2L Job Search E-Advising

Our goal is to help you find a great public interest job and avoid the common mistakes that can derail your job search. Take a look at our list of common job search mistakes and don’t let them happen to you!

Read how the 2L summer job search differs from the 1L summer job search in timeline, application strategy, networking, splitting summers, and application materials.

Government Honors Programs are the most common pathway for 3Ls and certain recent graduates to enter government service. In preparation for your 3L year, you should start to get familiar with these opportunities now.

Because your 2L summer tends to be more important from a strategic standpoint than your 1L summer, one of the best things you can do before you begin your 2L public interest job search in earnest is to reflect on your interests and personal career goals.

Are you beginning to think about your 2L summer and weighing the decision of whether to work in the private sector or the public sector? We in OPIA want every HLS student to feel empowered to make career choices that are the best for their individual interests and circumstances – whether those choices involve work in the public or private sectors.

Searching for post-graduate job opportunities can feel daunting if you don’t know where to begin. Learn about the four primary ways to search for entry-level job opportunities.

Once you hone in on the jobs for which you are interested in applying, it is important to start preparing your job search materials in advance. The typical application will include a resume, cover letter, and writing sample. Some employers will also ask for a transcript and references or recommendations. Follow our advice to help you submit materials that get you the interview.

Speaking with attorneys practicing in your areas of interest (i.e., networking) is a critical component of a successful post-graduate job search. If you have been slow to make career connections in your city and/or field of interest, now is the time to kick things into gear, even if you're working remotely this summer.

While the public sector is extremely varied, most employers are looking for a core set of skills. Additional qualities that may be valued by employers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic are increased flexibility and comfort with remote work. Continue to work on these skills throughout your 3L year and meet with an OPIA advisor to discuss them.

We strongly encourage you to apply for any fellowship that may help you reach the work you are excited about. Because many fellowships require you to pursue a project with a host organization, however, and because some fellowships have very early deadlines, it is important to begin preparing NOW for your fellowship search.

As a 2L, we know it may seem early to start thinking about your post-graduate job search. However, now is the best time to get started with identifying positions that are a good match for your preferences, experience, and skill set.

A significant majority of HLS graduates begin their public service careers through domestic and international fellowships offered by Harvard University and hundreds of other organizations. We provide a short roadmap for the coming months; stay tuned for more information on the post-graduate public interest job search and fellowships beginning in March, and mark your calendars for OPIA’s spring fellowship and job search events.

We hope you will be able to carve out time to reflect on your experience and identify takeaways from your summer work with respect to your interests and personal career goals. As you continue to prepare for the V-PIIP program, you should also consider these things.

Although the vast majority of public interest employers will not begin to consider applications for 2L summer internships until the fall, we wanted to alert you to a few earlier deadlines of which we are currently aware.

Some of you may be considering government work for your 2L summer. Most federal (and some state and local) agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice, offer formal internship programs.

A successful job search starts with identifying positions that are a good match for your preferences, experience, and skill set. A balance of focus and flexibility is key.