Lived Experience Forum

[younglawyer]

Just need to vent. I am in Perth and I have been looking for legal grad work for over a year now without so much as an interview. I have BPD and major depressive disorder and I really hate my current job (a non legal job that I have had all through uni). I don't have enough savings to leave this current job without having another one to go to. Not being able to find work is really starting to affect me. I just can't stay positive anymore. Everyone I graduated with has finished their RP and I haven't even found a job yet. I feel my resume gets put in the reject pile because of my grades - I was mentally and physically  unwell for my whole degree - it was a miracle that I finished. Finishing now seems irrelevant as there is no work around despite my best efforts in searching and networking. I feel like if I could find legal work my mental state would improve dramatically but there is absolutely nothing around for grads! such a sad state of affairs. Any advice or support would be appreciated.

[Former-Member]

Can you do paralegal work? Or is that no good? It is a tough job market out there. New year may bring more opportunities

[Sahara]

Hi @younglawyer, 

I wonder if you could volunteer in a community legal centre to get some experience and meet some contacts? 

Otherwise, maybe you could ask your friends, who have managed to find jobs, if they hear of any openings coming up, on the legal grape-vine?

When I worked in a profession (not the legal profession) I always seemed to find jobs through friends. It seems employers always ask the staff that they like to recommend friends of theirs for new positions.

I wouldn't worry too much about your grades. As long as you passed everything and graduated, then you should be fine. You might need to re-do your resume if you are not getting any interviews. Make your good points a feature of your C.V. and try to gloss over the grades, unless they are really asking for them.

Did you have work experience that you enjoyed while you were studying? Then make this a feature of your C.V. Let the reader know what you are passionate about. 

Maybe even include a really nice, professional black and white pic of yourself on your resume to make it more personable.

Rather than looking for jobs, have you tried targeting the law firms that you'd like to work for and sending in your C.V. regardless of whether they are advertising for staff or not?  This looks really pro-active to employers.

Good luck, @younglawyer. 

(By the way, I have been very successful in getting jobs; just no good at keeping them!!) 

[-Rayne-]

Hi @younglawyer,

The job market for law grads is really, really tough... and unfortunately, grades do matter in formal application processes. Most of the people I've known with less-than-great grades, who've managed to get a grad position, have done so through contacts or by entering as a paralegal or volunteer.

Have you done College of Law? i.e. Are you admitted? If not, volunteering at CLCs for your practical component can be useful for that and also as a foot in the door/contact for RP work. What type of practice are you most interested in?

[younglawyer]

I have been applying for every legal position including paralegal and legal secretary work but they all want someone who has a few years (often 5+ years) experience doing that work, which is not me. I don't know how much longer I can go in my current job without having a complete breakdown so I hope I find something soon.

[younglawyer]

Unfortunately volunteering is not an option for me financially. Things are already pretty tight. I have touched base with many friends and joined the law society to try and network but no luck so far. I am currently saving to have a career consultant re do my resume as I am concerned I don't know what I am doing. I have so far phoned or emailed every law firm in perth with no luck.

[younglawyer]

I am currently studying college - not yet admitted. I have done several clerkships through out my degree but none of my connections through those has yielded any results and nobody seems to care about those experiences. All they care about is grades =(. I have been applying for both paralegal and legal secretary positions. Volunteering is unfortunately not an option for me financially. I am most interested in criminal law but I am prepared to do anything just to get my foot in the door.

[-Rayne-]

@younglawyer, yeah it's hard when you can't volunteer - I was the same when I graduated. 

Some CLC's have evening and Saturday clinics so it might still be worth checking those out if you can fit it around your work hours. Also, have you tried court work? Not associateships but clerking and more junior positions?

I totally feel for you. It's brutal.