Law/Master's Degree students can't get hired?

[donselle]

Mga sis, especially sa mga HR specialists dito, I need your help.

Two years ago my contract with my previous company ended. At the same time, nag-aaral na ako ng law, I was about 2nd year that time. So I took on freelance jobs habang naghahanap ng trabaho. Ang dami ko nang inapplyan, pero laging hanggang first interview ang ending ko, never umabot ng final interview and/or job offer.

Then natanggap ako sa current company ko. Aminado akong tinanggap ko yung job offer kahit sobrang layo sa tinapos ko at sobrang liit ng pay (read: just above minimum dahil entry-level) kasi sobrang desperada akong magka-trabaho. Ngayon seven months na ako dito pero atat na atat na akong mag-resign dahil bukod nga sa mababa yung sahod, lagi akong nasi-stress sa work (on top of the stress sa law school). Pero ayoko namang mag-resign na walang kapalit na trabaho.

At eto na naman ako sa laging hanggang first interview ang bagsak ko. Hanggang sa pinoint out sa akin ng friend kong HR officer na kaya hindi ako natatanggap ay dahil law student ako. Sabi nya kasi, hindi daw tumatanggap ng mga law students (or any working student for that matter) kasi may tendency na hindi makakapag-focus sa work kahit ano pang pangungumbinsi ang gawin ng applicant. Plus pag natanggap daw ang law student titignan sya ng mga colleagues nya as competitor sa promotions and other things sa work. So suggestion nya sa akin, i-drop ko sa resume ko ang lahat ng tungkol sa law studies ko.

Naisip ko, on one hand, pwede rin naman siguro yung ganun, tapos internal arrangement na lang ang tungkol sa sked ko once na matanggap ako. On the other hand naman, ang dating sa akin dapat hindi nagwo-work ang mga law students. Ideal sana yung ganoon, pero paano naman yung mga self-supporting na tulad ko?

To sum things up, ang question ko is, "Paano maha-hire sa work ang mga tulad kong law students (or yung mga nagti-take ng masters degree nila)?"

Sorry, long post pero TIA na rin po!

[sugardrop]

Have you tried applying at law firms? My cousin is also a law student but has been working at a law firm for a few years now.

[donselle]

Nag-try din ako doon minsan, mga anim na law firms ang inapplyan ko. In two of the law firms that I applied in, sabi sa akin ng mga nag-interview sa akin doon, hesitant silang kumuha ng law student kasi baka raw hindi maka-focus, saka ideal nga raw sa mga law students na hindi nagwo-work, dapat aral lang.

[17glut]

applayan mo kasi yung related sa experience or tinapos mo. pag malayo yung inaaplayan mo sa exp,skillset or course mo talagang hindi ka matatanggap.

[angelholics]

hi sis, un roomie ko dati sa callcenter nagwork tas UST Law Student sya better pay pa daw compared sa day job.

 

[thekitchenbride]

hi i'm a masters student as well, on my third year and i'm 4 years in the company. I made sure to get regularized first before i enrolled. It helps when your bosses gets to know you and your capabilities beforehand and its easier to make arrangements and negotiations on time scheds. They even gave me salary increase. It's just a matter of timing. 

[julietm]

Alam ko kase talaga hindi masyadong tinatanggap mga working students kase usually sa final phase ng hiring process, tinatanong if there are any plans of going back to school or abroad. Kase employers want people who will stay longterm. Kahit saang industry yan ganun talaga kase mas malaki investment nila kung magpapatraining sila ng magpapatraining kesa ikeep ang employee by giving incentives or salary increases. Pagkagraduate mo sigurado aalis ka sa kanila kase syempre may leverage ka na na law graduate pano pa pag may license ka na. Konti lang, as in konti lang na company iyong ioverlook the fact na working student ka. Laging pakabig yang mga yan. Kahit gaano ka kapromising sa hiring. I was a working student myself so don't get me wrong. Mas mabuti siguro kung hindi mo muna sasabihin anything about law school tapos kapag nakapasok ka na, maging mabait ka sa mga superiors mo para they can do something about your schedule. Nung working student ako, nagcall center ako, 4th yr nursing student pa ko nun ha. Good thing petiks lang account namin. Mga kasama ko sa floor would let me sleep for half the shift tapos magreview ako pagkagising ko. Mababait naman sila. Nakagraduate naman ako at naging RN. Nga lang, wala rin nangyari haha. Pero lagi talaga nila tatanungin kung may balak ako magMaster's o kung babalik pa ba ko sa field ko. Kelangan mo talaga magsinungaling kaso problem lang kung may background check ang company na pagaaplyan mo which in that case leaves you with no other option but to tell everything or try somewhere else nalang.

[minnie99]

My sister also had trouble finding a job kasi nagmMA siya. Gusto siya i-hire but they were asking her to stop grad school muna. Thankfully, she got an offer na pinapayagan siyang mag-adjust ng time during the days na may pasok siya sa school.

I think employers are more considerate kapag dun ka nag-start before grad school. My classmates in MBA tell me na their bosses are supportive of them when they decided to take up MBA. Hehe

[simang]

Try the academe Flexible work hours, tapos requirement talaga dun ang may post grad, kahit units lang kahit di mo pa tapos.

[minnie99]

True. I work in a university and the bosses really encourage us to study tsaka pwede nga i-adjust ang hours depending on your classes. But ako since I study where I work, wala masyadong adjustments, plus points for the reduced fees!

[caleeice]

Agree with the academe suggestion. I used to work part-time as a research associate of a professor while I was pursuing my studies Aside from the fact that there are no regular work hours (I just have to deliver the work that is needed), the professor was kind and understanding enough not to demand work during midterms and finals season.

[jojo2978]

In my experience, marami namang work na available noong nag aaral pa ako. I worked as legal assistant/office administrator for a few months, then as legal indexer sa isang BPO company. Nasubukan ko rin yung BPO na we used to take calls and convert it to message, tapos as legal editor ulit sa BPO pa rin. Then I applied as a professor/instructure sa isang university for 3 semesters before the bar exams.

Usually, timing lang naman. If they need someone to work on something, you must be that someone. I worked to break the monotony sa law school kaya if I need to focus na sa aral, I usually tender my resignation na.

Ideal yung full time student when you are studying. Kung kaya naman mag full time, mag full time. Kung di kaya, you have to make lots of sacrifices lang.

[Tinining]

I feel you TS. Ganyan rin nangyayari sakin. Pag nalalaman nilang law student ako, umaayaw agad. pambihira. Sa mga law firms naman, pahirapan rin. Nakakadepress.