|
M any students do not have job opportunities for this summer or after graduation. Due to the lack of positive results from the On-Campus Interviewing program, including concerns from top students, we at Ipsissima Verba wanted to ask Magalie Austin, Assistant Dean for Career Planning and Placement, a few questions.
Dean Austin
Ipsissima Verba: Where are you from originally?
Dean Magalie Austin: My family and I left Haiti in the 1960's because of the Duvalier Government. We then moved to New York.
IV: Where did you go to undergraduate college?
MA: I went to St. Johns University in New York.
IV: Where did you go to law school?
MA: Tulane Law School in New Orleans
IV: What were your interests in law school?
MA: Labor and Employment. I really wanted to do arbitration or mediation.
IV: Did you graduate with any honors or distinguishes?
MA: I graduated Cum Laude. I then did a federal clerkship and got a certificate in labor and employment law. The GPA for cum laude at Tulane was a 3.2.
IV: What did you do once you graduated law school?
MA: I worked as a federal clerk for only one year. When I was in law school I had two children and knew the typical big firm was not for me. I worked at private firms both summers while in law school and was looking to go a different direction upon graduating. I received an offer from the second firm but we had to move out of the area when I graduated.
IV: So tell me about Dean Austin the person.
MA: I have four kids and my hobbies and interest are really their hobbies. I like to read and work out, including pilates and running; but, with my work on the Obama campaign, I really have only time for my family, work, and that.
IV: What do you think are FIU CoL's strengths?
MA: I think the most important strength is the support in the community. At bar meetings, I always hear, “I wish FIU had a law school when I went to school because I would have gone there.” I think the support we lack in not having a huge alumni base we get from the community. The other strength is our students. The students here are very different from the students I went to school with at Tulane and Illinois, in the fact they do not have a sense of entitlement. Our students are very hard working and know that nothing will come easy or free to them.
IV: Now lets turn to your position as head of career placement. What percentage of graduating student do you personally place?
MA: You know, that is hard to gauge because a lot of students do not report back to me when they get a job from a posting or a job I suggest. The 2007 numbers will come in tomorrow but based solely on the employers I say around 60 to 70 percent.
IV: What is the first thing you like to tell 1Ls about career placement?
MA: Well, every November when I do an orientation with the first year students on career placement, what I tell them is the importance of starting early, that it is extremely time consuming, and the importance of networking. I also want to dispel the myths of OCI. We put a lot of resources towards OCI, but very few our students get jobs through that process. Unless you are a top national school the OCI process typically only works for the top 10 percent. Ironically those are the students that need the least amount of help form my office, but OCI is something that we do because we really need those firms to come to campus. So, most of the students at the top of class do not have offers because they are competing nationally against students who want to be in Miami.
IV: Then why do we need OCI?
MA: We need the OCI process because offers from large firms usually comes through OCI and for P.R. purposes because these firms go to UM and Nova and we need them to come here so we can be on the same footing. It is also great for interviewing practice.
IV: How important is it that the students seek employment themselves?
MA: First, draft your resume and have it reviewed by us. Next, know whether you want to do litigation or something else. That is the huge divide. If you decide not to litigate you don't need to be so specific to the transaction work you can do. Next, decide where you want to work and start searching firms using Martindale.com or LexisNexis and also the rep. has a great training program. Then start networking. Join your local bars in the field of law you want to do and also join the Florida bar and the bar for whatever law you want to practice.
IV: How have you actively approached local law firms to start networking?
MA: It is not very difficult. The problem with small local firms is that they don't anticipate their needs ahead of time. I get calls from firms randomly. If you are a 3rd year student and you don't have an offer from a larger firm, it will be harder to go to a smaller firm or public interest.
IV: Are FIU students proverbially behind the eight ball compared to University of Miami students?
MA: Well, students may feel that way because there are more UM alums and there is more of an allegiance toward that school. I personally don't believe that is true. Over 90 percent of each class finds employment post-graduation. From talking to my counterparts at St. Thomas and UM, our students have the same complaints as their students.
IV: What do you do day-to-day here at the office?
MA: Well it has changed dramatically because of the larger enrollment. I spend most of my day counseling students or reviewing resumes. Instead of being in a proactive mood where I could plan programs and events, I am usually reacting to some student issue or putting out fires. I am very fortunate that the incoming class is extremely aggressive in sending me their resumes and seeking employment on their own.
IV: Would you say that our office is understaffed with the larger enrollment?
MA: Absolutely. I really need more help but I always encourage students to meet with me or set an appointment. My email is austinm@fiu.edu. |
