Main Campus Career Showcase

The Career Resource Center on Main Campus is hosting its Spring Career Showcase on January 25th and 26th . This event brings over 300 employers to campus. All UF students are eligible to participate. For a list of employers and details, check out their website at http://www.crc.ufl.edu/students/careerfairs/ShowCase.aspx.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

ICE Summer Volunteer Internship Interviews Friday, 11 am

This Friday, March 5, two ICE attorneys will be on assignment near Gainesville and have set aside some time to visit UF to interview any students who might be interested in a volunteer internship position. The ICE attorneys will be at UF between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Friday. Below is a brief description of what the Orlando ICE office does and what volunteer interns might expect from the experience.

"The Orlando Office of the Chief Counsel is a component of the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. We represent the Department of Homeland Security before the U.S. Immigration Court, generally pursuing the removal (deportation) of non-citizens who are present in the U.S. in violation of the law or who are legally present but have been convicted of crimes subjecting them to removal. Many of the cases we handle also involve asylum claims or other requests for discretionary forms of relief from removal. Volunteer summer interns are typically assigned to work with our attorneys on legal research projects, drafting briefs and memoranda of law, and reviewing charging documents. Immigration law training is provided throughout the summer, and interns are encouraged to observe cases in court regularly. In some instances, interns have had the opportunity to first-chair hearings under the supervision of an attorney. In the past, volunteer interns have been eligible for externship credits from UF, though these details would have to be worked out between the school and the intern. Please note also that applicants will be subject to a fairly extensive background check."

If you are interested please email Justin Bleak (JUSTBLEAK@UFL.EDU) your resume and cover letter. Also, if you are interested, but can't meet this Friday, it is possible that interviews may be set up in Orlando.

Don't forget: Bidding for Phase I of Spring OCI opens next Tuesday, January 12, 2010. If you can't access your OCI tab in Symplicity be sure to complete an OCI Policies and Procedures Form (http://www.law.ufl.edu/career/students/ociform.shtml) as soon as possible.

Ombudsman Internships

An ombudsman investigates reported claims, reports findings and helps achieve equitable settlements. Internships are available with a number of agencies and organizations:

• Department of Homeland Security, CIS Ombsman:
  Apply for general 2010 DHS internship through usajobs.gov & indicate this office in your cover letter. Unpaid internships offered year round. Interested applicants for both programs may email cisombudsman.publicaffairs@dhs.gov.
• Inter-American Development Bank, Office of the Ombudsman: For more information and to apply: enet.iadb.org/jobs/siprog.asp.
• Food and Drug Administration - Office of Ombudsman: For information visit: www.fda.gov/oc/ombudsman/homepage.htm.
• Department of Education - Federal Student Aid Office of the Ombudsman: Announcements for the position and application procedures will be posted in March to the office’s website at http://www.ombudsman.ed.gov/.
• National Public Radio - For more information and how to apply visit: www.npr.org/about/jobs/intern/.
• National Institutes for Health - Office of the Ombudsman/Center for Cooperative Resolution. For information visit: ombudsman.nih.gov/homepage.html, to apply contact Samantha Levine-Finley at levinesa@od.nih.gov
  

Friday OCI Interviews Are Cancelled.

Please refer to the recent Career Services Hotline email which provides answers to many of your most frequently asked questions about schedules, scheduling, and more.

ALL OCI INTERVIEWS FOR TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY OF THIS WEEK HAVE BEEN CANCELLED.

More information will be provided when available. Please refrain from contacting the office with questions during this time. We are very busy working on rescheduling employers and will be in contact with you once more information is available.

Interview Preparation

As we move closer to the very busy fall interviewing season, make sure you have reviewed these quick tips to make your interviews a success.

• 1. Triple check your location and interview times. Do not let things like parking, construction, or traffic be an excuse for being late.

2. Bring extra copies of your resume, writing sample, transcripts, and anything else the employer has requested. Have everything organized in a portfolio. Now is a great time to show how prepared you are.

3. Do your research in advance. Make sure you are ready to answer this question, "So, tell us why you want to work for XYZ." If you are provided with your interviewers' names ahead of time, make sure you have a great understanding of where they work and what they do.

4. Make a great first impression. In short, look and dress like a professional. You want to be viewed as a future attorney -- not a law student. (Hint: Leave your backpacks at home)

5. Turn off your cell phone. Turn off your cell phone. Turn off your cell phone.

For other interviewing secrets from the Employers' Perspective, make sure to get a copy of "Interviewing - What You Need To Know" and "Interviewing Secrets - What Employers Want" available on the CCS website (in the Forms/Handouts section).

GOOD LUCK!

Top Ten Tips . . .

FACT: Much of recruiting can take place outside the office and traditional interview setting. Remember, you are being evaluated at employer receptions, meetings, meet and greets, and social gatherings. The good news? These opportunities are an excellent way to get to know attorneys and future colleagues in a less formal setting.

Make sure you are prepared before the big event by reviewing TOP TEN TIPS … RECEPTIONS AND COCKTAIL PARTIES. We look forward to hearing about your successes!

Bidding For Phase 2 Employers Is Now Open!

