The usual haul from the mailbox is one to two law firm rejection letters per day. Today, I got four, which gave some companionship to the three other rejection letters that had spilled on to the second wall in my apartment that will soon be completely covered with rejection letters. Another dozen, and I will be able to completely envelop myself in form letters sent by big, important companies that don't want anything to do with me.
All this would be the price of doing business and landing a good job, except for the fact that I have not, after four dozen letters, had a single expression of interest. Everyone I know who sent letters to firms has had at least one interview. Many have offers. As for me, a non-diverse fellow with the bad luck to be from the biggest, toughest market in the country (New York), I'm completely out in the cold.
What next? Now that it's late enough that I have to divulge my mediocre grades, the scrapping over remaining opportunities will become even more intense. Part of the social compact at this school, the unwritten laws that keep us from ripping one another to shreds, is that everyone will graduate with a good job. That's not going to happen this summer, so I'm somewhat afraid to see what my friendly colleagues will do when they have to fight over jobs with professors or spots in a clinic.
If I sound bleak now, just wait until February.
Aw. Keep your chin up. Don't forget, you have indie-turned-not-so-indie-heartthrob hair. So you've got that going for you, which is nice.
Thanks for the support. Now, all I have to do is figure out how to keep it from going rockabilly by the end of the evening.
My law school couldn't even get firms to LOOK at the first year kids for summer associate positions (in fact, I've never heard of such a thing until I read that you were trying for it here), so you're quite a number of steps up the ladder already. Don't sweat it - they'll be begging for you by next summer. Every big firm needs a good DJ.
It's hard to land a gig as a 1L at a firm and firms that interview you before your second year won't care that you didn't work at a firm the summer before. Just get a job somewhere, anywhere, doing something remotely related to law. Work in the public interest!
Damn RJ, placing lining the walls with rejection letters... that's a special kind of torture. On a totally different note I think I read that the berghoff restaurant is closing next month. Any truth to that?
Yeah. Last time I was down in the loop, there was a line around the block for people who want one last meal there.