Congratulations! You are finished with the bar exam. I hope you are putting your feet up, relaxing, and enjoying the accomplishment. Nice job! And now for the next chapter.

Once you have spent some time recuperating from the exam experience, you may want to think about how you are going to spend the next few months while waiting for results. Some of you may have jobs to start, but others may still be partaking in the job hunt. There are many things you can do during this time to set yourself up for success. Here are just a few suggestions. (And many of these same suggestions apply to going into solo practice).

Make sure your resume and cover letter are up-to-date and in great shape. No law graduate should have an out-of-date resume. You need to make sure your resume is in tip-top form before you send it out to anyone. How do you get it in tip-top form? Well, you need to thoughtfully draft it, get feedback on it, and perfect it. When helping students with their resumes, there are a few issues we see over and over again.

First, there are typos or formatting errors. These are really inexcusable. You never want to submit a resume to a networking contact or a job without making sure it is perfect and free from errors. So how do you do that? Well, get different people to proofread it if necessary. I have had students send me resumes with mistakes and then claim that someone in career services proofed it so it must be okay. Well, hopefully, career services can help you out and give you feedback, but ultimately you are responsible for your resume. So make sure your first impression on paper is a good one.

Second, the resume and cover letter may not be tailored for the type of job you are networking or interviewing for. That is a mistake. If you are talking to an immigration firm, you absolutely need to make sure that your resume and cover letter show that you are interested in and have experience in immigration.

Take time to network. Networking is critical to the job hunt these days and starting a solo practice. And networking today isn’t exactly like the networking of yesterday. It used to be that you could get away with going to a few events here and there and handing out business cards. You likely haven’t had time to network while you were studying for the bar exam, so now is a great time to come up with an effective networking plan. These days, you have the ability to network in person and online. With these options, there is no excuse for not getting out there and talking to people!

You should be going out there to network in person, whether on an  informational interview or just trying to meet up with people for coffee, (but be careful not to make this networking mistake). When you meet up with people, it is important to have in mind good things to talk about (and to remember to be a nice person). Also, you should try to attend some events and meet people with interests similar to yours. Once you meet them, you can follow our handy-dandy template for sending networking emails.

In addition, here are some online networking tips for using LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

Take time to expand your knowledge. If you are reading this blog, it is likely that you are interested in starting your own solo practice. There is plenty you can do to get ready for that leap while waiting for bar results. Running your own business is an exciting but challenging adventure. You should read books on starting your solo practice and take advantage of the classes available at Solo Practice University on the areas of law that interest you or on just running a business generally. Start developing your business plan and marketing plan. Start building your website. Try out the free trials of law practice management software, accounting software.  Start pricing scanners and copiers. Getting your ducks in a row now can make things a lot easier when you are ready to hang out your shingle after you’ve learned you’ve passed the bar. This down time waiting on results can be used very effectively without the pressure of bringing in clients.

Get out and volunteer. Although you may not be a licensed attorney, there may be programs where you can get out and volunteer to help keep your legal skills sharp and meet new people. Contact your local bar association for any recommendations for volunteer opportunities. In addition, even if you don’t volunteer in a legal capacity, volunteering is a great way to meet new people and get engaged in your community. If you have a particular interest (even if it is non-legal), I recommend you join some organizations and get involved. It is a good thing for you and for your community (and may actually lead to some business contacts as well).

Don’t start studying for the next bar exam (unless there is a reason you are sure you didn’t pass). Many people ask me if they should start studying for the next bar exam before results come out. Unless there is an extreme reason you didn’t pass (for example, you walked out of the exam before finishing), you don’t need to start studying before results come out. You will likely have plenty of time to pick up the books again if necessary. But you can drive yourself crazy continuing to study while waiting for results. I think your time is best spent elsewhere.

Enjoy being done with the bar exam!