Unemployed Lawyer Applies for 1,000 Jobs, Scores Zero Interviews
With 23 years of legal experience, Laurie-Allen Shumaker thought she would soon find another job when she was laid off in January 2009 from her position as a shopping center lawyer.
But today, after applying for over 1,000 jobs—including positions as a clerk and a day care worker—Shumaker, who is nearly 60 years old, has landed exactly zero interviews, she tells the Huffington Post.
“Interviews are like seeking unicorns,” she tells the blog, even though status updates for two positions reported she was the best-qualified applicant. “It’s hard not to rake through one’s brain trying to figure out why. Is it my age or my gender holding me back?”
This Huffington Post is part of the blog’s Bearing Witness project, which finds stories of former members of the middle class who are struggling to stay afloat in the recession.
Related earlier coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “After 17 Years as a Stay-at-Home Mom & Contract Lawyer, Amy Beckett Lands a New Job”
ABAJournal.com: “After a Year of Looking, Laid-Off Lawyer Finds a Job—and She Likes It!”
ABAJournal.com: “Deluged with Clerkship Apps, Some Federal Judges Don’t Look at All of Them”
ABAJournal.com: “How Lawyers Can Tap the Hidden Job Market”
ABAJournal.com: “As Traditional Legal Jobs Dry Up, Students Can Mold Unique Careers”
ABAJournal.com: “Advice for Job-Seeking Lawyers: Cast a Wide Net, Don’t Vent”
Updated July 15 to include information about the Bearing Witness project.
