Hello, lovely people of LI. I had given CLAT in 2021, and despite a good rank, I joined a private college in my city out of some stupid reason. I am suffering the consequences now as the placements have been abysmal and subpar. I am graduating in 2026, and have a decently streamlined CV (M&A, and a little disputes, with some indirect tax).

I am ready to be unemployed for a few months post my graduation. But everything looks too bleak. My peers at least have some foot in the door. I never wanted to choose law as a career, but I enjoy M&A, and have some skills. What should my path ahead be to not remain unemployed by the end of next year?

I really am lost, and get panic attacks almost everyday at the prospect of being unemployed. Please, any help, words of encouragement would help. I am actively trying my best to get roles, but everything seems uncertain. Thank you.

Which city are you in? There is an ocean of opportunities out there. You just need one to get things on track. Trust me, that will happen in its own course. The uncertainty that you are experiencing is typical of hundreds and thousands of law students like you, including those from the NLUs. That said, a majority of the openings are with smaller firms and individual practitioners who may not pay you what you hope for or what the bigger firms pay. Brace yourself for that. Start small if you have to. The single greatest harm you can do to your career is to compare yourself with peers in the initial stages. Accept the fact that there will always be someone else who has got a break into a more prominent firm or got a bigger salary. In the long run, these don't matter. Grab the smallest opportunity you get and take things from there. Just wear blinkers and focus on what you have at hand. The intrinsic value of what you learn in the first five years of the profession (and beyond that too) is far far greater than the monetary value, and that is what is going to keep you in good stead down the line. The discomfort that you are feeling now is actually a blessing in disguise and it is this feeling of not wanting to be where you are which is going to propel you achieve.