Lost in an Inbox

Since I began looking for a legal job for the summer, I have probably sent off about 20 resumes attached to e-mail's as per instructions in the job ad. Each time I send off an e-mail, I also attach anticipation and expectation and what I have learned is a nieve expectation that I will hear anything from the recipiants of my e-mails. Now I understand that no one is just going to hand me a job, and I also understand that these employers are probably receiving many similar resumes and cover letters on top of the rest of their daily e-mail, so I am not really shocked that I have not gotten a job yet, but what I am shocked at is the lack of any type of response, not even a "thank you for your inquiry; we will keep you in mind." or "thank you but not thanks." This is not to say that a few potential employers have not responded. I received one e-mail to tell me that although he was "extremely impressed with my qualifications" he decided to offer the job to another canidate. Although I wondered what it takes to be more than extremely impressing, I did appreciate the response. I also hear back from a professor for a research assistant position, but in my reply concerning my availability for interview times, I have yet to get a confirmation. For the rest of the recipiants, whether professors, private practitioners, non-profit organizations, and temp agencies, I fear my e-mails are buried deep in someone's inbox or spam filter.

I can only guess at the reason for this response, or lack there of. One reason might be that people simply receive too many e-mails. If I consider the number of e-mails I receive on a daily basis and then think about a lawyer with business contacts and professional organization mailings and other reasons to mail, and I can understand that we all get a lot of e-mails, but one of the things I learned last year is that being a lawyer requires attention to detail. You don't just delete an e-mail without reading it. The subject line of my e-mails always indicated the mail's intention, so I assume that the employers receive and have at least glanced at my e-mail. This means that they simply see it as something like junk mail. Is it possible they already have a canidate in mind and posting an add was simply a necissary formality? This might be the case, but how hard would it be to send of a short not to say they received my e-mail but can't offer me an interview? It might also be that they receive multiple e-mails until they see one they like and then call that person, but I would think just as above, a short note would be appropriate? Do these lawyers really have so little time that they can't send of a form e-mail to unsuccessful applicants to a job a job the lawyer has taken the time to post on a law employment website? Such an e-mail would take less than 5 minutes. I don't need anything but we received your e-mail and not thanks?

I realize that one of the classic rules of finding a job is follow up, and this is what I plan on doing today: to go back through my sent e-mail box and find out the status of my application. I have done some of this, and I was again shocked at the number of e-mails it took to even get someone to write me back that they had received my material. This whole process has not left me with a good impression of real legal work, or maybe this is a phenomenon of e-mails. Maybe e-mail is not longer really a valid means of communication? It is quick, efficient, and easy to keep track of, which means that we get a lot of e-mail, but this should also mean it would be increadibly easy to respond. It is a mystery.