SEC Summer Honors Program 2012 Forum

[Anonymous User]

Couple questions:

1- Is the summer program in DC considered more prestigious than a position in a regional office?

2- If contacted by a regional office, after already interviewing for the DC program (but not yet hearing back), do you have to interview again with that regional office?

Thanks!

[LawIdiot86]

I've accepted an offer for next summer at the SEC, but was curious if anyone knew the breakdown of how many interns there are in each division. I know which group I'm working with in my division and was wondering if there will be enough interns in the other groups of the division to help form a group of peers for happy hour/networking.

[Anonymous User]

Got an offer from enforcement, but I interviewed for another division.

[LawIdiot86]

Got an offer from enforcement, but I interviewed for another division.

Was it a second round that was with the other division or only the initial interview? The SEC has operational staff do all the interviews and then each division/group reviews the notes and picks people to either offer or call in for second rounds. I screened with a person from enforcement, had a callback to another division and got offers from the other division and enforcement.

[Anonymous User]

Got an offer from enforcement, but I interviewed for another division.

Was it a second round that was with the other division or only the initial interview? The SEC has operational staff do all the interviews and then each division/group reviews the notes and picks people to either offer or call in for second rounds. I screened with a person from enforcement, had a callback to another division and got offers from the other division and enforcement.

Only had one interview, with another division. No second round interview.

[LawIdiot86]

Got an offer from enforcement, but I interviewed for another division.

Was it a second round that was with the other division or only the initial interview? The SEC has operational staff do all the interviews and then each division/group reviews the notes and picks people to either offer or call in for second rounds. I screened with a person from enforcement, had a callback to another division and got offers from the other division and enforcement.

Only had one interview, with another division. No second round interview.

Ahh, ok, then as I understand it, the first interview was just a general "are you good for the SEC and which divisions do you want" and you did a good enough job that some division hired you without wanting a second round.

[Anonymous User]

Does every regional office hire for all five divisions?

[LawIdiot86]

Does every regional office hire for all five divisions?

Given that the Utah regional office has 20 attorneys, I doubt it. For more evidence, look at page 9 of http://www.sec.gov/about/secfy11congbudgjust.pdf If it doesn 't break a division out by region/hq, I doubt it has anyone in the regions.

[Anonymous User]

Does every regional office hire for all five divisions?

Given that the Utah regional office has 20 attorneys, I doubt it. For more evidence, look at page 9 of http://www.sec.gov/about/secfy11congbudgjust.pdf If it doesn 't break a division out by region/hq, I doubt it has anyone in the regions.

Ugh. So the division of Corporation Finance appears to be available only at the D.C. office?

[LawIdiot86]

Does every regional office hire for all five divisions?

Given that the Utah regional office has 20 attorneys, I doubt it. For more evidence, look at page 9 of http://www.sec.gov/about/secfy11congbudgjust.pdf If it doesn 't break a division out by region/hq, I doubt it has anyone in the regions.

Ugh. So the division of Corporation Finance appears to be available only at the D.C. office?

Yes and that sort of makes sense. The field divisions are the ones that actually have to meet people or go out to look at things (enforcement and examinations). Corp Fin gets all their stuff in EDGAR, so they can just do their reviews from Washington.

[Anonymous User]

Couple questions:

1- Is the summer program in DC considered more prestigious than a position in a regional office?

2- If contacted by a regional office, after already interviewing for the DC program (but not yet hearing back), do you have to interview again with that regional office?

Thanks!

Also curious about this.

[Anonymous User]

If you're interviewing with a regional office after interviewing with another office. Should you mention that in the interview, or does the regional office already have that information?

[Anonymous User]

I got a call today to do a phone interview for the Chicago regional office...being so late in the process, how many rounds are there likely to be? It wasn't division specific, but the email I got was from someone in the Enforcement division...does that matter or will they ask me anyway?

[Anonymous User]

Couple questions:

1- Is the summer program in DC considered more prestigious than a position in a regional office?

2- If contacted by a regional office, after already interviewing for the DC program (but not yet hearing back), do you have to interview again with that regional office?

Thanks!

This was me that asked this earlier. I still don't know about #1. But for #2, I was contacted by a regional office (not Chicago for the one asking about Chicago) recently for an interview. I was told that the interview was specifically for enforcement, and I received an offer. The interviewer asked me about other places I was applying to/interviewing with, but I personally didn't mention the DC office. I'm still yet to hear from DC, but the DC office has sent me paperwork to complete for the regional office, so I don't know if I'll ever even hear from DC about a decision.

One perk I know of for the DC program is that they host several live events in DC for you to attend, whereas interns at the regional offices have to watch on video. However, a career counselor told me that the regional office I'm working for has hired students from my school for permanent positions in recent years. I have absolutely no data on this, but I'm wondering if it's easier to get one of the few permanent positions from a regional office compared to DC's program that has 75 interns....

[Anonymous User]

How many people are in each division in the DC office? I know there are around 75 total interns - just wondering what the breakdown is.

Also - anyone have any tips on a (relatively) affordable area to live in order to be able to walk to work? Or should I just look to metro in from VA or MD?

[Anonymous User]

Everyone I talk to (I'm a 3L) keeps saying that the SEC is going to be hiring. Is this true?

