Summary: Too often do attorneys give up easily during their job search because a couple firms reject them instead of pushing on until the job offer comes along.
An ego is a dangerous thing that can ruin an attorney’s job search. Similar to someone in the entertainment industry, rejection and disappointment are common things to encounter and get over. Just as the majority of actors don’t make it in Hollywood, the majority of attorneys don’t reach their full potential because rejection gets the better of their ego.
- See Successful Actors and Attorneys Are Very Alike for more information.
Persistence will a long ways in helping an attorney find a job. Many actors will audition hundreds of times before landing a part of any consequence. Meanwhile, they are playing smaller parts or working in other jobs to pay the bills until a part comes along that may require them to travel to another city just to audition. Attorneys are no different.
Here are four points to remember:
- As an attorney you function as a specific tool and commodity that a law firm needs, so being rejected doesn’t need to be personal.
- External market forces control hiring decisions.
- Getting an offer or not from a firm has nothing to do with your worth or how you feel about yourself.
- Self-worth has nothing to do with your success in a job search.
Ultimately, how successful a job search is for an attorney depends on the market. Ego, based on one’s cultural, personal, and tribal conditioning, can and will ruin an attorney’s chances of finding the job that is the right fit for them. The perfect job may not come within a week of searching or even five months.
It is understandable for attorneys to let their ego get in the way. They are highly driven in order to receive the desired results of prestigious jobs with prestigious firms and prestigious salaries. However, attorneys cannot control outside factors that make a practice area shrink.
- See Legal Practice Areas Burn Out Eventually Before Picking Back Up for more information.
Photo: mentalfloss.com