Ask Sally Easter for a list of jobs she’s held since graduating from high school, and you’ll realize you might have saved time by asking what she hasn’t done.
Just a few in the list: She’s worked as a waitress, a secretary, a cashier, a tour boat deckhand and a substitute teacher.
All experiences that helped her in the career she has chosen to pursue since she graduated from the University of Colorado Law School in 1985.
“You have to understand all kinds of people,” says Easter, who moved to Colorado in 1981. “If you understand people and their relationships, you understand how you can make things better.”
The fact that the talented 51-year-old is looking for work is a reflection of a truly bad economy. Easter not only holds a law degree, she graduated from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in 1997 with a medical degree, and completed three years of a residency program.
She stepped out of the business world from 1997 to 2005 to “be a mom” to her two boys, who are now 16 and 18.
“I did a lot of volunteer work during those years,” says Easter, walking through her Denver Square home on a quiet Park Hill street. “I loved it. I was the ‘pet mom’ for Park Hill elementary, where they had birds, rats and bunnies. I volunteered at the Denver Zoo and taught English as a second language.”
She was shocked, she says, when she lost her job last month.
“I worked for someone who does plaintiff’s work, mostly auto cases,” says the New Jersey native. “He thought it would be useful to have someone with a medical background. But medical cases can take years to be resolved, and he wanted fast results.”
Her goal, she says, is to find another law job where she can use her expertise in science and medicine.
“Sometimes, I feel as if I send off my resume, and often it never gets past the HR department,” she says. “They consider me overqualified.”
What will help, however, is that she has many connections. She worked for Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher, an international law firm, practicing corporate law from 1986 to 1989. She spent two years at Tilly & Graves, defending doctors who were being sued.
Those years of experience are essential in today’s job market, says Greg Martin, deputy executive director for the Colorado and Denver bar associations.
“Your job search depends quite a bit on experience,” Martin says. “A lot of new attorneys are going to have a very difficult time. If you have experience, you have contacts and you can network.”
Unemployment hasn’t slowed Easter down. Her leg twitches as she talks about the volunteer work she continues to do, and she taps her fingers, as if itching to jump up and get working on a project.
She keeps plenty busy doing pro bono work for people who can’t afford a lawyer.
“If you’re wealthy, you can afford one; if you’re really poor, you’ll get a public defender; but if you’re just a regular person, it’s a cost you may not be able to afford,” she says.
She also has her hands full fostering cats and rabbits. Her expansive, fenced backyard is also home to chickens and rats, all living a luxury life in large pens.
John Greer, who went to law school with Easter, laughs when he discusses the many talents of his animal-loving friend, whose skills include glass blowing and weaving.
“The ideal job for her would be doing legal counsel for the American Association of Veterinarians, or an association of zoologists.
“She’s incredibly smart and talented,” says Greer, who works for Hutchinson, Black and Cook in Boulder, where Easter worked part time in 1991 and 1992. “She graduated at the top of her class. She’s a true renaissance person.”
As she wanders through her kitchen, Easter stops to pat a tiny calico cat, then fondly scratches behind the ears of a small dog.
She laughs and says, “If it paid to just care for these guys, I’d do it full time. Whether it’s seeing people thrive or animals thrive — well, that just raises my spirits.”
But like so many out there, the single mom needs the money to keep up the house, put her kids through college and build a retirement fund.
“I’m confident I’ll find something soon,” she says. “I bring maturity and experience. I’m patient. I’m a perfectionist and a workaholic.”
To others out there looking for a job, she has one piece of advice.
“Things will work out,” she says with a ready smile. “Sometimes you get down when those rejection letters come in. But optimism is so important. Keep that positive attitude and work hard. Things will get better.”
Five tips for job-hunting success
About that drunken gathering: Watch out what’s posted on social networking sites, Parsons says. “People put stupid things about you on those sites, and your potential employer might see it or hear about it. Word gets around.”
Experience counts: Networking is essential, says Greg Martin, deputy executive director for the Colorado and Denver bar associations. “So many jobs never even get posted,” he says. “The people who are hiring are looking at hundreds of applications if they post it. They may choose to put the word out on the grapevine. So make contact with people you used to work for. Go to events, go early, and get business cards made so you’re not scribbling your information on a piece of scrap paper.”
Look at the numbers: Between 1,000 and 1,400 people pass the bar exam in Colorado each year, according to Mev Parsons, who works for the Denver Bar Placement Service. That far exceeds the number of jobs open in a year. That means, be competitive. “Resumes should be short and to the point. I see some terrible resumes. One typo and you’ve lost the job.”
Do your research: If you’re lucky enough to get an interview, know the names of the partners, their ratios and something about the area of law they specialize in, Parsons says. Few firms are general anymore.
Give it your best shot: “Do everything you can to get out there,” says Parsons. The Colorado Bar Association lists jobs at .
It’s one of many sites that list jobs for attorneys.
