Job search tips: Network, network, network! 

Posted: 1:00 am Mon, October 19, 2009
By Michelle Lore

The key to finding a job — legal or otherwise — is getting out and meeting people.

“Networking is critical because most jobs are in the hidden marketplace and the only way to find out about them is by networking,” said attorney coach and solo practitioner Roy S. Ginsburg.

Ginsburg believes that many recent law graduates are spending too much time on the Web, hoping that job openings will come up. Even if a position does crop up on the Internet, it’s likely that there will be more than 200 people applying for it, he said.

New graduates are also spending too much time mass mailing their resumes to law firms around the state, according to Ginsburg. Instead, this new batch of lawyers should be out meeting with real people, doing informational interviews and learning about the practice and law firms.

“You can gain a lot of information that way … and it can provide leads,” he said. “The more people they get out and meet, the more likely they will be remembered if there’s an opening.”

Hamline University School of Law Dean Donald Lewis agreed. “Network, network, network,” he said. Two-thirds of the jobs students find are through personal references and the information they get by meeting people — “that’s the constant mantra over here,” he added.

Ginsburg suggested that legal job seekers get involved with bar association activities, attend conferences and continuing legal education seminars and reconnect with classmates to see where they’ve landed. And don’t underestimate the importance of one’s personal contacts — friends, relatives, neighbors and community organizations, he said.

Finally, Ginsburg said, job seekers need to avoid beating themselves up because they can’t find a job. They should see themselves for what they are — “victims of a horrible economy.” He also said job seekers should be grateful for other things in their lives, such as their health and family.

“Be persistent and don’t give up … and be patient,” he advised. “In many ways, looking for a job is a numbers game — it’s not ‘if,’ it’s ‘when.’”