Every spring, there are articling students who learn that, after 10 months of hard work, their firm will not be offering them an associate position. It’s disappointing, but it’s not career death. In fact, whether they get hired back or not, articling students learn a lot and develop important relationships that will last their entire career.

Here are five steps students can take to overcome the unfortunate moment — and take advantage of everything they gained during their articling term.

1. Don’t take the decision personally

Law firms don’t base hireback decisions on student performance alone, says Janine Denney-Lightfoot, a career advisor at Phoenix Legal in Toronto. She says firms also consider budgetary constraints and practice group needs.

For instance, a student who wants to work in a practice group that is already fully staffed is unlikely to receive a job offer — even if that student is excellent.

“Practice groups can agonize over who they offer a position to,” says Denney-Lightfoot. “Sometimes they can only hire one student, and maybe there are two they would really like to have.”

And, because of the shrinking legal market, such scenarios are becoming more common. “There was a time when, if a firm had a star student, they would try to find that student a place,” says Denney-Lightfoot. “Firms can’t afford to do that anymore. They have to know that they have enough work for that student.” Not getting hired back, in other words, is not a sign of failure.

2. Don’t throw a temper tantrum

“You can cry and stomp your feet at home, but with the firm, you must remain the consummate professional,” says Emily Orchard, director of the career development office at the University of Toronto faculty of law.

If a student behaves badly after not getting hired back, firms will remember that lack of professionalism in the future, explains Orchard. Up until the last day, she says it’s in the students’ best interest to deliver quality work and put in the same number of hours.

3. When looking for a job, the firm that didn’t hire you back is your best resource

As the articling term winds up, students should ask lawyers at the firm for help in their job search.

For starters, she says students can ask lawyers to act as references and if they know of any opportunities at other firms, says Denney-Lightfoot. And they should act soon: summer is fast approaching and lawyers will be on vacation.

Then, once articling is over, students should stay in touch with the firm, she says. “If someone has helped you out, keep them informed.”

Indeed, firms often turn to former articling students — particularly those who left on good terms — when jobs become available, she says. “I’ve seen lawyers join the same firm they articled at years later as an experienced associate or partner.”

4. Use the time after articling to reflect on your career

“Not being hired back is an extremely disappointing outcome for students,” says Orchard. “But it also provides them with an opportunity to think critically about their future.”

She says students should ask themselves some tough questions before entering the job hunt in earnest: Do they want to work at a big firm? Or would they prefer a boutique? If they articled in corporate law, would they, in fact, rather be a litigator who argues in court?

Young lawyers can build a career in plenty of practice areas at firms of all shapes and sizes — a fact Orchard says many students forget.

5. Appreciate how much you’ve learned

“Students should consider their articling year as an experience in itself that has value in itself,” says Denney-Lightfoot. “It’s not just about getting hired back.”

She says students should think of their articling term as a stepping stone, where they’ve gained valuable skills and contacts that will bring them one step closer to that dream job.