What did you have for dinner last night? What did you do Friday morning? Do you know the answer immediately or are you stumped? Remembering what we do, and when, is sometimes difficult and becomes more difficult with time. Yet, what you are doing this summer is very important for your career development and can provide great conversation points for interviews and networking.
Track Your Research, Writing Projects and Events.
Before your memory of recent work becomes hazy like a summer sky, we encourage you to keep track of all of your research, writing projects, and events you participated in and observed on a spreadsheet. Be vigilant about client confidentiality, but keeping a notation about a specific statute you researched or a Supreme Court opinion you summarized could be helpful six weeks from now when you are preparing for an interview. Also, do not be exclusive in what you track. What might seem somewhat unimportant now could become important in the future, and it is hard to predict. As you keep track of your research, consider noting the sources you used and which ones were most helpful, as well as the name of the attorney who assigned you the work. Those notes may help you save time for a future research project and could help you remember familiarity with different sources. Your record could also spark an idea for a future note or article. Activities like quick research projects that you reported on orally, lunch n’ learns, observation of a settlement call, or brief client interactions might eventually slip your mind, but keeping a record of these could help you demonstrate important skills. Your summer spreadsheet will also likely be longer than you realize and a nice reminder of your hard work. Why not then share your spreadsheet with a Career Strategist who could help you craft specific and compelling points for your resume and cover letter?
Track Your Networking.
As you are keeping track of your work this summer, why not also keep a record of every attorney you e-mailed for an informational meeting, or had lunch/coffee with this summer. Consider putting the attorney’s name in your spreadsheet, the date you all met, the location, and quick notes on the topics and people you discussed. Who knows, you could end up interviewing with this person at a later date or see them at a networking event, and being able to remember specific details of a prior interaction is impressive and flattering.
To view previous tips click HERE. To few the Successful Summer Handbook in it’s entirety click HERE. To view summer recruiting important dates click HERE.