[Anonymous User]

looks like I'm way late in the game but I already made an application package so I'd like to see it through. Did anyone else have a ton of trouble with futurestep? I thought my app was complete but I got an email saying it isn't. It kept telling me to select opportunities, however there was not any way to enter info or select from a drop-down, and there weren't any things highlighted in red. The app said things highlighted in red needed to be answered but there weren't any?

anyone know what to do?

[buddyblack]

Everyone I talk to (I'm a 3L) keeps saying that the SEC is going to be hiring. Is this true?

Entry-level hiring? I was under the impression that they had (more or less?) suspended their advanced commitment program because of budget constraints. But I'd appreciate a PM if you heard differently, Anonymous 3L.

[LawIdiot86]

Everyone I talk to (I'm a 3L) keeps saying that the SEC is going to be hiring. Is this true?

Entry-level hiring? I was under the impression that they had (more or less?) suspended their advanced commitment program because of budget constraints. But I'd appreciate a PM if you heard differently, Anonymous 3L.

As of two months ago, my fulltime contacts in the SEC said AC is dead or will be 3-5 people under the absolute best case of funding.

[Anonymous User]

Everyone I talk to (I'm a 3L) keeps saying that the SEC is going to be hiring. Is this true?

Entry-level hiring? I was under the impression that they had (more or less?) suspended their advanced commitment program because of budget constraints. But I'd appreciate a PM if you heard differently, Anonymous 3L.

As of two months ago, my fulltime contacts in the SEC said AC is dead or will be 3-5 people under the absolute best case of funding.

I knew AC was more or less dead, but I thought they'd be hiring outside of it, as kind of a shift to a more as-needed basis kind of thing.

[LawIdiot86]

Everyone I talk to (I'm a 3L) keeps saying that the SEC is going to be hiring. Is this true?

Entry-level hiring? I was under the impression that they had (more or less?) suspended their advanced commitment program because of budget constraints. But I'd appreciate a PM if you heard differently, Anonymous 3L.

As of two months ago, my fulltime contacts in the SEC said AC is dead or will be 3-5 people under the absolute best case of funding.

I knew AC was more or less dead, but I thought they'd be hiring outside of it, as kind of a shift to a more as-needed basis kind of thing.

I heard of one person in a division being hired that way after actually knocking their socks off in an internship last year and all the 17s in that division had to beg the powers that be to hire him. As-needed entry-level hiring is almost entirely filled with people who have been at firms 1-4 years.

[Anonymous User]

LawIdiot- any advice on applying for jobs as a 3L? (Are you a 3L)?

Ie apply now rather than later, wait until later in spring, avoid this area, target this...

[Anonymous User]

Anyone know of people reneging on the SEC? I'm a 2L and struck out at OCI. My ultimate goal is to still land a big firm job somehow after graduation. I've seen a few new job postings for big/mid-sized firms, and I'm wondering if I should still apply. My SEC offer is with a regional office, and I'd be applying to firms within the same market.

[LawIdiot86]

Anyone know of people reneging on the SEC? I'm a 2L and struck out at OCI. My ultimate goal is to still land a big firm job somehow after graduation. I've seen a few new job postings for big/mid-sized firms, and I'm wondering if I should still apply. My SEC offer is with a regional office, and I'd be applying to firms within the same market.

I had a friend who reneged on the SEC for a firm SA and while they weren't thrilled, the only thing they said that made it acceptable was that he had applied to the firms BEFORE he accepted the SEC offer. Apparently it is ok if something falls in your lap from before, but viewed very poorly if you are still out there looking to try to upgrade after accepting. Good way to get blacklisted in the short-term as most hiring of younger lawyers is done centrally.

LawIdiot- any advice on applying for jobs as a 3L? (Are you a 3L)?

Ie apply now rather than later, wait until later in spring, avoid this area, target this...

I have advice on this, but it is very specific advice I would prefer not to put in the mainstream, so please PM me.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone know of people reneging on the SEC? I'm a 2L and struck out at OCI. My ultimate goal is to still land a big firm job somehow after graduation. I've seen a few new job postings for big/mid-sized firms, and I'm wondering if I should still apply. My SEC offer is with a regional office, and I'd be applying to firms within the same market.

I had a friend who reneged on the SEC for a firm SA and while they weren't thrilled, the only thing they said that made it acceptable was that he had applied to the firms BEFORE he accepted the SEC offer. Apparently it is ok if something falls in your lap from before, but viewed very poorly if you are still out there looking to try to upgrade after accepting. Good way to get blacklisted in the short-term as most hiring of younger lawyers is done centrally.

LawIdiot- any advice on applying for jobs as a 3L? (Are you a 3L)?

Ie apply now rather than later, wait until later in spring, avoid this area, target this...

I have advice on this, but it is very specific advice I would prefer not to put in the mainstream, so please PM me.

Blacklisted in terms of the SEC in the future or you think firms in the same market would hear? It's one of the bigger markets (think NYC/LA/Chi). I don't really have much interest in working for the government long-term. However, there's still a very small chance of me even getting hired at a firm if I were to apply, but I wouldn't want the fact that I'd applied to get back to the SEC either. Thanks.