Summer 2013 Non-OCI Job Hunt (Mass Mail, Job Fairs, etc) Forum

[Anonymous User]

Sent out 30 more mass mails...nothing...

[Anonymous User]

Any thoughts on leaving out the transcript if I am in the bottom half? GPA is already on the resume and by itself, looks more like median (schools curve differently). Also, I took a year off, and that's obvious from the transcript. I know that any firm interested will see it at some point, I am just wondering if the red flag from a missing transcript overwhelms any possible advantage from delaying that info.

[r6_philly]

Any thoughts on leaving out the transcript if I am in the bottom half? GPA is already on the resume and by itself, looks more like median (schools curve differently). Also, I took a year off, and that's obvious from the transcript. I know that any firm interested will see it at some point, I am just wondering if the red flag from a missing transcript overwhelms any possible advantage from delaying that info.

I generally only send resume with the first contact. If they ask for me, I will attach them. Hopefully in your case, they may like your resume enough to overlook the issues on your transcript if they get to asking for it.

[Judge Philip Banks]

Any thoughts on leaving out the transcript if I am in the bottom half? GPA is already on the resume and by itself, looks more like median (schools curve differently). Also, I took a year off, and that's obvious from the transcript. I know that any firm interested will see it at some point, I am just wondering if the red flag from a missing transcript overwhelms any possible advantage from delaying that info.

I generally only send resume with the first contact. If they ask for me, I will attach them. Hopefully in your case, they may like your resume enough to overlook the issues on your transcript if they get to asking for it.

Agreed. I only send a cover letter and resume, unless the firm's website states that they want a transcript and/or writing sample, too. Why send them additional stuff if they don't ask for it?

[DreamShake]

Any thoughts on leaving out the transcript if I am in the bottom half? GPA is already on the resume and by itself, looks more like median (schools curve differently). Also, I took a year off, and that's obvious from the transcript. I know that any firm interested will see it at some point, I am just wondering if the red flag from a missing transcript overwhelms any possible advantage from delaying that info.

I generally only send resume with the first contact. If they ask for me, I will attach them. Hopefully in your case, they may like your resume enough to overlook the issues on your transcript if they get to asking for it.

Agreed. I only send a cover letter and resume, unless the firm's website states that they want a transcript and/or writing sample, too. Why send them additional stuff if they don't ask for it?

I think it's perfectly fine to send along the transcript in an initial contact, but by no means required. I have no real professional working experience (outside of 1L summer, I've only done blue collar stuff not on my resume), so I rely on grades to give some proxy of work ethic. In the end, though, I can't imagine a Biglaw firm extending a callback or an offer without at least having one's unofficial transcript in its possession.

[r6_philly]

In the end, though, I can't imagine a Biglaw firm extending a callback or an offer without at least having one's unofficial transcript in its possession.

Perhaps not, but they may well have decided to extend you an offer pending verification of your transcript. In that case, like I said, perhaps some small issues with the transcript will not sink you because they already liked your resume. But if you send the transcript with the resume they may screen you out just based on the transcript without having your resume read. I suspect this heavily depends on what school you go to (resumes from top schools may get more serious looks without the transcript).

[Anonymous User]

Thanks largely to the advice on this forum, I managed to get a phone screener. Felt like it went pretty well. How quick is the turnaround time for Southern firms? Will I get an email if I don't get a callback?

[jess]

.

[reformed calvinist]

To echo an earlier question, I know firms are all different, but do callbacks usually come slower than dings from screeners? Part of me wants to think I still have a shot at the firm I haven't heard from since my Thursday screener. Maybe they send out dings as they cull the pool, then send out CB offers? Or every firm is different. Bad sign though? What's the longest anyone's waited between a screener and callback offer? It's not like I had a jillion screeners, so I'm biting my nails...

Um, find out if other people who interviewed for that firm had CBs. If so and it's been 1-2 days since they have had one, it's 100% a ding, at least if it's NYC.

Don't know any of the people who were listed on the door.

ETA: Interviewing for multiple offices, one of which is in NYC, others are in NJ. I suppose it could be taking longer because my info is being passed around between offices?

[Anonymous User]

Two invites to interview with Philly firms in the last few days- one said it had to be after Sept 3rd so it seems it's still early for them

[r6_philly]

Two invites to interview with Philly firms in the last few days- one said it had to be after Sept 3rd so it seems it's still early for them

That time frame sounds like after OCI interviews/cbs. I got CBs from job fairs (our OCI starts tomorrow) and the available dates for me to choose are all before labor day. So maybe they generally have a system to consider mass mail candidates after OCI candidates.

[Anonymous User]

Was invited to spend a couple of weeks with a firm somewhere.

[Anonymous User]

Was invited to shove it up my ass by the 10 dings I've received so far

[Anonymous User]

Do you guys add a firm specific paragraph or blurb in your cover letters? As in, "In a interested in firm X because of ...."

[LeDique]

Do you guys add a firm specific paragraph or blurb in your cover letters? As in, "In a interested in firm X because of ...."

Yes. Just make it a mail merge field.

[Anonymous User]

Do you guys add a firm specific paragraph or blurb in your cover letters? As in, "In a interested in firm X because of ...."

Yes. Just make it a mail merge field.

Thanks. This is gonna be a LOT of work. How long is it? Sentence or paragraph? Sorry, I'm just trying to get a sense of what everyone is doing, and the optimum amount of effort to put into this (i.e., I don't want to waste time on unnecessary stuff).

[JenDarby]

Do you guys add a firm specific paragraph or blurb in your cover letters? As in, "In a interested in firm X because of ...."

Yes. Just make it a mail merge field.

Thanks. This is gonna be a LOT of work. How long is it? Sentence or paragraph? Sorry, I'm just trying to get a sense of what everyone is doing, and the optimum amount of effort to put into this (i.e., I don't want to waste time on unnecessary stuff).

I just alter the final sentence of my first paragraph if it's not a firm my WE exactly lines up with. If its a firm where my experience is perfect for then I will tailor my second paragraph to be a bit more specific to the field, whereas I keep it slightly more general for firms that don't SPECIALIZE in the field I worked in.

[ilovesf]

I don't have a tailor made sentence unless I already know why. I just change everywhere in my CL where it says the firm name and change the address header. And I have a different sentence for NYC and SF at the end of my first paragraph. I figure they won't really read the CL anyway and go straight to resume/transcript.

[Anonymous User]

Email ding from Farella Braun & Martel today.

[Anonymous User]

Got an email ding from Haynes & Boone yesterday.

[Judge Philip Banks]

Are you guys sending a follow-up email if you haven't gotten a response since you sent your initial email over two weeks ago? I'm debating doing this, but I'm not sure if it is too pushy and would hurt my prospects.

[071816]

Are you guys sending a follow-up email if you haven't gotten a response since you sent your initial email over two weeks ago? I'm debating doing this, but I'm not sure if it is too pushy and would hurt my prospects.

I would not do this.

[Judge Philip Banks]

Are you guys sending a follow-up email if you haven't gotten a response since you sent your initial email over two weeks ago? I'm debating doing this, but I'm not sure if it is too pushy and would hurt my prospects.

I would not do this.

Thanks. Not doing that is my gut, but I just wanted to make sure before I sent off any emails against that instinct. Any other opinions?

[Anonymous User]

Email ding from mcguirewoods

[JenDarby]

This got a bit buried, but I think it would be nice to try and collectively post dings here for convenience:

OCI E-mail/Snail Mail Rejections by Firm