1L summer job application apathy/encouragement thread Forum

[BarbellDreams]

Weee, got solicited to apply for an RA job with a professor because of how well I did in her class.

Congrats, I feel like when a prof goes out of their way to ask you to apply it must mean you're the front runner before the interviews ever begin.

[snowpeach06]

That's prob. true. Anyway, I'm realizing that if one wants an RA spot, they probably need to pay attention in class. This I never do.

[geekrocker37]

Weee, got solicited to apply for an RA job with a professor because of how well I did in her class.

Nice work, dude!

Some us of gotta toil in the hallways this summer to make sure we don't drop even more next year...

[Anonymous User]

Top 1-5% (not #1 though) at a school in the 30s. 5 years of GOOD work experience. Sent out roughly 300 resumes/cover letters. Best I could land is an RA gig.

Le sigh.

Have you had someone look over your resume and done mock interviews? I did 3 of the latter before any of my real interviews--it helped a lot.

I think the main question is how many interviews? If you've had a lot of interviews without an offer it may be the interview skills. If not many interviews then I feel like its either something on the resume or maybe you sent out 300 apps to all top flight firms. I admit that although I sent 87 apps before landing my job about 30 of them were simply unrealistic V100 firms since I go to a T2.

Yeah, I'm sure I overreached on a lot of my firms. I'm locked into a local lease for the summer, so in order to take an out of town job it would have needed to pay market or close to it. Had 6 screeners, 3 phone interviews, and 1 callback where the CB/Offer rate was 20%. I did do a few mock interviews and received rave reviews, although I'm sure there are things that can be improved upon. I think the biggest drawback was a lack of concrete connections to my target markets (no family).

C'est la vie, just that much more incentive to bust ass through finals and transfer up to Columbia, NYU or HYS.

[beach_terror]

Weee, got solicited to apply for an RA job with a professor because of how well I did in her class.

Nice work, dude!

Some us of gotta toil in the hallways this summer to make sure we don't drop even more next year...

beach_terror and geekrocker, preventing Villanova from falling into the oblivion of the TTTT blackhole one RA job at a time!

[Geist13]

Anyone have any tips for 1L DA interview? Have one in the morning.

[Anonymous User]

saw awesome posting on symplicity for a job that fits the bill in every single way--short term, long term...I mean it was just perfect.

excitedly write a cover letter and open up the email....attach files...send.

5 minutes later: realize I addressed it to the wrong partner---even my greeting in the email was to the wrong partner. and this is like a super dumbass move because the guy I should have been addressing it to? HIS NAME WAS IN THE EMAIL ADDRESS.

..panic stricken career services phone call

then fixed the name, sent another email saying the last one was sent in error and please see documents attached to *this* email.


Oh, and here is the first line from the posting:
Required skills:
-Close and personal attention to detail


I will so deserve it when he plays garbage-basketball with my resume.

[tlslsnlsp]

I did do a few mock interviews and received rave reviews, although I'm sure there are things that can be improved upon. I think the biggest drawback was a lack of concrete connections to my target markets (no family).

C'est la vie, just that much more incentive to bust ass through finals and transfer up to Columbia, NYU or HYS.

Wait, does it really matter that much that you have a physical family member living in the market you want to break into?! Can't you just say your brother's planning on moving there, or that you have cousins there, or whatever? I mean, what if you don't have any siblings, and your parents passed away? Are you totally screwed in terms of getting jobs? I'm just having trouble acknowledging that a job you could have gotten with a brother living in that city suddenly is taken away from you b/c you have no family members there....

[beach_terror]

I did do a few mock interviews and received rave reviews, although I'm sure there are things that can be improved upon. I think the biggest drawback was a lack of concrete connections to my target markets (no family).

C'est la vie, just that much more incentive to bust ass through finals and transfer up to Columbia, NYU or HYS.

Wait, does it really matter that much that you have a physical family member living in the market you want to break into?! Can't you just say your brother's planning on moving there, or that you have cousins there, or whatever? I mean, what if you don't have any siblings, and your parents passed away? Are you totally screwed in terms of getting jobs? I'm just having trouble acknowledging that a job you could have gotten with a brother living in that city suddenly is taken away from you b/c you have no family members there....

