This warmer weather has a lot people thinking about our national pastime. Some would say the national pastime over the past few years has been finding employment, but historically we are talking about the country’s passion for baseball! In fact, there are similarities between the two.
First, is identifying the right league. Baseball players typically work their way through the team’s farm system to gain the experience and skills that help prepare them for the major leagues. Using this analogy for attorneys, we are not suggesting that one company or firm is better than another but we all know that many employers require a certain level of experience/qualifications to garner serious consideration for a particular position. For attorneys in private practice, this can start with a judicial clerkship and then require building your experience and client base at a firm or firms to you get to the point where you can truly dictate the best platform for you. For in-house counsel, it may start with private practice and then lead to an entry-level position at a company to gain exposure to the corporate environment. Either way, you may find considering a position that you know will not be your last, which is okay if you know it will provide you with the building blocks to advance in your career. Don’t count on the fact that you are going to be considered for a General Counsel role or partner at a reputable firm just because you would like to end up there – you have to work your into such opportunities.
Baseball players can make millions of dollar based solely on the fact that they can get on base 30% of the time they come to the plate. A 30% average doesn’t sound too impressive in a lot of cases, but for baseball and job interviews it is pretty good. Anyone who is considering a move should know that it is a competitive market, with some job openings generating applicants in the hundreds. Also keep in mind that not all positions are going to be an exact match for your skills and experience, so you may not be directly on point whereas one or two others could be the perfect fit. So don’t get too down on yourself if you are not getting a ton of interviews. A 30% interview average in a job search is still pretty good – just be sure to make the most of the opportunities you do get.