By Hillary Mantis
Q: What can a recent jobless graduate do to increase his odds in finding a job? Does using a temp agency help at all? Any other suggestions?
A: There is a lot you can do to increase your odds of finding a job. First of all, you should know that many recent grads find their jobs up to six to nine months after graduation. The job market is strong this year, so there are still plenty of opportunities for entry level grads. You should be actively checking in with your career planning center--in addition to job listings, they usually have programs or meetings for recent grads looking for jobs, and can often match you up with alumni. Temping can be a good thing to do as well because it gets you into the job market and puts you in contact with lawyers who could possibly help you. Try to temp in a smaller firm so you will have more contact with the lawyers and not just the other "temps." The only caveat I have about temping is that you have to be careful not to spend so many hours/months at your temp job that you neglect your job search. The bar associations are also very helpful to recent grads. They usually have free or low cost introductory memberships, and often have programs for recent grads. I have also known people to find jobs through becoming actively involved in a bar association committee. Pro bono work through a bar association is another option--it at least gives you some experience that you can talk about during an interview. Finally, there is usually a spurt of activity around the time the bar results come out so now may be a good time to step up your job search. Best of luck.