Reminder: Stop Reading Tea Leaves; Start Mass Mailing Forum

[Anonymous User]

Rising 2L Here,

I send out almost any type of cold email out super early on Tuesday/Wed/Thurs. Figure Monday gets ignored much more as does Friday.

[ManoftheHour]

Does day of the week matter for mass-mailing? My draft folder is full of emails ready to be sent. Wait until tomorrow or is sending them on a Sunday ok? Worried the recruiter is less likely to read if they get it on a Sunday and then forget about it.

...okay, this is probably going to sound retarded, but is mass mailing done only by email, actual mail, or both?

[GGMcSwift]

For those of you who paste your cover letters directly in the body of the email, how long are they? How many paragraphs? Are these CLs significantly shorter than your PDF versions or about the same.

I'm torn on whether to paste directly in body or attach a PDF. I think directly in body gets read more often but not if it's really long and if it's too short you risk not being able to show why you're interested or a good fit.

[Kratos]

Who do I address cover letters to? the recruiting coordinator?

yeah.

...okay, this is probably going to sound retarded, but is mass mailing done only by email, actual mail, or both?

e-mail

[Anonymous User]

For those of you who paste your cover letters directly in the body of the email, how long are they? How many paragraphs? Are these CLs significantly shorter than your PDF versions or about the same.

I'm torn on whether to paste directly in body or attach a PDF. I think directly in body gets read more often but not if it's really long and if it's too short you risk not being able to show why you're interested or a good fit.

I'm guessing this would depend on the applicant. If your grades/school makes the firm a long shot, you probably have to do more work in the cover letter.

[buddhabelly]

For those of you who paste your cover letters directly in the body of the email, how long are they? How many paragraphs? Are these CLs significantly shorter than your PDF versions or about the same.

I'm torn on whether to paste directly in body or attach a PDF. I think directly in body gets read more often but not if it's really long and if it's too short you risk not being able to show why you're interested or a good fit.

I'm pasting it in the body to save myself time and catch the recruiters attention faster. I'm using the same format as my regular cover letter, but with my name and other info at the bottom instead of the top. My layout is:

Dear ___,

I'm writing to apply to your office for 2016

Your firm is awesome because.....and I have ____ ties to your city

I'm awesome because....

Thanks I look forward to hearing for ya

Name, address, phone#

Resume and transcript attached as a single PDF

[Anonymous User]

Is it even worth my time to mass mail DC with a 3.1 at CCN?

I bid all NYC for OCI. I assume I should not send mass mails yet to those I may potentially get a screener with through OCI?

If I start mass mailing NYC firms now, won't they just tell me I should bid on them through OCI? Also, what's TCR on how to mass mail NYC firms you didn't actually bid on.

[AttyCutestory]

So much of the talk here is about emails, subject lines, etc., but what should be the plan now that so many firms have online application sites? Should I still be emailing the recruiting coordinator, or go through their suggested electronic application system? I feel like I'll just get an auto-reply back if I email asking me to use the online site.

[hoos89]

E-mail, and if they tell you to apply online so be it.

[Anonymous User]

If I start mass mailing NYC firms now, won't they just tell me I should bid on them through OCI? Also, what's TCR on how to mass mail NYC firms you didn't actually bid on.

Wondering the same thing. Should we even acknowledge in the CL/Email that we aren't bidding on them at OCI?

Anyone have any thoughts?

[Anonymous User]

Mass mail now, think later.

I've already mass mailed some NY firms (that aren't coming to OCI) and those that want me to apply online replied with an email asking me to do so.

[Anonymous User]

Question: Is there any sort of mail merge doc for Vault?

[Anonymous User]

Would it be inappropriate to point out an upward trend in grades (3.3 first semester; 3.7 second semester) in my cover letter? Or should I just let them notice it when they see my transcript?

[Kratos]

Would it be inappropriate to point out an upward trend in grades (3.3 first semester; 3.7 second semester) in my cover letter? Or should I just let them notice it when they see my transcript?

probably the latter

If I start mass mailing NYC firms now, won't they just tell me I should bid on them through OCI? Also, what's TCR on how to mass mail NYC firms you didn't actually bid on.

Wondering the same thing. Should we even acknowledge in the CL/Email that we aren't bidding on them at OCI?

