Guide - Mass Mailing Forum

[Anonymous User]

Mass Mailing Guide

A crucial element of finding a job is your own geographical flexibility. Refusing to work anywhere but DC is a great way to get burned, even with amazing ties. Of course, it doesn't make much sense to massmail to Denver, Colorado if you've only ever lived and worked on the east coast, but when you're deciding where to apply, keep and open mind. When it comes to the actual mass mailing process, definitely mail in order of your geographical preference, but deciding you ding yourself for a lack of ties or lack of interest is a losing strategy. It really is only a summer, and having an SA somewhere is going to serve you better than being an RA in the city you love. Apply to cities in the regions where you grew up, went to school or worked (even short-term). Also apply to cities that are a plausible hotbed for the practice areas you have an interest in. For example, just because you have never lived in Texas doesn't mean you shouldn't apply if you have something reasonably energy-oriented on your resume. Apply to Delaware if you have an interest in bankruptcy. For each city you would consider massmailing to, give them a tab in your massmail excel spreadsheet.

Now you need assemble a list of firms for each tab (again, I would go all the way through your favorite cities and send out the mass mails before moving on to second and third choices). To find firms, start with NALP, because it's easy, and because they actually hire people. I would add all the NLJ250s in cities you're applying to, and then, after doing all that, come back to any smaller firms you plan to apply to. You need to collect all the relevant information, including the firm's practice area strengths, into your spreadsheet. The info you need to collect is represented in the model spreadsheet linked below. The most important element of this is the practice areas, which are essentially the "why" of your application, and what you'll need for your "tailored" cover letters.

So then, you need to inventory what you could conceivably pitch yourself as in terms of practice area, and write an independent cover letter paragraph explaining your pitch. This will probably be informed by the information-gathering you did for firms, so you'll already have some idea what ways in which your cover letters will be tailored. You'll find my model cover letters at the bottom of my model spreadsheet. Of course, cover letters are designed to show where your background and strengths meets theirs, so I focused on my practice area interests.

Next, in the last row, you assemble RAPID FIRE a series of cover letters. You bring up your "model" cover letter that best suits the firm you're writing your cover letter for, tweak it a bit based on what notes there are in your spreadsheet, then move onto the next one. You shouldn't be doing much new writing at this stage because you should be pretty content with your model cover letters. Double check for spelling and that you haven't referenced the wro

Now you're ready to mail. You copy the cover letter and paste it into the body of an email, and do one last proof for your cover letter. Attach your transcripts and resume. Hit send. Repeat hundreds of times.

Model Mass Mailing Spreadsheet

[nightoffire]

Thanks a lot for posting! Much appreciated.

[Anonymous User]

This guide seems to suggest that you should only apply to firms with practice areas that overlap with experience or interests that you can demonstrate either on your resume or transcript. If that's true, there's no way I can MM to the v250 in my city.

[tbird]

Sorry for the noob question, but who exactly are you emailing this information to? Are you just targeting partners at the firms who practice those areas you are interested in? I see names in your spreadsheet, but am just wondering where those names come from? Thanks.

[dead head]

I see names in your spreadsheet, but am just wondering where those names come from? Thanks.

How hard is it to Google one of those names?

[hoos89]

To be fair, that spreadsheet is two years old and any of the names could be out of date. Generally mass mail is sent to the firm's recruiting contact, although I think some people send it directly to the hiring partner.

[tbird]

thanks for the help hoos. That was all I was wondering.

[Neil Fingleton]

.

[ResIpsa21]

When is the optimal time to mass mail? I've heard some suggest right now and others say in two weeks (i.e., late July).

Right now would be optimal. Most firms will not start interviewing until August, and for those, it doesn't make a difference if you send today or in late July. If you're qualified for an interview, you'll get one either way. But some firms are already interviewing -- for those, you want to get your materials in front of them ASAP. It can only hurt to wait.

[Anonymous User]

This may be a dumb question but it is bothering me. I am finishing up a 1L SA at a mid sized firm. I have two weeks left. I am mass mailing a bunch of applications over the next few days. In my cover letter, I discuss my experiences and what I've been exposed to as an SA. Since I am still working there, should this all be in present tense (e.g. "During my time there, I have done XYZ") or past (e.g. "During my time there, I was fortunate enough to do XYZ").

My apps are going out now but by the time they review it, my SA may be over. Conflicted on this.

[Anonymous User]

This may be a dumb question but it is bothering me. I am finishing up a 1L SA at a mid sized firm. I have two weeks left. I am mass mailing a bunch of applications over the next few days. In my cover letter, I discuss my experiences and what I've been exposed to as an SA. Since I am still working there, should this all be in present tense (e.g. "During my time there, I have done XYZ") or past (e.g. "During my time there, I was fortunate enough to do XYZ").

