5 tips for working during school

It’s typically not recommended (and sometimes not permitted) for law students to work during their first year of law school but, working during school can be advantageous. Working during school can be a great resume booster, can help develop practical legal skills, and is an easy way to establish relationships in the legal field. Additionally, it can put a little extra money in your pockets. What student doesn’t need more money?.

As you all know I am currently a full-time law student but for the past three semesters I’ve been lucky enough to work at local law firms during the semester. During my 2L year the small law firm I worked at the previous summer invited me back for the school year. And, the midsize law firm I worked at this past summer invited me back for my 3L year. I typically work two days a week for a total of 10 hours but my schedule varies depending on the time of the semester. Below are a few tips that I hope will help anyone working during school.

1. Keep your work hours under 20. For law students I personally think 10 hours a week is a perfect amount of time. But, some employers may demand more. Be honest with yourself and your employer about how many hours you can realistically work in one week. Remember school should be your priority. (For this reason I do not recommend working during your 1L year).
2. Set a regular schedule. It’s best to pick the hours and days you’ll be working and stick to that schedule. This keep you accountable. Additionally, it will be helpful for your employer to know when you’ll be working. Although things may come up during the semester and you may have to make changes, you should strive to keep your schedule as regular as possible. 
3. Take your work schedule into consideration when planning your class schedule. The first semester I worked I scheduled my classes without thinking about my work schedule. I ended up running back and forth between 4 days a week to be able to complete my 10 hours. This semester I planned it perfectly so I work on days when I don’t have classes. It’s made my life much easier.
4. Monitor your work email outside of work hours. This one may seem obvious to some but I use to have a strict no work emails outside of work rule. Since I started working during the school year I realized that it’s almost impossible to avoid monitoring your email outside of work hours. Checking your work email on days you’re not working will ensure your employer is always able to get in contact. It also, prevents last minute surprises. Finally, you don’t want to show up to 50+ unread emails everyday, I’ve been there and it’s not pretty.  
5. Take a break prior to finals. This final tip is paramount. School should come first. In my experience 3-4 weeks is enough time to take off to sufficiently prepare for your finals. But, this number will depend on the kind of finals you have. It’s important that you inform your employer in advance of the finals period. Your employer should know when you won’t be working so they can make proper accommodations.

For those of you who have balanced work and school, or even multiple jobs at once, what things do you think helped you do it successfully?? If you found my post on working during school helpful, please consider pinning it.