I've never been unemployed. My first year of law school I chose to not work because I'd heard my classes and the new law student lifestyle would be very challenging. I'd heard right and by my second year I'd settled into school and found a part-time job that I kept until graduation.
After law school I worked my ass off to get a judicial clerkship in Alaska. As a newly licensed attorney, it was the best way to break into a new jurisdiction. Clerking for one year, not to mention two years (like I did), pretty much guarantees a permanent job. So I'm more than a little bit miffed that my fellow law clerks and I are facing unemployment. In fact, I only know of one law clerk who has a job lined up in September. One. That means, barring some miracle in the next three months, as many as 30 young lawyers will go from a clerkship to unemployed.
Then, today, I read this article in the Wall Street Journal. It basically says that the ABA is responding to pressure to release more accurate numbers regarding employment rates for 2010 graduates. Things are looking grim. Approximately 8% of graduates get Big Law jobs. Roughly 50% get jobs at all. Only the Top 14 schools can guarantee jobs for their graduates (around 90% employed). The rest of us are screwed.
I had a first and second job interview over the past three weeks, then silence. I have another *potential* interview that keeps being pushed back for bureaucratic reasons. That's frustrating, but it's my top choice job and at least it's a prospective job (so many people have no prospects at all), so I'll be patient. It's very possible I won't find myself unemployed. I might get an offer next month or in August. Who knows? But at this moment in time I have nothing lined up and the end is nye.
Today I went to yoga on my lunch break with this topic weighing heavily on my mind. Now, most of the time I just tune out yoga instructors when the talk and I focus on the physical aspects of my practice: active stretching, balance, strength. Today I was excited to stretch out my hips after cycling and lifting weights this weekend. But today I got something out of the yogi BS: one can have purpose in stillness.
Stillness. Not moving. Not producing. Like not working.
It occurred to me that, while I fear unemployment and wish to avoid it, if it becomes unavoidable I can find purpose in it. I can use the time forced upon me to create something more. So, of course, I made a mental list while I was going through my poses. It kept me centered and, most importantly, warded off tears or a panic attack in a public place.
So, if I don't have a job lined up by the end of August, I will focus on the following aspects of unemployment:
Not enough money:
1. Apply for unemployment (roughly $200/week in Alaska).
2. Defer my student loans.
3. Enroll in my gym's financial hardship program- we are locked into our gym membership for a year, but they offer to waive your monthly fee for 3 months (I think) if you lose your job
4. Ride my bike everywhere possible (to save on gas)
5. Sign up with temp agencies
Too much time:
1. Work out a lot, every day- I will have a gym membership with great classes during the day. I may as well use this extra time to get into great shape and burn off nervous energy associated with not having a job.
2. Study French, and maybe German, every day. Maybe even find a conversation partner for free conversation practice
3. Cook all of our food, freeze and preserve what we can't eat right away so it isn't wasted, and go fishing to stock the freezer
4. Keep the house really clean and organized
Finding a job:
1. Go to every networking opportunity to continue making connections and keep an ear to the ground about potential jobs
2. Write another law review article to keep my name out there
3. Read law review articles and generally keep up with things
4. Study my ass off for the Foreign Service exams
Basically I'm going to channel my fear and anxiety into productivity. This isn't a great turn of events, but it is what it is and I'm going to make the best of it as long as I can. At a certain point Leigh and I will have to make some serious choices, but until then this will keep us going for a few months.
With that, I'm going to channel my current anxiety into the work that I have to do today.
After law school I worked my ass off to get a judicial clerkship in Alaska. As a newly licensed attorney, it was the best way to break into a new jurisdiction. Clerking for one year, not to mention two years (like I did), pretty much guarantees a permanent job. So I'm more than a little bit miffed that my fellow law clerks and I are facing unemployment. In fact, I only know of one law clerk who has a job lined up in September. One. That means, barring some miracle in the next three months, as many as 30 young lawyers will go from a clerkship to unemployed.
Then, today, I read this article in the Wall Street Journal. It basically says that the ABA is responding to pressure to release more accurate numbers regarding employment rates for 2010 graduates. Things are looking grim. Approximately 8% of graduates get Big Law jobs. Roughly 50% get jobs at all. Only the Top 14 schools can guarantee jobs for their graduates (around 90% employed). The rest of us are screwed.
I had a first and second job interview over the past three weeks, then silence. I have another *potential* interview that keeps being pushed back for bureaucratic reasons. That's frustrating, but it's my top choice job and at least it's a prospective job (so many people have no prospects at all), so I'll be patient. It's very possible I won't find myself unemployed. I might get an offer next month or in August. Who knows? But at this moment in time I have nothing lined up and the end is nye.
Today I went to yoga on my lunch break with this topic weighing heavily on my mind. Now, most of the time I just tune out yoga instructors when the talk and I focus on the physical aspects of my practice: active stretching, balance, strength. Today I was excited to stretch out my hips after cycling and lifting weights this weekend. But today I got something out of the yogi BS: one can have purpose in stillness.
Stillness. Not moving. Not producing. Like not working.
It occurred to me that, while I fear unemployment and wish to avoid it, if it becomes unavoidable I can find purpose in it. I can use the time forced upon me to create something more. So, of course, I made a mental list while I was going through my poses. It kept me centered and, most importantly, warded off tears or a panic attack in a public place.
So, if I don't have a job lined up by the end of August, I will focus on the following aspects of unemployment:
Not enough money:
1. Apply for unemployment (roughly $200/week in Alaska).
2. Defer my student loans.
3. Enroll in my gym's financial hardship program- we are locked into our gym membership for a year, but they offer to waive your monthly fee for 3 months (I think) if you lose your job
4. Ride my bike everywhere possible (to save on gas)
5. Sign up with temp agencies
Too much time:
1. Work out a lot, every day- I will have a gym membership with great classes during the day. I may as well use this extra time to get into great shape and burn off nervous energy associated with not having a job.
2. Study French, and maybe German, every day. Maybe even find a conversation partner for free conversation practice
3. Cook all of our food, freeze and preserve what we can't eat right away so it isn't wasted, and go fishing to stock the freezer
4. Keep the house really clean and organized
Finding a job:
1. Go to every networking opportunity to continue making connections and keep an ear to the ground about potential jobs
2. Write another law review article to keep my name out there
3. Read law review articles and generally keep up with things
4. Study my ass off for the Foreign Service exams
Basically I'm going to channel my fear and anxiety into productivity. This isn't a great turn of events, but it is what it is and I'm going to make the best of it as long as I can. At a certain point Leigh and I will have to make some serious choices, but until then this will keep us going for a few months.
With that, I'm going to channel my current anxiety into the work that I have to do today.
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