The Time in Between Taking Time Off Before Law School
Presented by: Tracie Thomas, M.A., M.S. University Career Services
What does “taking time off” mean to you?
Taking a year off: Pro’s • More exposure to industry/career fields • Not quite ready to embark on law school/ need a break from undergraduate • Would like “real world experience” to supplement law education: can help clarify career goals • Increased maturity/exposure to life outside academia
Taking a Year off: Cons • Parallel planning: can be time consuming • Will lose access to on-campus recruiting • Not a good option if you need a substantial income right away • May lose momentum of being a student
Considerations: • Am I financially/mentally/intellectually ready for graduate work? • Will the school(s) I apply to defer enrollment, or should I just wait a year to apply? • What do I need my financial situation to be for the next year? • What are the ethical issues of taking a position for one year?
Tips for Planning • Think about your comfort level with risk, but be prepared to take a risk • Set goals for taking time off!! • Use UCS Career Counseling to help set goals
Sample Goals • I want to experience the industry for which law school will prepare me before committing to further education • I want to gain specific skills that may help in studying/practicing law (e.g. interpersonal, research, analysis) • I think/know I want to go on to law school but want to try out another field before committing
Sample Goals continued • I always wanted to work/travel/study abroad, but didn’t have the chance in undergrad • I’d like to pay off some of my undergraduate debt before continuing on
Other Tips
•Begin to plan early! • Consider having professors write recommendations before you leave NU • Consider your financial situation – Figure out a budget! – – – –
http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/budget101/budget_101.jsp http://www.mapping-your-future.org/features/budgetcalc.h http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/costofliving/costofliving.htm http://www.findyourspot.com/
Avenue A: Temp Work • “Temping” goes beyond clerical jobs • Look for temp agencies with specific theme: Advertising, Law, etc. • Resources: American Staffing Association: http://www.americanstaffing.net/index.cfm Yellow Pages, Yahoo Directories
Sample Temp Agencies: General: Manpower: www.us.manpower.com Kelly Services: www.kellyservices.com/
Specialized (examples): Providus: www.providusgroup.com Robert Half Legal: www.roberthalflegal.com Provides paralegals to law firms and corporate law departments Paladin Staffing: http://www.paladinstaff.com/ Temporary specializing in marketing and advertising positions
Avenue B: Internships/Fellowships
• Excellent way to “sample” potential fields • Not just for undergraduate students • Research resources in field • Be prepared for lower pay than full-time positions • Line up 2-3 internships if possible
Resources: Internships • • • •
UCS Internship Specialists iNet CareerCat Internships Online: www.internships-usa.com/ (username:
work
password: credit)
• Internships.com: www.internships.com (promo code: wildcats)
Resources: Fellowships • NU Fellowship Office • GRAPES: searchable database of fellowships: http://www.gdnet.ucla.edu/grpinst.htm • New York City Urban Fellows Program • NU Public Interest Program • Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs
Avenue C: Volunteer/Service Work •Also a good way to sample different roles •May be able to defer loans: see your lender Sample Programs/Resources: • Alternatives to the Peace Corp (in UCS library)
• Idealist.org*** • Americorps • Public Allies
• International Volunteer Programs Association • Jesuit Volunteer Corps • GreenCorps • Teach for America • Inner-City Teaching Corp
Avenue D: Work/Travel Abroad • Know your motivation for going abroad • Be flexible • Have realistic expectations • Be prepared to do a lot of homework and research
Working Abroad con’t • Choose a type of job and be flexible about where OR choose a country and be flexible about the type of job • Get to know work visa requirements for target countries • Target programs that arrange work visas for you • Apply to as many programs as time permits
Some Options for Going Abroad • Internships • Short term/long term volunteer experiences • Teaching English abroad • Professional positions *often the hardest to obtain
• Farm work/leisure opportunities
Resources for Working Abroad • Going Global • University of Michigan www.umich.edu/~icenter/swt/work/ • University of California, Irvine Center for International Education http://www.cie.uci.edu/prospective/iopother/index.shtml • University of Minnesota’s International Study and Travel Center: http://www.umabroad.umn.edu/index.html
Work Abroad Programs • Bunac: www.bunac.org • Council on International Educational Exchange: www.ciee.org • Interexchange: www.interexchange.org • AISEC: http://groups.northwestern.edu/aiesec/
Teach Abroad Programs • World Teach: www.worldteach.org/ • French Chamber of Commerce: www.frenchculture.org
• Japanese Exchange and Teaching (JET): www.jetprogramme.org
Additional Resources • GoAbroad.com • Back Door Guide to Short-term Job Adventures (available at UCS) • Delaying the Real World: A twentysomething’s Guide to Seeking Adventure — Colleen Kinder • Language Departments
Avenue E: Get a “real” job • May be a good option if unsure how long taking time off • Address employers just as you would as if you were not taking a year off: research the industry • Be honest about your intentions to stay short-term • Every field has its own hiring timeline • Focus on how skills learned on job will benefit short and long-term career goals
Best Bets for short-term full-time work • • • • • • •
Office administration positions in law firms Legal Assistant/paralegal Court advocate positions Technical Consultant (patent law) Nonprofits University settings Government: Partnership for Public Service: www.ourpublicservice.org/OPS/
Legal Opportunities • These can be hard to find to find:
Network!! • CareerNet www.nwuconnection.com • UCS-Assistant Director for Education, government, and Non-profit • Craig’s List (local listings) • New York Recruiting Alliance • CareerCat: use keywords “legal” or “law”
Last suggestions • Be creative about making it work! • Don’t forget about career development while taking time off! • Use UCS alumni services after graduation!
Questions?