With the competitiveness of the legal profession, the months over the break are the perfect time to update your resume or get ahead with your studies. The long holidays allow time for both a break and to gain more experience at a job, volunteer position or further study. Take a look at the top 5 tips for getting ahead in summer.
1. Taking an extra subject
At Deakin, taking the time to do one or two extra subjects in Trimester 3 will either fast-track your degree or allow you the space to take time off later in your degree. Simply taking one subject will allow you to enjoy your summer holidays while taking a few moments to set yourself up for the next year. Without the added pressures of another three subjects you may choose to tackle a difficult law subject or choose one that will mean you can decrease your workload later in the year.
2. Apply for Legal work experience
Applying for an internship or paralegal role can provide first-hand experience working in a legal environment. This the best way to boost the experiences on your resume in a perfectly relevant role to your career goals. Even if you don’t get one of these positions the experience of applying and attending interviews is great practise for the future.
If you can’t find one of these positions, use some of the extra time to update your resume and cover letter template. Having a professional and well-written resume will be a great start when you begin looking for roles.
3. Legal Volunteering
Finding a volunteer position that either builds on or establishes a new skill will give you another point on your resume which can set you apart from another student applying for the same job or clerkship. There are many different organisations that accept law students and you are able to tailor your interests to the type of position that you are interested in. Not only do these roles look good on a resume they provide the type of legal experience that you cannot get from a lecture or the textbook.
4. Work or volunteer at a non-legal organisation
While legal experience is highly valuable when you start to apply for clerkships and graduate jobs, having non-legal experience that you can relate back to skills required in the legal profession will go a long way. Showing your commitment to helping others or the organisation required to work and finish your law degree are transferable skills that could be used in the legal job.
5. Take a break
Don’t forget, in the pursuit of more experience and study, that it is essential that you balance the time with taking a break. Scheduling a few weeks that you take off from any law study or unnecessary work will give you a change to reset and refresh for the next year.
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