Anyone have any thoughts?

just mail, sometimes they'll hook you up with a screener or CB and save you from having to bid them in the first place. if they say bid, decide then. don't tell them upfront you're not bidding them, that won't come off well

[AT9]

I'm top 5% at a T1 in the Southeast, ranked 30's-40's. Any point to mass mailing places like NYC, DC, and other larger markets where you have no ties? If so, what firms or levels of firms should you focus on? Right now I'm mass mailing all the regional big firms/big firms with regional offices, plus the other markets where I have ties.

I want to work in the region if possible, but I'm trying not to put all my eggs in one basket.

[hoos89]

1) NYC and DC don't really require ties.
2) It really doesn't take that much time to mass-mail, all things considered.

You've got really good grades, but it would still be risky to focus solely on regional firms. Blanket NYC and any other major market you could see yourself working in.

[AT9]

1) NYC and DC don't really require ties.
2) It really doesn't take that much time to mass-mail, all things considered.

You've got really good grades, but it would still be risky to focus solely on regional firms. Blanket NYC and any other major market you could see yourself working in.

Gotcha, thanks. So I'll blanket NYC, Atlanta (though some firms will be at OCI), Houston/Dallas, and probably DC.

[BigZuck]

Yeah you guys really need to mass blast everywhere.

Like seriously, everywhere. Don't ask why you're mass blasting apps or where you should mass blast. Just mass blast. It doesn't take much time and you have nothing better to do with your time anyway even if it did.

[hoos89]

Yeah you guys really need to mass blast everywhere.

Like seriously, everywhere. Don't ask why you're mass blasting apps or where you should mass blast. Just mass blast. It doesn't take much time and you have nothing better to do with your time anyway even if it did.

Eh...once you get down to the tertiary markets you really should have some sort of tie to the area. It doesn't take much time to send, but if you somehow slip through the cracks and get a callback in some random market, it might be pretty tough to explain to every interviewer why you want, for example, Memphis when you've never even been there before. Maybe if you're prepared to make up a fiancee who is from the area or something, but short of that, I've got to think there are better uses of a full day (talking to alums, flying your ass to a city where you actually DO have ties, etc.).

[ManoftheHour]

Sorry if this has been posted already, but is there a site where we could get a list of the names of firms in a specific city?

[cannibal ox]

Sorry if this has been posted already, but is there a site where we could get a list of the names of firms in a specific city?

NALP, just search by state, or city.

Vault has regional rankings.

Resume Launchpad isn't great but you'll find a few firms that didn't make NALP or Vault before you get to the step where they make you pay.

[Manteca]

Sorry if this has been posted already, but is there a site where we could get a list of the names of firms in a specific city?

NALP, just search by state, or city.

Vault has regional rankings.

Resume Launchpad isn't great but you'll find a few firms that didn't make NALP or Vault before you get to the step where they make you pay.

With Vault, can you download mail merge documents like you can with NALP?

[ManoftheHour]

Thanks guys! TLS always delivers.

[BigZuck]

Yeah you guys really need to mass blast everywhere.

Like seriously, everywhere. Don't ask why you're mass blasting apps or where you should mass blast. Just mass blast. It doesn't take much time and you have nothing better to do with your time anyway even if it did.

Eh...once you get down to the tertiary markets you really should have some sort of tie to the area. It doesn't take much time to send, but if you somehow slip through the cracks and get a callback in some random market, it might be pretty tough to explain to every interviewer why you want, for example, Memphis when you've never even been there before. Maybe if you're prepared to make up a fiancee who is from the area or something, but short of that, I've got to think there are better uses of a full day (talking to alums, flying your ass to a city where you actually DO have ties, etc.).

Prioritize of course (which should take like 2 seconds to decide what order you're going to apply to places) but if you don't have an offer yet? Hell yeah go do that CB in Memphis. Crush it.

I was more responding to the "Should I apply to NYC, I'm below median/dont have ties/think it's a hellhole" type questions which is a no brainer. But yeah, if you really don't want to apply to Tulsa or Spokane firms then go ahead and pass I guess. I'd probably still apply to as many places as possible though until you get an offer you would prefer over that firm/market.

[BigZuck]

Sorry if this has been posted already, but is there a site where we could get a list of the names of firms in a specific city?

NALP, just search by state, or city.

Vault has regional rankings.

Resume Launchpad isn't great but you'll find a few firms that didn't make NALP or Vault before you get to the step where they make you pay.

Martindale as well but sometimes that site can be overwhelming (or I don't know how to use it which is totally possible)