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Hi I'm looking to the elders here or anyone with knowledge of how to go about applying to firms outside of OCI?

I am a 1L at Penn and I think (not 100% sure) I want to go back to Ohio when I graduate but only 2 firms with Ohio offices come to Penn for OCR. So how should I go about contacting the other 20 or so large firms?

(1) When do I send stuff?
(2) What do I send?
And should I put my summer job on my resume when I send it out, even if I haven't started it yet?

Basically I am looking for a bit of a run down on 1L summer Regional Mass-Mailing.

Thanks!

1) Probably as soon as you have a full year of grades

2) At a minimum: A cover letter, a resume, and a transcript. The cover letter should be excruciatingly well-tailored: why you want THAT firm, how your background makes you a good target, why you're looking in THAT region, how long you plan to stay there, etc. Do your best to think about 'what can I bring to the firm' as you write. It will be hard.

If you want to, you can also include a list of references, and even letters written by your references. As long as your effort doesn't get sycophantic, you'll be doing yourself a favor by looking mature and interested in the firm.

3) Absolutely list your summer job. Just the details (employer, location, (rough) dates, job title), nothing about what you did (since you haven't done anything).

Pity self-BUMP

Will you be in Ohio at all this summer? If yes, send stuff early enough that if a firm wants to meet you, they can without flying you out (at the end of your cover letter, include the dates you'll be in town and say you would like the opportunity to discuss their firm in person).

I sent out mailings in mid July last year. This seemed to work fine although I didn't hear from firms until I had already left town. My OCS told me not to mail until August but then I wouldn't have been able to include dates I was in town.

Include a tailored cover letter, resume, and transcript.

I wouldn't send anything before you start your job, but if you will only be in Ohio before then I guess you could... like above poster said, include it on your resume but no description yet.

How successful is the method generally?

A'nold wrote:How successful is the method generally?

For people at national schools where the firm isn't coming to OGI, or people with very strong ties to region X but stellar performance at well-respected-but-not-quite-national school in region Y, it can be every bit as effective as OCI. Firms will be very interested.

A median student at John Marshall isn't going to be getting a job in Miami with no ties to the area, however. Like everything else, it depends on school + your GPA at the school, but it's hardly a non-starter.

How successful is the method generally?

It's (probably) worth the postage. You can print everything else at your school. I would go on a quiet day to stuff the nice resume paper into a printer so that I didn't have to waste my own ink!