The People's Therapist at Above the Law explains why unemployment is particularly hard on the psyches of lawyers: we're pleasers. It's one of the reasons we did well in school, and one of the reasons we do well in practice. But in unemployment, there's often no one to please but yourself, and good luck at that. To make matters worse pleasers, used to doing what we're told and hoping for the best, tend to suffer exceptionally during the inscrutable thrusts and probes of a job interview. And, TPT reminds us, in these recessionary times things are much different than when most of us were suffering through job interviews:
You might remember those mass interviews the law school placement departments arranged back in the boom years. They typically consisted of a handshake, a dutiful glance at a resume, and a pointless chat about nothing.
Those weren’t real job interviews. Those firms were hiring your résumé. They just wanted to make sure you could dress yourself. The interviewers often seemed as clueless as the candidates.
Indeed. So, hug an unemployed lawyer. And if you're unemployed, take The People's Therapist's advice: be kind to yourself:
This is no time to beat yourself up. Remember to be you, your best self, the person you really are. That’s more than just a lawyer; that’s a person. Spend time with friends, and people who like you. You’re worth something and you know it – and you need all the support you can get.
