Beginning Your Law Career: Factors that Maximize Your Chance of Success

Beginning Your Law Career: Factors that Maximize Your Chance of Success

As recruiters, we meet with lawyers at all stages of their career; from juniors to senior counsel. Over the years, we have found ourselves informally coaching and advising junior lawyers as they enter the legal job market soon after passing the Bar and we are grateful for the appreciation and feedback received.

Some junior lawyers have strong academic credentials, excellent interview/ presentation skills and are swept up through the Course aux Stages process into a firm of choice. Others struggle to be recognized. Others are unsure of which path to take and don’t realize the strategic impact of this early career decision. The first firm or company where you work often shapes how you’re perceived as your career progresses and can either limit or advance future opportunities.

To help you navigate the choices and decisions ahead, SHORE & Associates offers five concrete strategies to guide you as you start on your career path.

1. GPA: A Strategic Influencer

Your cumulative GPA can significantly impact your options, especially with national firms.

A high GPA is often required by national or international firms. If joining a large firm fits your personality and career objectives, the years you spend as a junior associate, with the training, mentoring, and exposure to complex files will open doors for future career opportunities, be they advancement to Partner in private practice or General Counsel in-house.

If your GPA is more modest and you feel better suited to smaller boutique firms or corporate legal departments, then be candid with yourself. There is no “one size fits all” in a legal career. You will shine when the environment of the firm/company values your approach and your fit with the team. A lower GPA might reflect the reality of your academic experience where you might have been working full-time concurrently, or personal circumstances may have impacted your focus on studies. Take the opportunity to make this clear on your résumé or discuss it in interviews.

2. Find Hidden Opportunities

The hidden job market represents a significant portion of all opportunities available. To access it, activate your network: attend Bar events, reach out to lawyers on LinkedIn, and request informal meetings, and leverage relationships with school alumni. If the economy impacts available opportunities, don’t dismiss short-term mandates. One difficult piece of advice is when we recommend NOT to compromise on the targeted practice area. That first professional “label” is tough to shake. If you are aiming to work in corporate law, taking a first position in litigation will not only impact your ability to excel but will also impact your being considered for a different (preferred) practice area.

3. Reconnect with Professors and Contacts – and Find a Mentor

Professors can introduce you to the legal community, including law firms, government agencies, NGOs, and academia. Your relationships with them can lead to concrete outcomes for your career. They can guide you and give you access to networking events and valuable mentors.

Don’t hesitate to seek advice from senior lawyers in your network. They can help you make strategic decisions and become regular mentors. These seasoned professionals are often enthusiastic about coaching junior lawyers.

At SHORE & Associates, we’ve seen the difference well-prepared graduates experience when entering the job market. Networking can boost your confidence, help you seek the best opportunities, and even improve your performance in interviews. Not everyone comes from a family of lawyers, so create that “family” for yourself. Find role models, mentors, advisors. Professionals are more generous than you might think. Don’t be shy to reach out.

4. If you do not get an offer after articling: Bounce Back

Not being retained after articling isn’t a failure but an opportunity to redefine your path. Economic cycles affect hiring trends in both firms and legal departments; especially impacting the number of junior lawyers needed by practice groups. But maybe it is personal. Ask for constructive feedback, identify who might give you references; who might refer you to colleagues. Update your résumé with reference to files you contributed to (a transaction sheet) and the skills you’ve gained. Be open and flexible to other avenues: boutique practices, contract roles, temporary replacements, in-house positions, etc.

5. Take a Strategic Approach

Many organizations and companies steer clear of candidates whose résumés show frequent job changes. Despite the best of reasons, the optics of frequent job changes are difficult to overcome. This isn’t unique to the legal world, but it matters here too.

Job-hopping can signal instability, lack of self-awareness, and be regarded as a risk to the organization regarding your long-term commitment. We recommend evaluating your long-term goals before making a change. Give careful thought to what is driving the change. Is it a pull to better conditions, a more prestigious platform, a more pertinent platform? Is the change motivated by a poor fit, by a realization that the culture /practice area is not YOU? Have your priorities changed; have you learned more about yourself and what “works” for you professionally? Be prepared to address these factors in an interview. Articulate candour and honesty go a long way in making a great impression and finding the right professional fit.

If you’re unsure about a change or how it might affect your future opportunities, it’s best to reflect and discuss it with your mentor – or contact us! We can help you make an informed decision.