Law Careers (cont'd)

With an economy that has been tenuous at best over the last few years, job searchers need to present the most polished package they can. Post suggests extensive research on the companies with which you are interviewing as well taking advantage of every opportunity presented to you.

"If a student has a professional opportunity after undergraduate (school), they should seriously consider it," Post said. "It will help with their employability."

University of Alabama School of Law Assistant Dean of Career Services Cynthia Lee Almond agreed, but thinks that students should take the work experience one step further by investigating areas they may not have thought would be a good fit.

"Cast a broad net," she advised.

Almond explained that there are areas of law that students of a decade ago never even considered. By using internships and work experience to feel out the market, job seekers might find a diamond of a career they had never even considered.

"I think it helps the student, generally, be a better student," she added, echoing her legal colleagues.

With experience under your belt, as well as a healthy work ethic honed interning, students may find that their interests have turned toward employment in the ever growing "non-traditional" market. At George Mason University, Assistant Director for J.D. Counseling and Market Development Anna Francis has seen a growing trend of individuals entering areas such as legal publishing, compliance work, government affairs and finance.

"Employers are recognizing the value of a J.D. degree," Francis said.

Francis explained that students began to search out other job opportunities in non-traditional settings - some for interest reasons, others because of a lagging job market - which caused employers to re-evaluate their own hiring practices. Now they recruit the students just as heavily as they apply.

"They’re just using their J.D. degrees in non-traditional settings," she said of graduates.

Political jobs are also on the rise, Francis said, with an ever growing need for law graduates to work as lobbyists, on Capital Hill, in policy analysis or even those who plan to enter the political arena.

What really matters is what the applicant brings to the table, Francis explained. Whether it's an internship, world travel, the understanding of other cultures, or technical skills, it all boils down to marketability.

"The more experience you have," Francis said, "the more attractive you are to employers."

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