Mass Mail Interview Response Time? Forum

[Anonymous User]

I'm at a T10 school. I mass mailed over 60 firms ten days ago. So far I have 5 dings, 1 interview, and silence. Are firms just so swamped with paperwork that they can't even make time to respond to an email, or, do I just suck that bad?

Are these firms in your home market? In your school's market? Are you only applying to Vault firms? Are you tailoring your cover letters or just doing a generic cover letter? All these have an effect on what kind of responses (if any) you get. I applied over 10 days ago to a bunch of firms, and haven't heard back from 20 of the 25. Luckily the 5 responses are interview requests, but that is because these are all local offices/firms in my home market that aren't coming to my OCI.

[Anonymous User]

I'm at a T10 school. I mass mailed over 60 firms ten days ago. So far I have 5 dings, 1 interview, and silence. Are firms just so swamped with paperwork that they can't even make time to respond to an email, or, do I just suck that bad?

Were the dings by e-mail or snail mail? I sent out a bunch to NYC early last week. Haven't heard a thing. T10 btw.

[Anonymous User]

For people who have done pre-OCI interviews or know people who have, what's the response time like after the initial interview?

[Anonymous User]

Sent out several this past week and the offers for interview where sent via email within two days. There were 2 offers, and I haven't heard anything from the other firms. Secondary, and even tertiary, markets on all firms.

[Anonymous User]

I'm at a T10 school. I mass mailed over 60 firms ten days ago. So far I have 5 dings, 1 interview, and silence. Are firms just so swamped with paperwork that they can't even make time to respond to an email, or, do I just suck that bad?

What market? I'm at a T6 targeting NYC and am batting pretty close to a .500 in terms of interviews/mailings (albeit, I only sent things to about ten firms).

[Anonymous User]

You guys aren't mass mailing firms that are actually coming to your OCI, are you?

[Anonymous User]

You guys aren't mass mailing firms that are actually coming to your OCI, are you?

[T6 poster from above]

Of course not

[Anonymous User]

You guys aren't mass mailing firms that are actually coming to your OCI, are you?

Nope. Although I did contact a V100 in my hometown secondary market to interview with their office before I left town for school. Otherwise, there is no reason to mass mail a firm coming to OCI.

[Heartford]

forgot to be anonymous.

[ndirish2010]

I've probably sent out 40 to NYC and got one interview, though it is a CB. Nothing from Chicago. The secondary markets I want are all coming to OCI for the most part, but I got a positive response from one that isn't that I hope will lead to an interview.

[Anonymous User]

I'm at a T10 school. I mass mailed over 60 firms ten days ago. So far I have 5 dings, 1 interview, and silence. Are firms just so swamped with paperwork that they can't even make time to respond to an email, or, do I just suck that bad?

Are these firms in your home market? In your school's market? Are you only applying to Vault firms? Are you tailoring your cover letters or just doing a generic cover letter? All these have an effect on what kind of responses (if any) you get. I applied over 10 days ago to a bunch of firms, and haven't heard back from 20 of the 25. Luckily the 5 responses are interview requests, but that is because these are all local offices/firms in my home market that aren't coming to my OCI.

The majority of the firms are from my home market, or, markets that I have a fairly strong connection to. Most of the firms, like 90%, are not Vault firms but have fairly "decent" SA spots available. The mailings were sort of a mix of generic and targeted. Additionally, I mentioned that I was currently living in the market and would love to interview before I headed back to school.

EDIT - Should I be following up with these firms via phone calls?

[Anonymous User]

Sent out my mailings about 9 days ago to 20 local (small market) firms. So far, 3 have said they aren't hiring SAs next summer. This might be bad.

[softspoken]

Sent out my mailings about 9 days ago to 20 local (small market) firms. So far, 3 have said they aren't hiring SAs next summer. This might be bad.

Same thing here--mass mailed a lot of the firms in my smaller secondary market (midlaw). Most have sent me back letters saying they are not having a summer class for 2012. Looks like biglaw firms are the only ones hiring.

[ndirish2010]

Sent out my mailings about 9 days ago to 20 local (small market) firms. So far, 3 have said they aren't hiring SAs next summer. This might be bad.

Same thing here--mass mailed a lot of the firms in my smaller secondary market (midlaw). Most have sent me back letters saying they are not having a summer class for 2012. Looks like biglaw firms are the only ones hiring.

What market are we talking about here. There are plenty of secondary market firms hiring, but they don't have large classes.

[Anonymous User]

Sent out my mailings about 9 days ago to 20 local (small market) firms. So far, 3 have said they aren't hiring SAs next summer. This might be bad.

Same thing here--mass mailed a lot of the firms in my smaller secondary market (midlaw). Most have sent me back letters saying they are not having a summer class for 2012. Looks like biglaw firms are the only ones hiring.

What market are we talking about here. There are plenty of secondary market firms hiring, but they don't have large classes.

Anon from above. My market is not even "secondary" by TLS definitions- it's a small state without any major cities, but with some biglaw offices and midlaw firms. Most of my school's OCI is made up of local midlaw firms, and so far my mass mailing is suggesting (albeit a tiny sample size) that if they didn't sign up for OCI, they're just not really hiring.

[Anonymous User]

What's the consensus on snail mailing a resume/cover letter versus emailing?

[Anonymous User]

What's the consensus on snail mailing a resume/cover letter versus emailing?

Waste of time to snail mail it. Email gets there faster, saves them paper, is easily stored and can be accessed from any computer, etc. Every firm I ever asked that question to said email or online application (if they have one).

[Anonymous User]

What's the consensus on snail mailing a resume/cover letter versus emailing?

Waste of time to snail mail it. Email gets there faster, saves them paper, is easily stored and can be accessed from any computer, etc. Every firm I ever asked that question to said email or online application (if they have one).

I agree that firms probably prefer email, but I also think that it's easier to ignore email, especially if you have to open an attachement to see a resume. I don't mean ignore completely, but we all do the same thing- you get an email, skim it, notice it has an attachement, and tell yourself you'll get around to looking at it later.

IMO it might be more likely that your resume gets a glance if you send it in the mail. Note, however, that I am the guy from above who only mailed to a tiny market in a tiny state, so I've been focusing on much smaller offices.

[Anonymous User]

2 more dings via snail mail today. That brings the total # of responses to 11/60+, with only 1 interview so far.

[Grizz]

Second firm with a full class, this time a midsize firm in ATL.

[Heartford]

Looks like midlaw is not doing so well, but biglaw is supposedly doing a little better than last year. I wonder if this correlates with the idea that big corporations are cash-flush right now, but smaller companies are still recovering from el recessione?

[Anonymous User]

.

[Anonymous User]

Sent about 15 mailers to the largest firms in my home secondary market about two weeks ago.

1 callback interview.
2 notices that they will be reviewing resumes later on.
1 notice that they will not be having a summer class at all.

[RMstratosphere]

Hopefully employers' responses pick up this month.

[Anonymous User]

Two targeted emails to DC firms (had connection to one, tangential connection to other) a couple weeks ago resulted in screening interviews next week. HYS.