[author: Milou Lammers]*
Ed. Note-last year, compliance practitioner candidate Miloo Lammers wrote a short series about her job search to find a job in the compliance field. She was successful and landed a job. In this blog post, she reports on her first two months of employment, post law school.
Now I am two months into my first post-graduate position. I decided to compile all of content into one source for future professionals looking to enter the compliance field after law school. I ended up taking a job at a consulting firm, which focuses more on regulatory compliance than traditional corporate compliance work. Ultimately I am happy with my decision and am settling into my job well. I definitely had to get used to waking up at a reasonable time to get dressed, but now that I have found a tolerable drive to work during rush hour traffic, I feel like I am thriving.
I am enjoying getting to know my co-workers, my company’sculture and the ins and outs of the new regulatory landscape I am working in. However, it is unbelievable how quickly you forget how challenging it was to search for a job once you have become accustomed to getting a paycheck every other week. I have only been working in my position since the beginning of December and yet I notice that I am already looking back on my application experience with rose-colored glasses. I am starting to forget what the application anxiety felt like – waiting to hear from job applications, waiting to hear back from recruiters, and waiting until you knew for certain that you got the job.
Just this past week, I got a phone call from a recruiter about the next steps from an interview I had back in October. Naturally, I politely declined because I was no longer interested in the job since I have taken a full-time opportunity that I am enjoying, but I was shocked that it took them that long to get back to me. The recruiter asked me why I did not let her know that I was considering another job offer and it was honestly because I figured they had passed on my application because it took so long to get back to me otherwise I would have sent a note sooner. But it just goes to show that it may take months for recruiters to get back to you with next steps, which can be incredibly frustrating. I am using this as a reminder that it takes time to get a job and I need to dedicate resources to help others if and when they ask for my help.
What I have taken away from the experience is the reality that you quickly forgot how stressful it is to find a job. I do not want to forget how challenging it is to land a job because I do not want to take my role for granted or lose touch with those going through the job application experience. I am thankful that I got to write my thoughts down to share with others looking for a job but I am also thankful because I will use it for my own use to remind me what it was like.
I want to remember that looking for a job is challenging and scary but also an exciting life experience. In my career I hope that professionals always come ask me for my advice and ask for help when they need it. I want others to feel compelled to share what they are going through and I want to advocate for others like so many professionals advocated for me during my job search.
A week into my first job, I sent hand written notes to my professional references who had answered a few too many questions on my behalf about my experience, my personality, and my work ethic to thank them for helping me in such an impactful way. Those sponsors and mentors answered questions on my behalf and took time out of their schedules to help me get my first job. These individuals inspired me to continue to help others. Once you get that first job, try to do the same in your own way – send a LinkedIn update, an email, or something that reminds your references how grateful you are for their help.
I hope that when I get a chance to make an introduction, review a resume, or discuss a candidate for a job I make my mentors, sponsors, and larger network proud. I will continue to try my best to help future professionals when they send me an email or LinkedIn request because of the many individuals that helped me land my first job. I will try my best not to forget what it was like to apply for jobs and am very thankful I have this resource to remind myself about the challenges of searching for a job and I hope it is read by people going through the experience and helps in some way.
Good luck with your job hunt – you are doing the right thing and it will certainly pay off. Do not forget to thank those who help you get the job and keep them close for the next time they need your help or you are ready for your next position.
*Milou Lammers is an Associate Attorney at alliantgroup in Houston, Texas. She holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Richmond School of Law and a B.A. from Middlebury College. She has prior work experience in global compliance and ethics in the U.S. and the E.U. from work assignments with large international companies in a variety of industries including defense, manufacturing, and banking. She has created compliance policies and programs for different companies with a particular focus on the G.D.P.R.
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