LLM Law Graduate: Unemployed for Over 1 Year

[darklystormly]

I. am. going. crazy.

Okay, so I did my LLB, first class from a low ranked uni. Gap year during the pandemic. Then, LLM from a top 10 uni, got a borderline merit/distinction. I graduated in July 2021 - it is now February 2023, and after many rejections, interviews, and being FIRED from one law firm, I am now unemployed.

Let me clarify: I graduated my LLM, struggled to find a legal job for about 9 months, (employers wanted more years of experience, the LPC for a paralegal role, you know the drill) took the first paralegal role I found from a low quality, unprofessional law firm, and (I guess they didn't like me - I genuinely put my ALL into doing my best) I was fired after about 5 months. That really impacted my confidence, took a while to get back into job applications, so its now been about 4 months, and I'm starting to get interviews again.

BUT HOW DO I EXPLAIN THE GAP?

The good thing is, I have been technically volunteering for a relatives company in an admin type role since graduation, but the reference would clearly be a relatives name...

These are my options

• Say I have been unemployed for 1 year and a half since graduating... struggling to find jobs...

• Say I got fired at my first job after graduation? That the firm wasn't professional? That I wasn't liked?

• Say I've been volunteering at a firm since graduation as I couldn't find a legal job, and don't mention it's a relative's company unless they ask.

Let me know what you think... My mental state has not been the best - I feel like I'm constantly needing to portray things in a positive way when theyre NOT positive. I HAVE had interviews since I got fired, but I was in such a stressed out state, I guess I didn't perform well. Or, I feel like the interviews going ok, everyone is smiling and nodding, and then I never hear back, and I dont know exactly what I'm doing wrong.

At this point I'm shocked at how I let myself get to this point, but at the same time I don't know what else I could've done, I honestly put my whole energy into it, and I was getting panic attacks just sitting down at my computer to do more applications. The rejections have tainted my confidence, and I almost feel like, even as I walk into an interview, I have already failed, like it says "looser" on my forehead.

Any thoughts???

 

[Jessica Booker]

You include both the law firm job and the volunteer role with your family company.

It being a family company is not an issue - lots of people work for their family businesses.

And having five months of employment is better than having none. These days it is very rare you have to explain why you left a job on an application form. The worst that may come up is via a reference , but you could ask the firm to provide you with what the reference would say if it was provided to understand if they would disclose you were fired or not (many won’t - many will just state your dates of employment and your job title).

 

[AvniD]

I. am. going. crazy.

Okay, so I did my LLB, first class from a low ranked uni. Gap year during the pandemic. Then, LLM from a top 10 uni, got a borderline merit/distinction. I graduated in July 2021 - it is now February 2023, and after many rejections, interviews, and being FIRED from one law firm, I am now unemployed.

Let me clarify: I graduated my LLM, struggled to find a legal job for about 9 months, (employers wanted more years of experience, the LPC for a paralegal role, you know the drill) took the first paralegal role I found from a low quality, unprofessional law firm, and (I guess they didn't like me - I genuinely put my ALL into doing my best) I was fired after about 5 months. That really impacted my confidence, took a while to get back into job applications, so its now been about 4 months, and I'm starting to get interviews again.

BUT HOW DO I EXPLAIN THE GAP?

The good thing is, I have been technically volunteering for a relatives company in an admin type role since graduation, but the reference would clearly be a relatives name...

These are my options

• Say I have been unemployed for 1 year and a half since graduating... struggling to find jobs...

• Say I got fired at my first job after graduation? That the firm wasn't professional? That I wasn't liked?

• Say I've been volunteering at a firm since graduation as I couldn't find a legal job, and don't mention it's a relative's company unless they ask.

Let me know what you think... My mental state has not been the best - I feel like I'm constantly needing to portray things in a positive way when theyre NOT positive. I HAVE had interviews since I got fired, but I was in such a stressed out state, I guess I didn't perform well. Or, I feel like the interviews going ok, everyone is smiling and nodding, and then I never hear back, and I dont know exactly what I'm doing wrong.

At this point I'm shocked at how I let myself get to this point, but at the same time I don't know what else I could've done, I honestly put my whole energy into it, and I was getting panic attacks just sitting down at my computer to do more applications. The rejections have tainted my confidence, and I almost feel like, even as I walk into an interview, I have already failed, like it says "looser" on my forehead.

Any thoughts???

I empathise with you. It seems like you're caught between who you think firms perceive as the ideal candidate and who you are. You are clearly immensely self-aware and have some pretty impressive achievements under your belt - your work experience and LLM being only some of them.

This may be surprising to hear but a lot of people have pandemic-related gaps in their career, which is understandable given how disruptive it was for so many of us. You can honestly say that you were volunteering and looking for roles at the same time during your gap year (which you ended up finding as well). If there are other reasons for this gap, maybe you wanted to spend time with family, maybe you wanted to take a break after an intense LLM etc., then please consider stating these as well.

My best advice to you is to extract the value from your work experience (the skills and personality traits you developed + demonstrated, the projects you worked on etc.) and present them clearly in your applications because if you don't highlight these aspects, then law firms won't be able to appreciate them.

I would also encourage you to reflect on the job you were fired from and understand why it wasn't right for you and what reasons could have led to this outcome- maybe the firm was trimming their headcount? Maybe it wasn't the right for for you in the end? This may come up in interviews and it would be good to have a clear answer.

You have not failed and you are ANYTHING but a loser - you simply need a little perspective on how to own and present your experiences and I hope that the replies to your post have helped you in finding this.

 

[divaination]

I empathise with you. It seems like you're caught between who you think firms perceive as the ideal candidate and who you are. You are clearly immensely self-aware and have some pretty impressive achievements under your belt - your work experience and LLM being only some of them.

This may be surprising to hear but a lot of people have pandemic-related gaps in their career, which is understandable given how disruptive it was for so many of us. You can honestly say that you were volunteering and looking for roles at the same time during your gap year (which you ended up finding as well). If there are other reasons for this gap, maybe you wanted to spend time with family, maybe you wanted to take a break after an intense LLM etc., then please consider stating these as well.

My best advice to you is to extract the value from your work experience (the skills and personality traits you developed + demonstrated, the projects you worked on etc.) and present them clearly in your applications because if you don't highlight these aspects, then law firms won't be able to appreciate them.

I would also encourage you to reflect on the job you were fired from and understand why it wasn't right for you and what reasons could have led to this outcome- maybe the firm was trimming their headcount? Maybe it wasn't the right for for you in the end? This may come up in interviews and it would be good to have a clear answer.

You have not failed and you are ANYTHING but a loser - you simply need a little perspective on how to own and present your experiences and I hope that the replies to your post have helped you in finding this.

Avni you are the star of the night, the gleaming light at the end of the tunnel, the ray of positivity in a storm 🤩

To OP, don't feel alone, you are absolutely not the only one dealing with a pandemic related gap, have more confidence in yourself that you are capable and smash those interviews !!!

 

[AvniD]

Avni you are the star of the night, the gleaming light at the end of the tunnel, the ray of positivity in a storm 🤩

To OP, don't feel alone, you are absolutely not the only one dealing with a pandemic related gap, have more confidence in yourself that you are capable and smash those interviews !!!

@divaination thank you for your kind words for me and encouraging words for OP! 😊