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Pre-Law Series: Beyond the Law School App

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Areas of Law

So you want to go to law school?

That is just the beginning!  As the legal job market has gotten tighter, new lawyers need to find their niche sooner and be able to contribute to the bottom line of the firm. Take a moment to learn a little more about the various fields of law and think about what area might interest you:

Here is a great collection of blogs in a variety of specialty areas. Keep up to date with news and trends.

Or maybe you are hoping to use that law degree for some other purpose?

Check out these articles on utilizing that law degree for a different career path:

And here’s a New York Time’s article about people with law degrees, who change their mind about the law altogether: Maybe It’s Time for Plan C

You don’t need to have it all figured out before you go to Law School. However, you will be able to make better choices regarding law school and legal internships if you have a keener sense of your ultimate goals.

~Kala

World of Work: Brian Trudell ’09, University of Vermont Extension

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Brian Trudell

Brian Trudell ’09
Agronomy Outreach Professional
University of Vermont Extension – http://www.uvm.edu/extension/
St. Albans, VT

Major: Animal Science

How would you describe what you do on a typical day?

My role as a UVM Extension agent is to reduce nutrient and sediment loading in Lake Champlain. I provide education and technical support to Vermont livestock farmers in the Lake Champlain Basin on nutrient management and tillage practices.

My primary areas are Franklin and Grand Isle counties, where the majority of farms are dairy producers. I help farmers manage soil health with soil testing and detailed nutrient management software programs. By reducing non-point nutrient and sediment losses from agricultural fields, surface water quality is improved. This makes the Lake Champlain a better place for wildlife and the many people who enjoy it during our beautiful Vermont summers.

What advice do you have for students searching for jobs or internships in your field?

Create a well-rounded body of work for yourself by leaving your comfort zone. Do internships in far-away places to experience ideas that you may not hear from you college professors. While high-end internships with established organizations may be desirable, you may learn more with a start-up operation.

How did your time at UVM, both in and out of the classroom, prepare you for your position?

While at UVM I learned how people without an agricultural background perceive our industry, especially those that are appealed by organic and/or vegetarian diets. Critical thinking is very important when discussing agriculture and food systems issues.

What motivates you to go to work every day for this organization?

I am building knowledge in a new area because crop and soil work was not a focus of my undergraduate studies. I plan to operate my own dairy business in the future. By working with dairy farms, I build my connections and reputation every day. I aspire to be a leader within the Vermont agriculture industry and see this job as an opportunity to build a solid foundation for my future.

3 Reasons Why Internships are Important for Today’s College Student

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Key to Success

In today’s job market, obtaining a Bachelor’s degree can be the first step to a successful career. However, many employers look for students who have held internships or co-ops during their collegiate experience because employers understand the value they bring. Below are 3 reasons why internships are so important for today’s college student.

  1. Internships can help students identify career paths- Internships allow students to see whether or not a career fits with their passion and interest. Sometimes the internship will foster the conclusion that the chosen career path is not what they had expected. However, in many cases, it can lead to a greater understanding of the field and assist with the development of skills marketable for their chosen career path.
  2. Competition is high- In a global job market, competition can be quite steep, so obtaining a real world work experience such as an internship or coop can allow a student to become a more qualified candidate.
  3. Internships can build connections within a career field- Through interning students can build their professional network which can be invaluable in today’s job search. When starting a job search, it’s important to know that 80% of jobs are found through networking. In fact, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) 2008 Experiential Education Survey, employers reported hiring 70% of their interns.

This Thursday, October 20th Career Services will host our annual Internship Hop (I-Hop) from 1pm-4pm in Living Learning E.

~Danielle

“Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish”: Career Insights from Steve Jobs

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Steve Jobs

On October 5, 2011, Apple co-founder and chairperson Steve Jobs died at the age of 56.  Since then, many people are re-visiting the commencement speech Jobs delivered at Stanford University in 2005.  Packed with general life lessons, the speech also has valuable tips for finding meaningful work and sustaining a fulfilling career.  Here are some of the highlights:

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.”

“The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.”

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on.”

There are many variables in life, known and unknown.  For Jobs, one of his “unknowns” was pancreatic cancer.  However, he was able to live his days with fulfillment and happiness by deciding what was in his control and following his passions.  Let this be a good reminder to each of us to “stay hungry, stay foolish.”

~Ashley

(For a written transcript of Jobs’ speech, click here.)

Internship of the Month: Simon and Schuster

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Beryl Frishtick

Intern: Beryl Frishtick
Class Year: 2013
Major: English
Internship Title: Editorial Intern (at the Atria and Emily Bestler Books imprints)
Company: Simon & Schuster
Website: http://www.simonandschuster.com/

Briefly tell us about the organization you were with:  Simon & Schuster is a world-renowned publishing company with offices in NYC, London, Australia, and India.  I worked in the NYC headquarters near 30 Rock.  S&S publishes all types of books, including adult fiction, memoir, celebrity authors, young adult novels, children’s books, and of course e-books.

How would you describe the various projects you did for your organization to someone who is unfamiliar with your field? I mainly worked on three types of projects.  The first was to read manuscript submissions and either write rejection letters or pass them up the food chain to my supervisors if I really liked them.  The second project was writing flap copy, which is the text you find on the back of a book that gives you a taste of the plot.  The third was actually editing books, going through them line by line and looking for grammar mistakes and plot inaccuracies.

What did you like best about this internship? What was most challenging? The best part of my internship was definitely editing novels, because I had the chance to go through the manuscript on my own then sit down with Emily Bestler, the senior editor, and go through both our copies page by page.

The most challenging part about the internship was writing rejection letters, because when I first started I was hesitant and didn’t feel comfortable with that sort of power.  But as I learned more and more about the publishing industry, I felt better able to craft rejection letters and I worked to include as much constructive criticism as possible.

How did you gain credit for this internship? I enrolled in Mary Beth Barritt’s EDSS course to receive one credit, since Simon & Schuster mandates that their interns receive credit in order to work there but I did not actually need the credit to graduate.

What impact did this internship have on your career direction? Because of my hands-on experience this summer with Simon & Schuster, I am definitely considering going into the publishing industry.

What advice do you have for students searching for internships? Try to find contacts at companies you wish to work for.  Nine times out of ten that is how people find jobs, by knowing someone.  It’s frustrating but it’s true.

Why should students do an internship? Interning, especially away from your home or college town, makes you a more responsible person.  It’s great practice for future careers, and it’s also a lot of fun.

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