I recently had the chance to return to Georgetown Law to help with mock interviews. I get invited back to campus a few times a year either to speak on alumni panels or for networking receptions. It is always refreshing to visit campus and meet the next batch of Georgetown tax lawyers right before they start their careers.
My job search in Washington D.C. was marked by mornings at a coffee shop in Chinatown.
I am barely in town a week when I first visit Compass Coffee on F Street. It’s August, muggy, and I am already sweating in the suit that I bought the day before.
Orientation hasn’t even started for the Georgetown LL.M. program, but I am already interviewing for externships. The law firm is in Chinatown, so I decide to metro to the area early and camp-out at a coffee shop. That way, I’ll be on-time and avoid the crush of rush-hour metro traffic.
This is why I don’t whine about my 5:30 a.m. personal training sessions, 7-hour IRS Vita training, or picking up 19 hours of overtime at work. I’m more productive than ever and understanding the purpose of growing/learning pains makes the process easier, and even fun.
Short-term discomfort is necessary to achieve long-term gains. Understanding that discomfort is part of a greater process gives it purpose and makes it easier to work through. Sometimes I wish I had this mindset back during college, but I trotted out of undergrad and law school just fine.