My apps are going out now but by the time they review it, my SA may be over. Conflicted on this.

I am writing mine so that the tense matches the date I put on the heading of my cover letter (ie present now and past once it ends). Some people say dont bother with date on cl but I think it's useful in this situation... The atty reading your cl (lol) will see the date and know you aren't an idiot who doesn't understand tenses

[Anonymous User]

Should you leave out your transcript when mass-mailing from CCN with very low grades (<3.0)? I know they'll see the transcript eventually but would it help to not have that as a first impression or will they be annoyed you didn't include it?

[soj]

Should you leave out your transcript when mass-mailing from CCN with very low grades (<3.0)? I know they'll see the transcript eventually but would it help to not have that as a first impression or will they be annoyed you didn't include it?

yup. help.

[transferror]

This may be a dumb question but it is bothering me. I am finishing up a 1L SA at a mid sized firm. I have two weeks left. I am mass mailing a bunch of applications over the next few days. In my cover letter, I discuss my experiences and what I've been exposed to as an SA. Since I am still working there, should this all be in present tense (e.g. "During my time there, I have done XYZ") or past (e.g. "During my time there, I was fortunate enough to do XYZ").

My apps are going out now but by the time they review it, my SA may be over. Conflicted on this.

I am writing mine so that the tense matches the date I put on the heading of my cover letter (ie present now and past once it ends). Some people say dont bother with date on cl but I think it's useful in this situation... The atty reading your cl (lol) will see the date and know you aren't an idiot who doesn't understand tenses

I agree, and make sure your résumé is consistent. If you use past tense in the CL, make sure your summer job is listed as [Start Date] - [End Date]. If present tense, list as [Start Date] - (Expected) [End Date]. It's minutia, but consistency is a good thing.

[hoos89]

And make sure you remember to update it later on when you've finished working there.

[mirroroferised7]

So, the standard is: send cover letter (in the body of the email) and resume if you have weak(ish) grades, and a cover letter (in the body of the email), resume, and transcript if you have 3.5+?

[Anonymous User]

How do you mass mail to firms that are coming to your OCI and firms that are coming to your OCI who you bid and miss on? Namely, how do you address these facts in your cover letter?

[nsideirish]

I think not sending your transcript or including your GPA on your resume if it is low makes NO sense. Firms are going to find out about your grades one way or another. And, if you are below their mark, you will be dinged. Why delay the inevitable?

[Anonymous User]

How do you mass mail to firms that are coming to your OCI and firms that are coming to your OCI who you bid and miss on? Namely, how do you address these facts in your cover letter?

I received a few responses saying, "Come find us at OCI".

In my mass mailings, I didn't mention it and just copy pasted the same slightly customized cover letter.

[Anonymous User]

What are the pros for using the body of the email as a cover letter rather than attaching a cover letter? Also, any chance somebody has a sample email body so that I can see the formatting? Thanks! This thread is great

[Anonymous User]

What are the pros for using the body of the email as a cover letter rather than attaching a cover letter? Also, any chance somebody has a sample email body so that I can see the formatting? Thanks! This thread is great

Just attach it. Then when they forward it around they can just open the files, they don't need to keep track of some weirdly formatted email as well

[applepiecrust]

What are the pros for using the body of the email as a cover letter rather than attaching a cover letter? Also, any chance somebody has a sample email body so that I can see the formatting? Thanks! This thread is great

Just attach it. Then when they forward it around they can just open the files, they don't need to keep track of some weirdly formatted email as well

disagree in so far as attaching the cover letter (instead of making it the body of the email) makes it harder to catch the hiring partner/recruiter's eye. Keep it short, to the point, and make it the body of the email. (At least that's what worked in my experience -- sent out nearly a hundred with cover letter attached with one response; sent out another hundred-ish with cover letter as body of email and got around 7-8 interview requests quickly).

[Anonymous User]

What are the pros for using the body of the email as a cover letter rather than attaching a cover letter? Also, any chance somebody has a sample email body so that I can see the formatting? Thanks! This thread is great

Just attach it. Then when they forward it around they can just open the files, they don't need to keep track of some weirdly formatted email as well

disagree in so far as attaching the cover letter (instead of making it the body of the email) makes it harder to catch the hiring partner/recruiter's eye. Keep it short, to the point, and make it the body of the email. (At least that's what worked in my experience -- sent out nearly a hundred with cover letter attached with one response; sent out another hundred-ish with cover letter as body of email and got around 7-8 interview requests quickly).

I tend to agree. Although I put a basic cover letter in the email body - some background, office of interest, my time in their location, etc - then also attach a more detailed one. So far no bites but that's likely due to my median grades.

[Anonymous User]

Also, is it a bad idea to email the same firms in different markets? Will it make them question your commitment to the area?

[gortega86]

Anyone have a great site to get firm list by state? Besides martingale.com