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What Not To Do In A Job Interview

2/27/2013

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The economy hasn’t recovered and now you’re one more college graduate who needs a job. After applying for several, you receive that magical phone call advising you you have been granted an interview! Yes, you need to take care regarding what you wear, how you appear to the interviewing panel, and how to answer some of the anticipated questions.  Now that you know what to do, you need to become aware of what not to do!

Don’t assume this company is the perfect place for you. The purpose of the first interview is to allow the hiring panel the chance to get to know you. Applicants often forget this is also providing the chance for them to determine if this company is a good fit for them. Yes, unemployment is high so you can’t afford to be very picky but if you pick up signs of an extremely dysfunctional organization – run away! You don’t need to cool your heels at an awful job while looking for your perfect job. What do you look for? In the interview listen for sarcasm, indications of in-fighting among the interview panel, and the types of questions posed. As you wait for the interview to begin, observe everything you can see in the office environment. Use your interview visit  to determine if you want to work for this company.

Don’t try to negotiate the terms of your employment. You have an interview; this is not an offer of employment. This is not the appropriate time to try to negotiate a salary, benefits, and time off. Unless, of course, you are offered the job! Wait until a second interview or a job offer before you start negotiating.

Don’t appear blind to your own weaknesses. Almost every interviewing panel will ask you to disclose your greatest weakness…or a failure. They then want you to describe what you did to compensate for that weakness/failure. It seems tacitly unfair for prospective employers to ask you to air your dirty laundry for them. That said, you will be required to provide a story that sets you in a bad light. Think carefully through this question before you go to the interview. Ask others how they have answered this sort of question and then practice how you will answer it. Your identifying the weakness/failure indicates you are self-aware and insightful. Your story regarding how you compensated for it shows you know how to pick yourself up and move the company’s interests forward even when things haven’t gone right.

Don’t provide the politician’s answer. If you’re asked a question and you have no idea what they are asking – request some clarification. If you still don’t know the answer, say so. Don’t try to answer the question by providing an answer to an entirely different question. They know what they’re asking and they’ll notice if you don’t answer it. You could also say you would need some time to thoroughly consider the question but, off the cuff, you would say….  

Don’t exaggerate or embellish facts (i.e., don’t lie). It’s easy for prospective employers to gather information about you. Assume they will call your past employers, Google your name, and call your references once they are seriously considering you for the position. If they uncover any lies in the process, you will most likely lose out on the opportunity.

Don’t sell yourself short. Sadly, many applicants will downplay their abilities and past successes. This is also an error that can cost you the job offer. Talk to people who know you well and ask them to identify your strengths and what you have done well in the past. This will help you answer questions in an interview as well as make you feel pretty good about yourself!  Take careful notes and then craft a narrative that really shows off your skills, abilities, and accomplishments. 

Good luck at your interview! Check back with us when it’s over and let us know if you learned any other tips to get you through the interview and onto your great new career path!


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Choosing Your Law School

2/27/2013

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You’re getting all of those exciting acceptance letters! Now what? How do you choose the law school that’s best for you? You’ve combed through U.S. News and World Report’s rankings, Vault rankings, Princeton Review’s rankings, and even that new Leiter’s Rankings but still you aren’t sure…  Here is yet another ranking for you! Graduateprograms.com polled students to determine the top 25 law schools so that you could see what students who actually attend the schools say.  Here are the January, 2013 results:

