CAREER COUNSELOR'S CORNER
1. 800. 973. 1177
Mary Harblin, Director of Career Services, Syracuse University College of Law [by Barry Perlman } “My background lends itself well to counseling students in finding employment, since I know the thought processes involved in ferreting out where they see themselves fitting and what type of employment will fit them personally.” So says Mary Harblin of Syracuse University College of Law, our featured Career Counselor of the Week.
Since July, Syracuse students have been able
house legal openings and retained outside
manage your workforce in compliance with
to put this experience to work, now that Har-
counsel in a variety of situations, not to
the state and local regulations that pertain
blin is on board to help them. She received
mention her regular recruitment of attorneys
to a particular employee population. They
her B.S. in Family and Community Services
for placement in non-traditional positions.
are also quite successful at insuring that
from the College of Human Development
For instance, while working for GE’s Global
companies effectively administer individual
(now the College of Human Services and
eXchange Services division, Harblin brought
employer policies consistently, to reduce
Health Professions) at Syracuse, a course
on attorneys as IT product managers. “They
liability.”
of study initially designed to lead students
had a different approach to the position than
into public service agency administration.
straight-up marketing people,” she explains.
Now that she’s in the legal world, one aspect
But she, like many of her classmates, ended
“They had the ability to learn, to look at the
of this new career that’s taken Harblin
up in the human resources arena. Harblin
issues involved and get a brief overview of
some getting used to is the widely accepted
spent 13 years in corporate HR in the greater
the product, and they had the management
involvement of institutions with NALP (Na-
DC area, eventually serving both in-house
skills to interact with the engineering team
tional Association for Law Placement), the
recruiting and outside consultant roles at a
and decide whom they wanted to collaborate
governing body that sets forth guidelines for
few different companies – including her most
with. They excelled in contractual areas of
law student contact with career counselors
recent stint as a contract recruiter for Digex,
the role, looking at what to do with potential
and potential employers. “Coming from the
a subsidiary of WorldCom that specializes in
patents developed in collaboration with other
corporate sector,” Harblin explains, “I find
web hosting.
companies and how to maintain proprietary
it unusual how the timing of many different
information gathered as a result of channel-
facets of the job search, including how offers
While there, Harblin fell victim to, as she
marketing efforts. Their excellent skill base
are handled, is managed through voluntary
describes it, “the WorldCom pink-slip party”
led them to succeed where people might not
affiliation with a governing body, not by state
that came as a result of that company’s mas-
initially think an attorney would be a good
or federal order or mandatory relationship.”
sive workforce downsizing. “Being in HR,”
fit.”
It’s this built-in formality and tradition of the
she recalls, “I had a good sense of what was
law profession that Harblin is still familiar-
coming, based on adjustments in assign-
As Harblin points out, a lot of law-school
izing herself with, though she admits the
ments and recruiting workload I’d been see-
career services offices are facing a similar
NALP-imposed regulations are useful in
ing, so I was prepared.” Luckily, Harblin was
situation, an increasing number of students
providing structure to students. “We’re not
able to summon the quintessential career
choosing to forego practicing in the tradi-
supposed to have dialogue with first-years
counselor optimism: “Things happen and
tional firm environment. She builds this
until November 1, to keep them focused on
lead to better things,” she declares matter-
reality into the counseling she provides. “In
academic performance since good grades
of-factly. Correspondingly, upon relocating
addition to advising them on how to approach
are the easiest way to ensure a productive
to the Syracuse area to be near her family,
traditional practice, I encourage them to
career search. Establishing the practice of
she spotted a job listing on the university’s
broaden the scope of their thinking to realize
strong academic performance early sets the
website that would lead to her current posi-
a law degree is marketable in a number of
foundation for that.”
tion.
ways.” Another example of an alternative career path is human resources, Harblin’s own
Still, Harblin finds many students chomping
Though she’d never worked in a legal-spe-
original field. “Attorney skills are very appli-
at the bit to get going on their job searches
cific career capacity, Harblin was no amateur
cable [to HR] in terms of developing policies
right from the beginning, rather than gradu-
when it came to placing lawyers in jobs.
and procedures for companies, overseeing
ally getting settled into the academic routine.
Previously, she both hired for corporate in-
how to appropriately, ethically, and legally
And that fervent approach makes a lot of
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CAREER COUNSELOR'S CORNER
1. 800. 973. 1177
sense to Harblin, who sees the search as a
to someone who can help in your search or
long-term commitment. “The first couple
offer you a job.”
months of your law school career is the only time you don’t have to act in the search
In addition to keeping good grades and
capacity,” Harblin believes. “After that, your
securing solid professional experience,
first-year typically unpaid summer assign-
Harblin recommends students make efforts
ment will lead directly to the quality of the
to be well-rounded individuals, affiliating
second-year summer position and whether
themselves with student groups that pertain
that will be a paid situation or not. The
to a practice area they’re interested in or
second-year position is an opportunity to
wanting to explore. “Most law students
potentially earn good money and receive an
attending a good institution come out with
employment offer in the fall of the third year,
a certain level of functionality. Employers
which takes huge pressure off the remainder
want to know what else about them is unique,
of the law school experience. If students
what else they bring to the table.” Harblin
know they’ve secured employment, then they
stresses this “whole person” approach is
can focus on completing their education and
key to impressing potential employers. “As
studying for the bar.”
one managing partner at a high-level firm in New York told me, employers are wondering,
That’s why, according to Harblin, build-
‘Would this be a good person to work with at
ing one’s resume very early on is essential
2 a.m.?’ In other words, which candidates
for establishing a fruitful career after law
would still be pulling their weight late at
school. “In conversations with students, I
night – and maintaining a good sense of
tell them to try as hard as they can to secure
humor about it?”
a highly professional position that first summer. Then, as they progress in internships
Ultimately, beyond the specific practical
and employment, I ask them, ‘What have
advice she gives, Harblin tells all her stu-
you enjoyed the most and the least so far?’
dents the same thing: “The people who are
and lend their answers the importance they
happiest are the ones who derive satisfaction
deserve in terms of leading them where they
from what they do for a living. If you like
want to go.”
what you’re doing, it shows.” Thankfully, Harblin enjoys helping students find jobs so
Obviously, good interviewing goes a long
much that she looks forward to coming to
way in landing those coveted summer posi-
work everyday, and her own satisfaction lets
tions, and Harblin advises students with less
her serve as a model of precisely what she
professional experience to hone their skills.
preaches.
“Many who transition straight into law school from undergrad have never interviewed for more than a job at The Gap or the country club, and it can be very challenging to suddenly interview for a very professional position.” Not surprisingly, Harblin advocates networking and alumni outreach as very good strategies for job-seeking students. “Students must make a strong personal effort to think about their own sphere of influence, how to leverage relationships they may already have in their lives to assist them in making connections. Ask yourself who you know that may be able to introduce you
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