The Time in Between

Presented by:

Tracie Thomas, M.A., M.S.University Career Services

Taking Time Off Before Law School

What does

“taking time off”

mean to you?

Taking a year off: Pro’s• More exposure to industry/career fields• Not quite ready to embark on law

school/ need a break from undergraduate

• Would like “real world experience” to supplement law education: can help clarify career goals

• Increased maturity/exposure to life outside academia

Taking a Year off: Cons• Parallel planning: can be time

consuming• Will lose access to on-campus recruiting• Not a good option if you need a

substantial income right away• May lose momentum of being a student

Considerations:

• Am I financially/mentally/intellectually ready for graduate work?

• Will the school(s) I apply to defer enrollment, or should I just wait a year to apply?

• What do I need my financial situation to be for the next year?

• What are the ethical issues of taking a position for one year?

Tips for Planning• Think about your comfort level

with risk, but be prepared to take a risk

• Set goals for taking time off!!• Use UCS Career Counseling to

help set goals

Sample Goals• I want to experience the industry for

which law school will prepare me before committing to further education

• I want to gain specific skills that may help in studying/practicing law (e.g. interpersonal, research, analysis)

• I think/know I want to go on to law school but want to try out another field before committing

Sample Goals continued• I always wanted to work/travel/study

abroad, but didn’t have the chance in undergrad

• I’d like to pay off some of my undergraduate debt before continuing on

Other Tips•Begin to plan early! • Consider having professors

write recommendations before you leave NU

• Consider your financial situation– Figure out a budget!– http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/budget101/budget_10

1.jsp– http://www.mapping-your-future.org/features/budgetc

alc.htm– http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/costofliving/costoflivin

g.html– http://www.findyourspot.com/

Avenue A: Temp Work• “Temping” goes beyond clerical jobs • Look for temp agencies with specific

theme: Advertising, Law, etc.• Resources: American Staffing

Association: http://www.americanstaffing.net/index.cfm Yellow Pages, Yahoo Directories

Sample Temp Agencies:

General:Manpower: www.us.manpower.comKelly Services: www.kellyservices.com/

Specialized (examples):Providus: www.providusgroup.com Robert Half Legal: www.roberthalflegal.com

Provides paralegals to law firms and corporate law departments

Paladin Staffing: http://www.paladinstaff.com/Temporary specializing in marketing and advertising positions

Avenue B: Internships/Fellowships

• Excellent way to “sample” potential fields

• Not just for undergraduate students• Research resources in field• Be prepared for lower pay than full-

time positions• Line up 2-3 internships if possible

Resources: Internships

• UCS Internship Specialists• iNet• CareerCat• Internships Online:

www.internships-usa.com/ (username: work password: credit)

• Internships.com: www.internships.com (promo code: wildcats)

Resources: Fellowships• NU Fellowship Office• GRAPES: searchable database of

fellowships: http://www.gdnet.ucla.edu/grpinst.htm

• New York City Urban Fellows Program• NU Public Interest Program• Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs

Avenue C: Volunteer/Service Work

• Alternatives to the Peace Corp (in UCS library)

• Idealist.org***• Americorps• Public Allies

• International Volunteer Programs Association

• Jesuit Volunteer Corps• GreenCorps• Teach for America• Inner-City Teaching

Corp

•Also a good way to sample different roles•May be able to defer loans: see your lender

Sample Programs/Resources:

Avenue D: Work/Travel Abroad

• Know your motivation for going abroad• Be flexible• Have realistic expectations• Be prepared to do a lot of homework

and research

Working Abroad con’t• Choose a type of job and be flexible

about where OR choose a country and be flexible about the type of job

• Get to know work visa requirements for target countries

• Target programs that arrange work visas for you

• Apply to as many programs as time permits

Some Options for Going Abroad• Internships• Short term/long term volunteer

experiences• Teaching English abroad• Professional positions *often the hardest

to obtain• Farm work/leisure opportunities

Resources for Working Abroad

• Going Global

• University of Michigan www.umich.edu/~icenter/swt/work/

• University of California, Irvine Center for International Education

http://www.cie.uci.edu/prospective/iopother/index.shtml

• University of Minnesota’s International Study and Travel Center: http://www.umabroad.umn.edu/index.html

Work Abroad Programs• Bunac: www.bunac.org

• Council on International Educational Exchange: www.ciee.org

• Interexchange: www.interexchange.org

• AISEC: http://groups.northwestern.edu/aiesec/

Teach Abroad Programs• World Teach: www.worldteach.org/

• French Chamber of Commerce: www.frenchculture.org

• Japanese Exchange and Teaching (JET): www.jetprogramme.org

Additional Resources

• GoAbroad.com• Back Door Guide to Short-term Job

Adventures (available at UCS)• Delaying the Real World: A

twentysomething’s Guide to Seeking Adventure — Colleen Kinder

• Language Departments

Avenue E: Get a “real” job

• May be a good option if unsure how long taking time off

• Address employers just as you would as if you were not taking a year off: research the industry

• Be honest about your intentions to stay short-term

• Every field has its own hiring timeline• Focus on how skills learned on job will

benefit short and long-term career goals

Best Bets for short-term full-time work

• Office administration positions in law firms

• Legal Assistant/paralegal• Court advocate positions• Technical Consultant (patent law)• Nonprofits• University settings• Government: Partnership for Public

Service: www.ourpublicservice.org/OPS/

Legal Opportunities

• These can be hard to find to find:

Network!!• CareerNet www.nwuconnection.com• UCS-Assistant Director for Education,

government, and Non-profit• Craig’s List (local listings)• New York Recruiting Alliance• CareerCat: use keywords “legal” or “law”

Last suggestions• Be creative about making it work!• Don’t forget about career development

while taking time off!• Use UCS alumni services after

graduation!

Questions?