Top Law Schools as Ranked by Students

  #          Law School                                                          Score                  State

  1. Stanford University                                                       8.82 stars              California
  2. Northwestern University                                               8.69 stars               Illinois
  3. Arizona State University (tie)                                         8.42 stars               Arizona
  4. University of California-Berkeley (tie)                             8.42 stars               California
  5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill                      8.29 stars               North Carolina
  6. University of Colorado at Boulder                                 8.26 stars               Colorado
  7. University of Virginia                                                     8.20 stars               Virginia
  8. Georgetown University                                                 8.17 stars               Washington D.C.
  9. Harvard University                                                        8.12 stars               Massachusetts
  10. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (tie)                           8.07 stars               Michigan
  11. Vanderbilt University  (tie)                                             8.07 stars               Tennessee
  12. Brigham Young University                                            8.04 stars                Utah
  13. New York University                                                     7.99 stars                New York (Manhattan)
  14. University of Pennsylvania                                           7.97 stars                Pennsylvania
  15. Yale University                                                             7.96 stars                Connecticut
  16. Indiana University Bloomington  (tie)                            7.88 stars                Indiana
  17. The University of Texas at Austin (tie)                          7.88 stars                Texas
  18. University of Minnesota Twin Cities (tie)                        7.87 stars                Minnesota
  19. Washington and Lee University (tie)                             7.87 stars               Virginia
  20. Washington University in St. Louis                               7.81 stars                Missouri
  21. Duke University                                                           7.72 stars                North Carolina
  22. Cornell University                                                         7.70 stars                 New York (upstate)
  23. Boston University                                                        7.68 stars                Massachusetts
  24. Baylor University                                                         7.62 stars                Texas
  25. University of California, Davis                                       7.61 stars                California

That’s all good and well but maybe you want to make sure your school is fun. Are you up for a little fun?  Here is the short list of law schools that graduateprograms.com claims will provide you with the best, umm, social life (read that - Party School). Wait! They all happen to be in the Top 25 for Student Rankings!  What a coincidence!

So I looked around a bit and found an alternative ranking site, Subtledig, who sees it a bit differently. Subtledig also uses student surveys to create school rankings. I included both since the party life can matter.  Work hard; play hard!

Top 5 Party Schools

          Rank                        Graduateprogram Survey                        Subtledig Survey
            1                            Washington U in St. Louis                         Arizona State University
            2                            Berkeley                                                   Tulane 
            3                            University of Texas - Austin                       Seattle University
            4                            U of Colorado at Boulder                           Florida State/U. of Arizona  (tie)
            5                            Stanford University                                   University of Virginia


Okay. That didn’t help? Don’t tell me you’re one of those students who plans to take life more seriously! I’ll be honest, you’ll find most law schools will have ample opportunities for imbibing (they don’t call it the Bar for nothing!). Here is a list of the law schools at the very, very bottom 10 of the 2010 Party School rankings (a.k.a. Where Fun Goes To Die). Just in case you (or your mother) needs them.

Most Conservative (non-party) Schools

           Rank                 School                                                       State         Ranking Score
              1               Baylor                                                          Texas                   2
              2               DePaul                                                         Illinois                   5
              3               Southern Methodist/Rutgers – Newark (tie)  NM/NJ                  7
              4               Seton Hall                                                     New Jersey          9
              5               Chicago - Kent                                              Illinois                 10
              6               Brooklyn Law/ Case Western  (tie)                NY/Ohio              12
              7               University of Houston                                   Texas                 14
              8               American University                                      D.C.                   16
              9               University of Utah                                         Utah                  19
              10             Rutgers - Camden                                        New Jersey        20

Hopefully this helps you make the best decision for you! But if you need some assistance in deciding which law school is best for you, click this link and we'll be happy to assist you!


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Law Schools Where Prospects of Big Law Employment are Rosiest

2/26/2013

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Trying to decide where to attend law school can be daunting. It’s difficult to sift through all of the information and figure out what would be best for you. Current articles say that getting a job after law school should be your primary concern. Here is a list of schools with the best chances of you graduating with a big law job in hand. Since it's always a trick to ascertain school location and US News ranking when purviewing these lists, I simply included them for you. 

1.   University of Pennsylvania Law School, Pennsylvania, tied #7 

2.   University of Chicago Law School,         Illinois,         ranked #5

3.   Columbia Law,                                    New York,    ranked #4

4.   NYU School of Law,                             New York,    ranked #6

5.   Northwestern School of Law,                Illinois,        ranked #12
 
6.   Harvard,                                             MA,            ranked #3

7.   Duke,                                                NC,              ranked #11

8.   Stanford,                                           California,    ranked #2

9.   Berkeley,                                           California,    tied #7

10. Cornell,                                              New York,   ranked #14


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