Too Qualified, But Not Qualified Enough

Let's face it, job interviews can be hard to come by these days.  I apply for many jobs every week and rarely hear back from any of them.  An acquaintance of mine recently posted a anonymous Craigslist job posting for an entry-level attorney in order to find out what his competition was.  Within 48 hours he received over 600 job applications.  Talk about a disheartening experience.

Given this information I felt very lucky when I was called in for an interview based on a job posting that seemed by all appearances to be the perfect fit for me.  Obviously, I scheduled the interview right away and then began researching the firm.  One of the most frustrating parts of doing a job search these days is that employers often will not post any identifying information about themselves in the advertisement.  They know that they have the market cornered and thus the desperation of applicants is bound to lead to many applications for the mystery position.  I was immediately let down to find out the posting was for a extremely small firm, in the middle of nowhere, the lead attorney of which went to a fifth tier law school (as did his associates).  I thought, okay... maybe it's not as bad as it seems.  After all it is a possible job and maybe the attorney really made a great career for himself and would be an enthusiastic mentor. So I psyche myself up for the interview... 

Interview Day:  I arrive at the firm which is an hour away from civilization.  The office is in a very commercial area.  I go into the law office and it looks professional enough.  The staff is really nice and proceeds to chit chat with me.  I start feeling a bit better about the situation.  Then I'm told the lead attorney hasn't returned from a meeting and they don't know when he will be back.  I proceed to wait for an hour and forty minutes... During this time another attorney who works there calls me into his office to talk to me.  They look at my resume and proceed to tell me that the job is beneath me and am I sure I would want to do this to my career?  "Wow, that's a great law school.. and you went to [Ivy League] undergrad?  Why are you here?" 

What can I say to this?  Yes, my dream was to work at a no-name law firm with attorneys who went to fifth tier schools?  Obviously not.  However, there aren't a whole lot of other options out there. Then the hiring attorney finally shows up and his tune is completely different than that of his associate.  He says: "I've had hundreds of applications for the position, why should I give the job to you."  Fun times.

The most frustrating part:  Because I wasn't a straight A student in law school and was not on a law journal I am frequently told I will have no chance at getting a job at a reputable firm.  However, those same people will also tell me that I would be ruining my career by working anywhere besides a reputable law firm for my first job.

Should I hold out for a better job?  Is there a better job?  Will the months of unemployment eventually add up to complete unemployability?  Is it worse or better to take a first job with a no-name firm?  I certainly do not know the answers to any of these questions...  Do you?