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Discover the pros and cons of taking time off and attain ideas for how to spend your gap year effectively.
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The Time in Between
Presented by:
Tracie Thomas, M.A., M.S.University Career Services
Taking Time Off Before Law School
Taking a year off: Pro’s• More exposure to industry/career fields• Not quite ready to embark on law
school/ need a break from undergraduate
• Would like “real world experience” to supplement law education: can help clarify career goals
• Increased maturity/exposure to life outside academia
Taking a Year off: Cons• Parallel planning: can be time
consuming• Will lose access to on-campus recruiting• Not a good option if you need a
substantial income right away• May lose momentum of being a student
Considerations:
• Am I financially/mentally/intellectually ready for graduate work?
• Will the school(s) I apply to defer enrollment, or should I just wait a year to apply?
• What do I need my financial situation to be for the next year?
• What are the ethical issues of taking a position for one year?
Tips for Planning• Think about your comfort level
with risk, but be prepared to take a risk
• Set goals for taking time off!!• Use UCS Career Counseling to
help set goals
Sample Goals• I want to experience the industry for
which law school will prepare me before committing to further education
• I want to gain specific skills that may help in studying/practicing law (e.g. interpersonal, research, analysis)
• I think/know I want to go on to law school but want to try out another field before committing
Sample Goals continued• I always wanted to work/travel/study
abroad, but didn’t have the chance in undergrad
• I’d like to pay off some of my undergraduate debt before continuing on
Other Tips•Begin to plan early! • Consider having professors
write recommendations before you leave NU
• Consider your financial situation– Figure out a budget!– http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/budget101/budget_10
1.jsp– http://www.mapping-your-future.org/features/budgetc
alc.htm– http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/costofliving/costoflivin
g.html– http://www.findyourspot.com/
Avenue A: Temp Work• “Temping” goes beyond clerical jobs • Look for temp agencies with specific
theme: Advertising, Law, etc.• Resources: American Staffing
Association: http://www.americanstaffing.net/index.cfm Yellow Pages, Yahoo Directories
Sample Temp Agencies:
General:Manpower: www.us.manpower.comKelly Services: www.kellyservices.com/
Specialized (examples):Providus: www.providusgroup.com Robert Half Legal: www.roberthalflegal.com
Provides paralegals to law firms and corporate law departments
Paladin Staffing: http://www.paladinstaff.com/Temporary specializing in marketing and advertising positions
Avenue B: Internships/Fellowships
• Excellent way to “sample” potential fields
• Not just for undergraduate students• Research resources in field• Be prepared for lower pay than full-
time positions• Line up 2-3 internships if possible
Resources: Internships
• UCS Internship Specialists• iNet• CareerCat• Internships Online:
www.internships-usa.com/ (username: work password: credit)
• Internships.com: www.internships.com (promo code: wildcats)
Resources: Fellowships• NU Fellowship Office• GRAPES: searchable database of
fellowships: http://www.gdnet.ucla.edu/grpinst.htm
• New York City Urban Fellows Program• NU Public Interest Program• Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs
Avenue C: Volunteer/Service Work
• Alternatives to the Peace Corp (in UCS library)
• Idealist.org***• Americorps• Public Allies
• International Volunteer Programs Association
• Jesuit Volunteer Corps• GreenCorps• Teach for America• Inner-City Teaching
Corp
•Also a good way to sample different roles•May be able to defer loans: see your lender
Sample Programs/Resources:
Avenue D: Work/Travel Abroad
• Know your motivation for going abroad• Be flexible• Have realistic expectations• Be prepared to do a lot of homework
and research
Working Abroad con’t• Choose a type of job and be flexible
about where OR choose a country and be flexible about the type of job
• Get to know work visa requirements for target countries
• Target programs that arrange work visas for you
• Apply to as many programs as time permits
Some Options for Going Abroad• Internships• Short term/long term volunteer
experiences• Teaching English abroad• Professional positions *often the hardest
to obtain• Farm work/leisure opportunities
Resources for Working Abroad
• Going Global
• University of Michigan www.umich.edu/~icenter/swt/work/
• University of California, Irvine Center for International Education
http://www.cie.uci.edu/prospective/iopother/index.shtml
• University of Minnesota’s International Study and Travel Center: http://www.umabroad.umn.edu/index.html
Work Abroad Programs• Bunac: www.bunac.org
• Council on International Educational Exchange: www.ciee.org
• Interexchange: www.interexchange.org
• AISEC: http://groups.northwestern.edu/aiesec/
Teach Abroad Programs• World Teach: www.worldteach.org/
• French Chamber of Commerce: www.frenchculture.org
• Japanese Exchange and Teaching (JET): www.jetprogramme.org
Additional Resources
• GoAbroad.com• Back Door Guide to Short-term Job
Adventures (available at UCS)• Delaying the Real World: A
twentysomething’s Guide to Seeking Adventure — Colleen Kinder
• Language Departments
Avenue E: Get a “real” job
• May be a good option if unsure how long taking time off
• Address employers just as you would as if you were not taking a year off: research the industry
• Be honest about your intentions to stay short-term
• Every field has its own hiring timeline• Focus on how skills learned on job will
benefit short and long-term career goals
Best Bets for short-term full-time work
• Office administration positions in law firms
• Legal Assistant/paralegal• Court advocate positions• Technical Consultant (patent law)• Nonprofits• University settings• Government: Partnership for Public
Service: www.ourpublicservice.org/OPS/
Legal Opportunities
• These can be hard to find to find:
Network!!• CareerNet www.nwuconnection.com• UCS-Assistant Director for Education,
government, and Non-profit• Craig’s List (local listings)• New York Recruiting Alliance• CareerCat: use keywords “legal” or “law”
Last suggestions• Be creative about making it work!• Don’t forget about career development
while taking time off!• Use UCS alumni services after
graduation!