Keeping At It!

It's virtually impossible to look for work all day every day. It's emotionally draining to wake up and not know what to do with one's time.  One trick to winning in the job hunt is to be optimistic about positive outcomes from the contacts you make. The job you are looking for may be right around the corner. At the same time, it is also important to think long term. This is a phase of life that does not have an end date. Taking a part-time job can be an important way of keeping oneself active and reducing financial pressure. 

While any legal job may sound attractive when you are unemployed, you are likely to return to square one if your new job is not a good fit for your abilities. Jeff Minzel advises unemployed lawyers to get that non-legal part-time job until they find the right job. That way you are not stuck with a resume with serial one to two year jobs. It's better to have one gap before landing the right job that you would be happy to stay with. 

The best way to feel like a lawyer, meet other lawyers, cover gaps in your resume and learn new practice areas while unemployed is to take on pro bono work. Try to find pro bono work that offers training and support so that you are learning and networking throughout the process. In our Weekly Job Seekers Group, the attorneys who have signed up for pro bono work generally have more optimism and more leads. Follow this link for pro bono opportunities across a variety of practice areas across Washington or participate in WSBA's Home Foreclosure Legal Aid Project which provides ample training and support to help Washington residents through this housing crisis.

Some lawyers also have had good experiences doing contract law or document review work to make money and use their legal minds while looking for a full time job. Here are some leads in the contract law realm submitted by a fellow job seeker. You can also visit our links to Job Search Websites.