrial relations, the area of law I wanted to work.

2.       Many good opportunities are short fixed term contracts as opposed to permanent positions

Traditionally, graduates were taken on for an initial 2 year contract period. This has changed. I have seen advertisements from reputable firms looking for graduates and junior lawyers for 3 month or 6 month contract periods. That is, they are recruiting for specific projects they need junior lawyers for instead of taking on junior lawyers permanently or for long term contracts. Do not be scared to apply for these positions, as even a short fixed term contract could lead to further work or a permanent position. Again, getting any legal experience should be a priority.

3.       It is likely you will have multiple jobs in your first few years as a lawyer

The days are gone where you will stay at the same law firm your whole life. It is becoming increasingly rare to even stay at a law firm for the first two years of your career. There are many reasons for this. While top tier firms have kept investing in their 2 year training programs, most other firms have reduced graduate programs to a 12 month fixed term contract. You may even find yourself on a shorter contract (see above paragraph). It is common to change jobs in the first few years of your career as you try and find a job in the area of law you want in an environment you feel comfortable. Do not feel disheartened if you find yourself unemployed after a fixed term contract. The nature of a fixed-term contract is that it ends! It is not personal. Try and get good references and move on quickly.

4.       It takes a long time to job hunt

The average time it takes a person to find a job is 6 months. The recruitment process for one position can take two to three months. Applications are usually accepted for 4 weeks, followed by at least 2 weeks of time for the applications to be sorted, 2 weeks for first round interviews, 2 weeks for second round interviews, and another week or two for referee checks. Then if you are offered the position, there will usually be at least a 2 week period before you commence. The recruitment process of public sector jobs is even slower. So don’t be disheartened if it is taking time. In recent job hunting, I found that I didn’t hear anything for weeks and weeks and then suddenly received plenty of interviews.  

5.       You will either be underqualified or overqualified for positions

Junior lawyer positions tend to be advertised at graduate level or for a 2+ year lawyer. If you fall in between these experience levels you will either be underqualified or overqualified for jobs you are applying for. Do not be afraid to apply for positions you think you may be underqualified for. There is a large variation in ability level between junior lawyers. In recent job hunting I was surprised to find I got interviews for most of the positions I thought I was underqualified for, and often missed out on interviews for positions I was overqualified for. Don’t wait for a perfect position that fits your experience to come up. It may never appear.

6.       You will be competing with more experienced lawyers for jobs

Related to the above point. Positions are often advertised broadly, such as “Junior litigation lawyer 1 – 4yr PQE”. If you are a one year lawyer, you will obviously be less experienced and competing against lawyers with 3 years more experience than you. Still apply! You have the advantage of being a cheaper option for the firm, as the wages paid to a 1 year lawyer are significantly less than what a 4 year lawyer will demand.

7.       You will need to do A LOT of applications

In recent job hunting I applied for 25 jobs, had quite a few first round interviews, made it to the second round interview for 4 positions, and was offered 2 positions.

8.       You will attend second round interviews and not get the position

Just because you have made it to the final round of recruitment does not mean you will get the position. Even if you are in the final stages of recruitment, keep applying for other positions. In the end, you can miss out because of something completely arbitrary that is not a reflection on you at all. Take encouragement from the fact you made it to second round interviews – you are obviously doing something right to get that far.

9.       It is easier to get a job when you are currently employed

The longer you spend unemployed, the harder it can be to get a job. Do not be afraid to take a “filler” position or short term contract while you continue to job hunt. Recruitment agencies can be useful for “filler” positions, especially if you find yourself suddenly unemployed.

10.   As soon as you find yourself unemployed, try and get work straight away

Try not to spend too much time feeling sorry for yourself. Work your legal connections to try and get a bit of work as soon as you can. You might find the small firm where you worked as a paralegal during law school has some junior lawyer work they need help with. Even if it is just a few days a week, keeping a foot in the legal industry will help give you confidence to keep in the job hunting game and help ensure your resume doesn’t have any awkward gaps.

11.   Be prepared to explain “gaps” in your resume

When you go for interviews, make sure you have identified the weaknesses in your resume. Do you have nothing to show for 2013? What were you doing? If you can come up with a convincing narrative, you can turn this resume gap into an advantage. If you took a “gap year” half way through your degree and went travelling, your narrative could be that you took time off to plan your future, came back more committed to a career in law and achieved better grades from that point forward.

12.   Be prepared for the unexpected in your interview

If you are prepared for the unexpected, you will take anything unanticipated in your stride.

Real life example 1: I went for an interview where I was told on the spot I had to choose a coffee location for the interview. I was not familiar with coffee shops in the area. Lesson learned: make sure you are familiar with the local area of your interview.

Real life example 2: My interviewer had a sore back so had to stand while I was asked to sit down.

Real life example 3: In one interview I was quizzed on the Chief Justices of all the state Supreme Courts. I knew some but not all of the answers. If the unexpected situation or question occurs, try and remain calm and if you do not know the answer, the best option is usually to say you do not know, and quickly change the topic to something positive.

13.   Be prepared for questions about resilience and adaptability in your interview

I have consistently been asked in interviews to provide examples where I showed resilience. It is best to have an answer planned. Stick to examples from university and work, as personal examples from your personal life risk being inappropriate.

14.   Good grades are not enough

Most applicants for a position will have solid grades from law school. It is the additional qualities that you can bring to the role that usually get you the position. This could be your personality, your prior work experience or your hobbies, especially if you show an interest in the law outside of work.

15.   Look outside your “hometown”

Unless you are locked down by family commitments, you really need to look more broadly for junior lawyer positions. I found in Sydney, many lawyers limit their search to Sydney. The legal market is growing quickly in other areas such as Melbourne and Brisbane. There are also fantastic opportunities in unexpected places like Darwin. You really need to spread your applications as broadly as possible, especially if you are looking at a niche job. For example if you want to work at Crown Solicitors apply for Crown Solicitors in every state. When you are more experienced, you can be more selective about where you live.  

16.   Job hunting can be very awkward

You may be required to ask your current supervisor to be a referee. You may accept a position and have to withdraw two weeks into your job because you have been offered a position you cannot turn down. The sooner you accept awkward things will happen, the easier it will be to get on with it.

17.   The job market has changed since your supervisor was a junior lawyer

I have been told by several senior lawyers that they probably would not have gotten a job as a junior lawyer if they were dealing with the same conditions as the current crop of graduates. Don’t be disheartened by stories that older lawyers “walked” into their first job. These stories are antiquated. No one “walks” into their first job in 2015. 

18.   When you get a job you will lose control

I found the most difficult aspect of working as a law graduate was the complete loss of control over your day. Unlike university where you can plan what assignments you will work on during the day and take breaks whenever you want, junior lawyers do not control their own work or hours at a law firm. You could have barely any work the whole day and then be given 6 hours of urgent work at 5pm. This can be tiring to start with, but is a characteristic of almost all junior legal jobs.

19.   You will probably be paid award rate

Unless you are working at a top-tier firm, it is very likely you will be paid award rate as a law graduate. Do not expect to be raking it in. Be grateful to have a job and be getting legal experience.

20.   When you get a job, you will do a lot of trudge work

Junior lawyers predominantly engage in “unglamorous” law. At university, assignments are designed to be interesting to law students. At a law firm, work does not centre around how interesting it is for a law graduate. Chances are you will be working on due diligence or large litigation matters at some point.

Please share any “realities” of job hunting you think I have missed in the comments section.