IN•CLOSING Career services promotes skills for success
Assistant Dean Kathy Kuhar ’02 reviews an alumna’s resume.
Kathy Kuhar ’02, author of this article, is assistant dean for law student and career services.
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or the past six years, I have helped Quinnipiac University’s School of Law recruit students with dreams of becoming lawyers. I now have the wonderful opportunity to assist these students as they pursue their dreams. While these are challenging economic times, our staff is prepared to help students find summer positions while in school and reach their career objectives upon graduation. And please remember, we are here to assist current students and alumni alike. From networking opportunities to workshops on effective interviewing skills, we provide the services and programming to complement the learning that takes place in the classroom and in our clinics and externships. Recently, I met with local practitioners, including alumni, who emphasized the need to be flexible in this economy. As many of us know, our careers do not always follow the path we planned. During my last year of law school, I had a job offer from the large accounting firm, Arthur Andersen. This was the type of position I had hoped for when I started law school. However, the Arthur Andersen I knew ceased to exist by the time I graduated. Seven months later, I was performing title searches and closing real estate transactions in a small local law firm. In this job, I developed new skills, which led to career advancement opportunities. I keep this in mind as I counsel students. I encourage them to be prepared for a changing environment and to make the most of every opportunity they encounter. Our staff, faculty and alumni work collaboratively to support current students by participating in programs and sharing their expertise. I would like to thank everyone who has delivered presentations on different practice areas and participated in mock interviews! For those 32
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alumni who have not had the opportunity to participate, please let me know if you are interested in assisting with any of our initiatives. You can reach me at kathy.kuhar@quinnipiac.edu. Currently, we are developing a mentoring program between alumni and students. The commitment of the mentor can be as minimal as answering emails from students interested in a particular practice area, or perhaps meeting with students and introducing them to a typical day of a practicing lawyer. This
partnership is an ideal way for lawyers to get to know some of the students who will be joining the legal community soon. The Office of Career Services is available to assist alumni, whether to help in the search for a new position or to help find a candidate for a position. We encourage alumni to take a look at our online job posting service, QU Law Career Connections at law.quinnipiac.edu/x13.xml Please stop by to say hello if you are on campus. We look forward to working with you!