Career Services Offers Summer Job Tips
The Career Services Office provided useful advice and tips to the student body in a panel on summer employment tips. “Adaptability and flexibility are key,” said Graham Sherr, assistant dean for Career Services. “Treat your summer externship as an extended interview; be thorough, and proofread your work every time,” he said.
The session revolved around the mantra of being a self starter in the work place. Sherr, a seasoned legal recruiter, advised students to pursue experience and volunteer whenever possible – not only is this a chance to learn new skills, it is also an opportunity to build relationships with members of the firm or organization. He noted that firm events are also great places to mingle with associates and partners in a more casual environment.
Diana Cho ’15 attended the panel and plans to use these tips during her internship this summer at Winston & Strawn LLP. “The most useful piece of advice that Dean Sherr shared with us is to always remember that you have two clients: the one who's paying and the one you report to. I learned that it’s important to treat them both with the same level of importance,” she said.
Sherr also encouraged students to have a problem solving attitude: propose solutions and always anticipate the next step in a project. He remarked that employers value an intern who takes initiative and offers creative solutions.
A student attended the panel last year and applied Dean Sherr’s advice in her summer associate-ship. “I learned the true worth of this nuts-and-bolts presentation when I met a fellow summer associate from an Ivy League school whose own Career Services department did not spell these things out for her,” she said. “She made almost every mistake that Graham told us how to avoid, and sadly, she did not get an offer at the end of the summer. When a Loyola student gets a job offer but an Ivy League student does not, it's clear how valuable this kind of guidance really is.”
The Career Services Office website hosts a wealth of resources on resumes, cover letters, interviews, judicial clerkships and more. Counselors update the job listings on the Symplicity website daily and post information for the On-Campus Interview registration. OCS also sends the “Need 2 Know News” e-newsletter each week that features upcoming events, job posts, workshops, deadlines and networking opportunities.
Counselors are available if students have questions or concerns. To schedule an appointment, log into Symplicity and select “schedule an appointment” in the upper right hand corner or call the Career Services main line at 213.736.1150.