9 April 2009
On Being a Recession Graduate
I’m not sure if Mr Rudd has actually gone out and said it yet but if the people of the interwebs are to be believed (and when are they not?) then Australia is heading for, or is already in, Recession Town.
You see, the problem with Recessions is that people freak out. And they stop buying stuff. So then businesses dont have money to expand, or even to pay their staff wages. So then those staff stop buying stuff. So then even more businesses stop buying stuff and then THE WORLD EXPLODES.
Well not really. But it is pretty bad. The bottom line for us law students is that less people are seeking legal services. Which means a lot of law firms out there just aren’t that into you right now.
So, then – what should we do, team?
Take Time to Be Proud
First things first, if you are calling yourself a recession graduate, then you are (or are soon to be) a graduate. Congratulations.
Remember the law degree you’re graduating from hasn’t really changed from two years ago when the economy was booming to today. Despite the fact that people might not really want as many lawyers right now – the quality of your achievement has not changed.
Also, you worked bloody hard to get where you are. Regardless of what graduate position or clerkship or whatever you end up getting or missing out on you should take some satisfaction from achieving one of your goals in graduating.
Thirdly, there really just is not a lot you could have done to avoid this. We are talking about a worldwide economic problem. It sucks, for everyone it sucks. Do you really think if you had of pushed that High Credit into a Low Distinction, it would have made the difference?
Be Realistic
Ok, so you’ve picked yourself up outta emo street. Now comes the heavy punches. Things quite possibly suck right now and you need to accept that. You need to be realistic. Because if you are not fully aware and informed of what is happening then you’re three steps behind your competitors.
So get out there and start reading the world news. Start looking at what the Australian Government is doing to try to stimulate the economy. Be aware of how those measures will affect you and the industries you want to work in.
You need to accept that this is happening. It sucks, but it’s happening anyways. What can you do to deal with it?
Expand Your Options
I’ll give you a hot tip, this isn’t the time to be picky. Perhaps you are the graduate who has an amazing resume, who would have walked into a cushy job with a Biglaw firm this time last year. Well things have changed, love, and now isn’t a good time to turn your nose up at anything.
So don’t be afraid to start below where you thought you would start. Every opportunity is an opportunity.
Don’t be afraid to work in an area that you didn’t expect to work in. You may start there but where you finish is up to you.
In summary, right now your pride or your ego are not your friends. Remember – you are looking for opportunities to get in and show someone how brilliant you are.
Once they realise how brilliant you are, when this whole recession drama calms down you will be well placed to explode and take what you want.
Network a Bunch
A friend of mine recently came over from the UK and while he doesn’t work in the legal industry, he’s a pretty successfull young businessman. He was lucky enough to find a temporary position that required him to hire a small team to work on a project.
When he was hiring this team, he realised how bad things were out there. He had PhDs and MBAs and highly skilled people all applying for what was essentially entry level work.It was at this point he realised that the stock standard resume and cover letter just wasn’t going to get the job done.
So unless you have a heap of initials after your name, the kind of things that really stand out on paper, you need to make contacts. These contacts are much more likely to grant opportunities than the standardised recruitment procedures.
Attend networking events wherever they are, whatever they are. Force yourself to do it. And when you get there, force yourself to speak to people and force yourself to make sure they know who you are and they know what you do.
Then in a little while – start to tap your new resource. Put some feelers out and see if anyone in your network has any opportunities available. Perhaps see if anyone in their networks might have something available.
If something turns up – pounce on it.
Keep Persisting
Perhaps above all – remember that this economic crisis is something that may have a massive impact on your life – but it is not something that you will have a massive impact on. You cant fix it – you can only deal with it.
So, keep persisting! It is likely that you will be disappointed many times – but if you keep persisting, eventually something will turn up.
(you see, the best bit about sayings like that is that they prove themselves true. If something doesn’t turn up, I can simply say ‘oh you’re not trying hard enough’ and I still look clever. See how that works?)
Related posts:
- Personal Branding and Why It Sucks
- Tech Tips: Google Profile
- Ask Grad Girl: Networked Out
- 5 Things I Wish I Knew on my First Day
- Green Grads Grab #13