There's some 0L neuroticism for you.

[Melkaba]

By some stroke of luck amidst my streak of exceptionally bad luck, I actually managed to get a summer internship at the place I really wanted to work at all along. I was fretting for awhile, since even despite how I felt that the interview was one of the best interviews I had done in my life (where even my experience as a retail worker was beneficial to have and mention), I knew that the competition must have been extremely stiff. Somehow, I managed to get the internship despite my "slightly above median" grades (as an aside, I find it odd that out of the 5 or so places that I interviewed at, none of them ever asked me for my grades).

And the strangest thing about all of this is that the only reason I got the first interview (out of two total) to begin with was because my school put me down as a lottery pick in OCI. So folks, if your school is still doing OCIs, never count out lottery and just try your best to rock the interviews.

But man, this is a huge relief and now I can just concentrate on the rest of my 1L year. Good luck to all the 1Ls out there on TLS who are still job hunting; something has got to give and it'll all work out eventually and in the end.

(*PS, thanks to Romo for the past few encouraging PMs. Now I have to deal with WUSTL's stipend program which is guaranteed to be an absolute nightmare)

[Anonymous User]

I did do a few mock interviews and received rave reviews, although I'm sure there are things that can be improved upon. I think the biggest drawback was a lack of concrete connections to my target markets (no family).

C'est la vie, just that much more incentive to bust ass through finals and transfer up to Columbia, NYU or HYS.

Wait, does it really matter that much that you have a physical family member living in the market you want to break into?! Can't you just say your brother's planning on moving there, or that you have cousins there, or whatever? I mean, what if you don't have any siblings, and your parents passed away? Are you totally screwed in terms of getting jobs? I'm just having trouble acknowledging that a job you could have gotten with a brother living in that city suddenly is taken away from you b/c you have no family members there....

If you're not applying to NYC and DC, they'll definitely have doubts that it's a destination job for you and not just a stepping stone.

[Anonymous User]

So far I have two offers and one upcoming interview. Can anyone help me rank these positions? I'm very happy to even have a choice, but I'm pretty confused at this point.

1) Offer from a small firm (10-15 attornies).
2) Offer from a DA's Office in one of the NY boroughs.
3) Upcoming interview with a state equity & probate judge.

They're all very different, and I'm not sure if one would look better than the other or give me better experience. Help?

^
This was me. The interview with the judge went really well and he made an offer on the spot! There was no question in my mind after the interview that I should take it over the other two... it just felt right. I'm so excited for the summer, but I'm mostly relieved that this process is over.

[BarbellDreams]

Just got a call to interview with the judge I really wanted to intern for before accepting the firm. This is yet another sign that plenty of places are still hiring, keep papering the city folks!

[romothesavior]

I did do a few mock interviews and received rave reviews, although I'm sure there are things that can be improved upon. I think the biggest drawback was a lack of concrete connections to my target markets (no family).

C'est la vie, just that much more incentive to bust ass through finals and transfer up to Columbia, NYU or HYS.

Wait, does it really matter that much that you have a physical family member living in the market you want to break into?! Can't you just say your brother's planning on moving there, or that you have cousins there, or whatever? I mean, what if you don't have any siblings, and your parents passed away? Are you totally screwed in terms of getting jobs? I'm just having trouble acknowledging that a job you could have gotten with a brother living in that city suddenly is taken away from you b/c you have no family members there....

You aren't screwed, but you do need to demonstrate why you want to be there. I attend a T20 in a secondary market and I am from only about 2 hours away. I am viewed as somewhat of an outsider, and it will definitely make my job hunt more difficult. Am I screwed? No. But I do have an uphill battle to convincing firms I want to be here.

Your best strategy in a situation like this is to network hard, do everything you can to work in the market you're targeting during your first summer, and sell yourself in the interview (for instance, I tell every recruiter I can that I picked WUSTL to be in St. Louis). If these fail, marry someone in the city that you want to work in ASAP.

