Ok, if you haven’t heard that one by now, there you have it.

But, as many junior lawyers already know,  it’s not just recent graduates that are suffering Starbucks syndrome. The Economist has picked up on the vibe of collapsing careers in the professional services industry and has this cheerful assessment:

Given that new graduates are the grunts of the professional-services industries, earning less than anyone else and working the longest hours, the lack of demand for their services is the clearest indicator of how bad things are. Although a deeper-than-usual cyclical downturn is largely to blame—and is hitting hardest those firms that specialised in financial-market activities such as mergers and acquisitions, and private equity—it is already clear that there will be long-term structural consequences, not least a growing gap between the best firms and the rest.

Cutting lawyers’ jobs used to be frowned upon in the profession and thus rarely happened, even in recessions. But last year was the “worst year ever for law-firm lay-offs”…

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Added to the general feeling of uncertainty about the future, it’s not exactly enticing reading for anyone with less than 100% determination to pursue a legal career. And for those struggling to find another job after last year’s layoffs or those leaving uni without a training contract; enthusiasm may well be shrivelling.

In which case remember this: there is more to the jobs market than being a lawyer and yes, what you’ve done so far could be compelling to other employers.

However, before you charge off to get those applications out, don’t forget to do your homework. Some useful tips to get you started from Law and More:

Repackaging for non-law career: Cover Letters That Pack Heat

Before we go to the drawing board, it’s essential to

• Analyze the job description and distill which are the core skills and experience required.

• Decode the organizational culture.

• Determine what kinds of applicants are competing against us and what they might be offering that we aren’t.

• Position the law degree as an asset.  [Too many frustrated law graduates are blowing the transition by signaling regret about their education. Regret's not selling in this market.]

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