Once You Pop, You Can't Stop: New Law School Job Post Borders on Absurd

Here at Above the Law, we write all the time about crappy law job postings. We recently received word about a law school career services job posting that was so horrendous, so ridiculous, that we could not help ourselves but to write about it. After all, writing about crappy law jobs is like opening a can of Pringles: once you pop, you can't stop. And this job -- well, let's just say that it takes the cake, or the potato chip, as the case may be....

Here at Above the Law, we write all the time about crappy law job postings. A good deal of these awful employment listings come from law school career services offices (which is not at all impressive!).

We recently received word about a law school career services job posting that was so horrendous, so ridiculous, that we could not help ourselves but to write about it. After all, writing about crappy law jobs is like opening a can of Pringles: once you pop, you can’t stop.

And this job — well, let’s just say that it takes the cake, or the potato chip, as the case may be….

This is an email we received from a tipster at Widener Law School:

Law School Career Development Offices can be pretty low. They are notorious for inflating numbers and not helping graduates find jobs. Well, the Career Development Office at Widener Law just hit an all-time low. Check out this job that they have posted on the Career Development website. I mean are you kidding me?

Well, with that kind of an introduction, we knew that this was going to be interesting. Readers, allow me to present you with today’s sign of the end of days for your viewing pleasure (and disdain, and mockery, and all of the other good things that go hand in hand with terrible job listings):

Sponsored

Yup. You’re reading that correctly. This law school is recruiting an unpaid potato chip tester. Widener Law to 190K calories! No wonder Team Strauss/Anziska is trying to sue the school over its post-graduate employment rates.

I need not say more. I’m just going to leave it all to our tipster:

A Potato Chip Tester!? Really Widener? Is this earth? I’m not even making this up, this was ACTUALLY posted on Widener’s Career Development site. But you want to know what the best part is? Look under compensation. Unpaid! So you’re telling me that I went through 4 years of college, three years of law school, got myself in about $100,000.00 worth of unforgivable student loan debt, to become an unpaid potato chip tester/taster? I mean potato chips are delicious and all, but wtf. This is what my school thinks of its students. They aren’t even pretending to care anymore.

My favorite part of our tipster’s rant definitely has to be: “Is this earth?” It reminded me of the YouTube video, David After Dentist, where the little boy asks: “Is this real life?” And unfortunately for our tipster, the answer is “yes.”

Sponsored

We live on an earth where law schools are trying to pawn off unpaid, potato chip tester jobs on law students. And yes, I can pretty much guarantee that if you take this job, you will be counted as gainfully (at least in terms of poundage) employed at graduation.

Perhaps a change in slogan is in order? Widener Law: Two great campuses. Countless paths to success. Millions of potato chips to taste.

UPDATE (12/12/11): Widener Law is now claiming that this was a “fictitious job opportunity.” Read more over here.