[beach_terror]

Ex-gf is currently hustling firm offers for me as back up options. Mostly small firm personal injury stuff, but I suppose if all of my RA apps fall through it'll be better than nothing. It's nice to have a well-connected ex.

[Coolgrnmen]

Ex-gf is currently hustling firm offers for me as back up options. Mostly small firm personal injury stuff, but I suppose if all of my RA apps fall through it'll be better than nothing. It's nice to have a well-connected ex.

Makes you wonder how she made all those..."connections"

jk...networking is always nice even through ex lovers

[goosey]

im going to punch a wall now. for real.

over 50 apps, 3 interviews [1 is on friday] and no offer yet. I wish that last interview place would get back to me. I really just want to be done with this process now it takes up SO MUCH time

[keg411]

Ex-gf is currently hustling firm offers for me as back up options. Mostly small firm personal injury stuff, but I suppose if all of my RA apps fall through it'll be better than nothing. It's nice to have a well-connected ex.

That's extremely nice of her .

Also, congrats to the poster who accepted the equity and probate judge. I had one of those interviews and thought it sounded like a really good summer opportunity.

[romothesavior]

My gf has a cousin at Milbank Tweed. I'm just going to have her hook me up if things don't work out at Fall OCI.

[Anonymous User]

Ex-gf is currently hustling firm offers for me as back up options. Mostly small firm personal injury stuff, but I suppose if all of my RA apps fall through it'll be better than nothing. It's nice to have a well-connected ex.

That's extremely nice of her .

Also, congrats to the poster who accepted the equity and probate judge. I had one of those interviews and thought it sounded like a really good summer opportunity.

Thanks! That's how I felt by the end of the interview which is what made my decision so easy.

[snowpeach06]

So is it odd that I got an interview for tomorrow, and they gave me a range of 3 hours during which they would call me? No specific time. Just a range. Made me kind of mad, because I'm going to have to miss out on most of the St. Patty's day festivities.

[dudders]

every time the business day ends in my time zone i feel a little worse about being unemployed. in case being in the law library didn't suck already ...

[goosey]

Ex-gf is currently hustling firm offers for me as back up options. Mostly small firm personal injury stuff, but I suppose if all of my RA apps fall through it'll be better than nothing. It's nice to have a well-connected ex.

That's extremely nice of her .

Also, congrats to the poster who accepted the equity and probate judge. I had one of those interviews and thought it sounded like a really good summer opportunity.

wow somebody on here got a probate judge? I wanted to try for probate judges but my career counselor told me they generally like people with some tax classes under their belt. Will def try for an externship though after next semester. congratulations.

ps: after I posted complaining about not having anything , one of the places I applied to called for an interview. That always seems to happen. I think I need to up my complaining game on tls--every time I do it I get an interview

[snowpeach06]

im going to punch a wall now. for real.

over 50 apps, 3 interviews [1 is on friday] and no offer yet. I wish that last interview place would get back to me. I really just want to be done with this process now it takes up SO MUCH time

True dat. With all these interviews, and applying every time I get freaked out, it really cuts into my reading time.

Ex-gf is currently hustling firm offers for me as back up options. Mostly small firm personal injury stuff, but I suppose if all of my RA apps fall through it'll be better than nothing. It's nice to have a well-connected ex.

That's extremely nice of her .

Also, congrats to the poster who accepted the equity and probate judge. I had one of those interviews and thought it sounded like a really good summer opportunity.

wow somebody on here got a probate judge? I wanted to try for probate judges but my career counselor told me they generally like people with some tax classes under their belt. Will def try for an externship though after next semester. congratulations.

ps: after I posted complaining about not having anything , one of the places I applied to called for an interview. That always seems to happen. I think I need to up my complaining game on tls--every time I do it I get an interview

haha. This is also true. This morning I was freaking out, check my e-mail and get an interview, for get this... a place that actually does Entertainment IP. I was basically under the impression that it was impossible to get into this field. So, I still need to rock the interview, but just getting one was cool. Anyway, congrats on the interview. And good luck!

[blurbz]

Callback tomorrow. I'm as prepared as I think I can be, but still a bit nervous about it! Should be alright, though.