Originally published in Student Lawyer magazine, February 2006 (Vol. 34, No. 6). All rights reserved.

Jobs

Out-of-town job searches require extra strategizing

by Donna Gerson

If you think it's difficult to find a job in the city or town where you live, imagine looking for one elsewhere in the country. Out-of-town job searches pose special challenges, but you can pull one off successfully with forethought and planning. Here are some ideas:

Set limits. When looking for a job, some law students cast too wide a geographic net, creating an unwieldy search of the entire United States. It’s one thing if you’re applying for federal clerkships, where nationwide searches are more common. Otherwise, grasping for any job anywhere rarely yields promising results. Such an approach typically costs hundreds of dollars and untold amounts of time.

Rather than undertake mass mailings with a vague desire to work anywhere, set limits. To conduct the kind of research, networking, and follow-up necessary to complete a truly comprehensive job search, you should focus on no more than three legal markets at one time.

Choose locales based on your professional aspirations, connection to an area, personal interests, or a combination thereof. Some law students seeking to work in a particular practice area look for jobs in cities such as Washington D. C., and state capitals (government law and lobbying), Houston (energy law), or Los Angeles and New York (entertainment law). Others are motivated by family connections and a desire to return home. Still others desire a particular climate, social life, or peer group. However you reach your decision, setting limits will help you structure your job search.

Be able to justify your choice of an out-of-town location. Many employers will want to know why you want to work in their town if doing so would require you to relocate. When seeking a permanent position, it’s a good idea to assure the employer that you plan to relocate for the long term. Although this isn’t an issue for judicial clerkships, many judges are still interested in knowing what attracts you to working and living in their community if you have no apparent ties to the area.

In cover letters and interviews, be prepared to briefly touch on your desire to move, any connections you have to the area, and your intention to develop business, particularly if you are considering work for small or mid-size law firms.

Make your local connection clear in your application materials. For instance, if you grew up in Detroit and want to return home, consider adding a “Detroit Address” section at the top of your résumé and cover letter, even if the address is that of a close relative or friend (assuming you check with him or her first). To establish a hometown connection, some students add their high school information to the “Education” section of their résumé. Also, if you’re applying for an out-of-town position, use a sentence or two in your cover letter to express your interest in or connection to the city or town.

Many employers will question your presence in their job market if your connection to the area isn’t clear. Thus, one of your objectives will be to allay fears that you’ll cut and run at the first opportunity. In your cover letter and interviews, explain your interest in the market and your enthusiasm for the locale. For example: “I grew up in Detroit and still have extended family there. I’d like to leverage the connections I’ve established during the past 15 years to develop a legal practice and become a community leader.”

Make long-distance connections while you are in law school. Don’t wait until you move before starting to make connections in locations that interest you. Through the Internet and telephone, you can establish long-distance connections in law school and maintain those connections over time.

Consider the many resources at your disposal. For example, many law schools maintain mentor databases of graduates who work in towns and cities throughout the country. Tap into this network and ask for advice about a mentor’s local legal market, names of firms, identities of well-respected practitioners, and other factors that might influence your job search.

To expand your local connections in job markets that interest you, develop networking contacts through family, friends, college classmates, alumni associations, and the like. For example, your ABA membership gives you access to projects that connect law students with lawyers from across the country, particularly if you participate in activities of the Law Student Division and practice-related groups. In addition, many local bar associations welcome law student memberships, even from students who live out of town. This is an easy way to gain access to local practitioners, learn about the legal market, and add a line to your résumé that establishes your local credentials.

E-mail your inquiries requesting information and advice, then plan a personal visit, if possible. While e-mail interchanges and telephone conversations are good, they are no substitute for face-to-face meetings. Therefore, try your best to schedule a visit to your long-distance destination to meet individuals who can mentor you.

Use your vacation time wisely. If you are home visiting family or traveling to your desired future work destination, don’t squander the opportunity to meet face to face with a mentor or networking contact. When writing to networking contacts and potential employers, be sure to mention that you will be traveling to their city on such-and-such dates and would be available to meet. Many employers—particularly small firms, government agencies, and judges—cannot afford to pay travel expenses for interviewees but will agree to see candidates and prospects who come to them at the candidates’ own expense. Therefore, you will give many employers a compelling reason to invite you for a meeting if you tell them you will be visiting the area. For example, “I plan to visit my family in St. Louis for spring break April 7-14 and would be pleased to meet with you to discuss my credentials during that time.”

Offer to work on projects long-distance. An often-overlooked way to establish connections, develop credibility, and create a record for yourself is to work on projects remotely for potential out-of-town employers. When writing to these employers, consider adding language in your cover letter that indicates your desire to handle short- or long-term projects on a contract basis. Most legal research can be conducted and sent via e-mail; some employers, particularly small firms, might have a need for such work. For example, you could write: “While I am attending school in Pennsylvania, I am able and willing to undertake work on a project basis and submit my research via e-mail in order for you to see the quality of my work product and establish a rapport.” Developing this type of work connection will enable an out-of-town employer to get to know your work product as well as your work ethic.

Follow up. To remain visible in the job market, it is crucial to engage in consistent and repeated follow-up with employers. This is especially true for long-distance job searchers. You will bolster your credibility by communicating with your job contacts through phone and e-mail from time to time. By continuing to express your desire and rationale to relocate and nurturing your connections, you increase the chances that a long-distance employer will take an interest in you and look beyond the local law schools’ pool of candidates.

Donna Gerson, a former law school career services director, is author of Choosing Small, Choosing Smart: The Secrets of Small and Mid-Size Firm Hiring. E-mail her at donna@donnagerson.com if you have comments on this article or would like her to speak at your school.

For more career and job search guidance, visit the ABA Career Counsel at www.abanet.org/careercounsel/students.html.

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