Bidding for Phase 2 is now open and will close at NOON on Monday, August 4th.

Phase 1 Bidding Is Now Open!

Bidding for PHASE 1 employers is open from now until NOON on Monday, July 28th. Our advice?? Do not wait until the last minute to submit your bids.

Good Luck!

It is after NOON on July 21st . . . .

Therefore, EIW Bidding Is Now Closed

Remember. . . . Phase 1 Bidding opens TUESDAY (July 22nd) at NOON!

EIW Bidding Closes TODAY at NOON

The window of time for submitting your bids for Early Interview Week is quickly ending. The window for bidding closes on MONDAY July 21st at NOON!!!!!

Good Luck!

OCI Bidding For EIW Is Now Open!

List of OCI Employers Will Be Released Today!!!

Yes. The list of OCI employers will be released today when it is complete. Please refrain from calling or emailing the office with requests for information about the list. These requests will only delay the release of the names as we address your concerns. In the interest of fairness, the list will be released to all students at the exact same time and no early requests for the list of employers will be granted.

Remember, you will have from NOON on Tuesday July 15, 2008 until NOON on Monday, July 21, 2008 to complete your Early Interview Bidding.

Also, it does not matter if you bid on the first day or the third day of the bidding phase, as all resumes are sent to employers AS LONG AS YOU BID DURING THE APPROPRIATE TIMES. In other words, there is no "first come, first served" policy. That being said, we don't recommend waiting until the very last minute to bid for employers, as you can never be too careful with technology, power failures, bad Internet access, broken servers, uncharged laptops . . . . .

GOOD LUCK!

Let's Talk About Writing Samples

Legal employers often request writing samples as part of a student's application packet. This request often raises many questions from students.

How long should my writing sample be?

What writing sample should I use?

What if my writing sample is off-topic from the employer's subject area?

OUR ANSWER: A legal employer is not typically interested in your 35 page treatise on any subject as part of an application. While having a writing sample that mirrors the employer's practice area is an ideal situation, in reality, this rarely ever happens. For many students, the only piece of legal writing they possess is a brief or memo from their first year Legal Research & Writing course. This document can be a great writing sample . . . . with some minor adjustments.

A good writing sample should be about 5-8 pages or so of your BEST legal analysis. Employers typically do not need the fact summary, table of contents, or question presented page as part of a writing sample. Read through your available documents and determine what the best example of your abilities to reason thoroughly, argue strongly, and demonstrate your talent of concisely and articulately writing like a lawyer. That portion of your complete document should be your writing sample. After selecting which pages are you model example for a writing sample, include a brief cover sheet with the following information:

• Your name and title of the document. (i.e. Writing Sample - Jack Bauer)
• A paragraph explaining what the document contains (i.e. The following document represents a section of an XYZ I completed in my XYZ class in Fall/Spring (whatever semester). The issue involved XYZ and the brief/memo/etc. argued the position of XYZ or concluded XYZ. The entire XX page brief is available upon request. The goal is to provide your reader with a snapshot of what the entire document contains and suggest an avenue for your reader to obtain a complete copy of the document if they so choose.

Remember, you as the author have the opportunity to provide the best showcase of your writing ability. If an employer has requested a writing sample, they probably will use what you provide in making a hiring decision. Make it easy and approachable for your audience so that your best writing is highlighted.

Have You Updated Your Account?

The bidding for OCI is right around the corner (opens July 15th) and the Job Bank continues to be updated daily. Make sure to complete all of the below steps to make your job search and bidding processes go as smoothly as possible.

1. CHANGE your Profile by updating your class year. (i.e. 1L to 2L or 2L to 3L) If you do not update your account, you will not be able to bid for employers for OCI or see job postings relevant to your class year.
2. UPDATE and re-upload your newest and error-free resume. Include your summer experience with a great description about what you are doing. Need help or want a counselor to review it? Just send it here and we are happy to assist you.
3. SIGN the updated Policies & Procedures form and fax into our office. Most of you have completed this step, but if you are not one of them, you'll want to add it to your list of things to do.

NEW - The CCS Is Now Available Online

On Mondays and Wednesdays during the summer, the CCS is available through instant messaging (Yahoo, Hotmail, and AOL). From 9-5pm, counselors will be online and instantly available to answer your questions about on and off campus recruitment, deadlines, forms, handouts, resources, you name it! Make sure to add us to your list of online resources (UFLAWCAREERS) and IM us your career related questions on Mondays and Wednesdays this summer.

We're looking forward to seeing you online!

Looking For Career Services Ambassadors!

Are you looking for creative ways to network with large firm attorneys? Consider being a Career Services Ambassador. Ambassadors are responsible for greeting arriving employers, escorting them to their interview locations, and getting them set up for their day of interviewing. The most exposure to employers will happen during Early Interview Week (EIW), August 19th - 22nd. There will also be opportunities later on in the fall semester. Contact Jessie Howell Wallace if you are interested.

Important Summer Dates

We need your updated Policies & Procedures Form!!!

In order to participate in on or off campus recruiting this summer and fall, the CCS needs your updated Policies & Procedures form on file. Access the form here and contact us with any questions or concerns about the changes for 2008.