Usually, I see it on Above the Law before it lands in my Inbox.
For what seems like every month for a while now, some doom and gloom rolls in from Summer Firm. While I am lucky enough to still have a summer job, the deteriorating situation is enough to get a girl down. Because, after all, this isn’t about a summer job. It’s all about securing the post-graduation job . . . and I’ve begun to think that one additional year under the law school’s protection won’t be enough to “save” me (or my career) from the recession.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand the business case for deferring or dropping offers to graduating 3Ls (and I think it would probably be better for the firm’s bottom line to stop the stipend nonsense). But there’s a direct relationship between the number of deferred 2009 graduates and competition for the already shrinking number of 2010 start dates. As deferrals increase, so does the competition; and that’s what makes me worry.
Is it possible for me to positively distinguish myself from both my Class of 2010 cohorts and the hordes of deferred 3Ls out there? What should I do to prepare for the storm that awaits besides squirreling as much of my summer earnings as possible and picking up a part-time job? Things are even more grim in MBA recruiting, so I don’t particularly consider the MBA career path to be a safety net. I need to find or create a niche, because I have a sinking feeling that Hope won’t be enough.
Read the full article: The Bad News