Don’t Tell Me I Had to Start Somewhere

It took two years and four applications (with three rejections), but I eventually landed one of my top three dream jobs—a staff attorney at a legal services organization. My excitement quickly turned into surprise as I began to tell friends and colleagues where I would be working. Friends said, “Well, you have to start somewhere.” Lawyers said, “That’s a great place to get some experience until you can find a real job.” Others sympathetically commented on the economy.