Max Raterman, an assistant county attorney in New Jersey, had a lot to say about job fields as a community. Raterman has held a myriad of positions since graduating from Geneseo in 1983 and knows about the importance of experience, networking, and diversifying talents.

Advice for Grads

Changing Jobs

Raterman said that, in retrospect, he wished he had been more careful about how often he changed jobs. He has worked at various levels of government but has been working at his current job since 2002. He said that he has had good experiences and learned a lot about many different facets of the law; however, there can be a tradeoff in terms of seniority and a pension, which do not always transfer between jobs.

In addition, employers may be suspicious of a resume that lists so many job changes. They may assume that you are incapable of holding a job or that you're "flakey". If the employer doesn't understand the situation that caused you to leave a previous job, they may assume that something is not being said and that you are trying to cover something up. Unfortunately, there is no reward for employers for being truthful. If your prospective employer contacts a previous employer for references, it is unlikely that your previous employer will say anything about your performance or ethics, whether they were good or bad. They don't want you to slap them with a liability suit, after all. While this may work out better for you if you're a less than desirable employee, it also means that your prospective employer has to work off what you're saying and their own intuition. This may leave little room for excuses, exceptions, or second chances.  "One way to represent yourself fairl and accurately if you do have a number of job changes is to draft your resume positively, showing how one opportunity led to another without looking like you are making excuses for the decision to change jobs," Raterman said. "These opportunities can also be explained in subsequent job interviews.

Socializing

Networking is extremely important in the law and most other fields. Begin networking as soon as you can! You have to be self-motivated and something of a go-getter. Even more important than networking is making sure that you connect with the right people. For example, if you find yourself surrounded by people who have nothing in common with you—different goals, interests, ethics—you will not thrive as you need to in your workplace. As soon as you feel a lack of harmony with a group, disengage. Of course, be prudent. Don't quit your job just because your boss is an arrogant windbag, but if you are in a law firm with a lot of greasy coworkers, you might want to reconsider your employment there. 

Knowledge

It's a cliche, but knowledge really is power. Raterman strongly emphasized doing constant research. This not only includes keeping abreast of developments in your field (ANY field, not just law), but knowing what other people think of you. Your reputation is everything. No one, Raterman said, is feeding this information to you. College involves a lot of independent study, but in a career there are no assignments, no professors, no syllabus. While this seems condescendingly obvious, it's something you don't fully realize until you're there. Raterman also said that as an attorney, you have to really know your information and that you are only as good as your advice. You can't, as he said, BS your advice, because people will find out that you don't know your ins and outs. This isn't just true for law, but for PR, advertising, any kind of work that involves consulting. I personally have heard so many horror stories from my father about contractors who make lofty promises to customers without even knowing what the product really does.

Any Other Advice, Max?

• Work through the "bumps and grinds" at work. Don't give up too easily!
• See career coaches for direction and advice throughout your career. Career service is not just for students!
• When you are studying for a test like the GRE, LSAT, MCAT, etc., practice with a time limit. The difference that time pressure makes is incredible.
• Keep your Facebook and MySpace pages clean. If you post things like "I like to party, WHOO!", your prospective employer will pass you over without a second look and you'll never know why. In addition, Google yourself to see what others will see when they Google you.
• Find a few projects that you can do well on and that will enhance your image as someone who really knows their stuff.
• Distinguish between ethics and the law. Remember that the law may not fit your ethics all the time.
• If you are thinking about law, Raterman highly recommended the SUNY Buffalo Law School!