Funny OCI Interview Stories Forum

[071816]

my 20-minute screener started 15 minutes late. then halfway through the interview, my interviewer interrupted me (in the middle of a sentence!) to say, "oh my gosh, is it snowing outside?" i turned around and looked - it was that white fuzzy stuff that sometimes floats around in NYC. interviewer also spent half the interview checking own blackberry.

no cb.

That's tantamount to a slap in the face.

[Anonymous User]

During CB, was meeting with a bigname partner at a bigname firm. We got through a lot of my background and experience, etc. Then he asks me: "So, how do you feel about business?"

Not how do you feel about working with businesses or how do you feel about big business. Just: how do you feel about business.

I eventually said that business was a good thing because it produced jobs and made the world a better place.

[MrKappus]

During CB, was meeting with a bigname partner at a bigname firm. We got through a lot of my background and experience, etc. Then he asks me: "So, how do you feel about business?"

Not how do you feel about working with businesses or how do you feel about big business. Just: how do you feel about business.

I eventually said that business was a good thing because it produced jobs and made the world a better place.

Correct response: "I like getting down to it and minding my own..."

[snailio]

During CB, was meeting with a bigname partner at a bigname firm. We got through a lot of my background and experience, etc. Then he asks me: "So, how do you feel about business?"

Not how do you feel about working with businesses or how do you feel about big business. Just: how do you feel about business.

I eventually said that business was a good thing because it produced jobs and made the world a better place.

Correct response: "I like getting down to it and minding my own..."

Better still

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGOohBytKTU

[Anonymous User]

Let's get some humor to this board. I'll start--during one of my cbs, there was a fire. Half of my interviews were done next to a blaring alarm, and firemen running in and out of the building. Did not get the offer.

MoFo NY? They had a fire right before my CB was supposed to happen.

[romothesavior]

Guy I know was interviewing with a TX firm and was asked, "How does a southern Lutheran boy like yourself end up at a a school with so many Jews?"

[Anonymous User]

Guy I know was interviewing with a TX firm and was asked, "How does a southern Lutheran boy like yourself end up at a a school with so many Jews?"

hah was it jackson walker? they're notorious for having good ol boy racist tendencies

[What the f.supp?]

Man, i could read this thread all day long. love awkward stories at others' expense.

[Anonymous User]

I offhandedly compared an aspect of a V15 firm's litigation department to Quinn Emanuel during a callback interview with a partner. He yelled "THAT'S THE BIGGEST INSULT YOU COULD HAVE POSSIBLY GIVEN ME. HOW DARE YOU COMPARE US TO QUINN EMANUEL." He spent about ten more minutes on how awful Quinn is and why. Didn't get an offer even though every other interview (and even the non-Quinn part of that interview) was great.

[Anonymous User]

During a callback, had first interview with the hiring partner. First question they asked was how I was liking law school (they had gone to my law school). I went through the usual answer, mentioning one professor in particular that I really enjoyed, and raved about his brilliance and ability. This professor, prior to teaching, had worked for a the same firm from which this hiring partner had lateraled, so I asked them if they had known my professor during their time at the firm.

Hiring partner: "He was only really there when I was a summer at the firm. A group of us were out to lunch with him, on the day my significant other was waiting for bar results to come out, so I was pretty anxious that day. He asked us how we were doing, and I mentioned that I was nervous because of that. He said he hadn't really studied for the bar and that there was no reason to be nervous. So I always thought he was kind of an asshole."

Did not get offer.

[Anonymous User]

I offhandedly compared an aspect of a V15 firm's litigation department to Quinn Emanuel during a callback interview with a partner. He yelled "THAT'S THE BIGGEST INSULT YOU COULD HAVE POSSIBLY GIVEN ME. HOW DARE YOU COMPARE US TO QUINN EMANUEL." He spent about ten more minutes on how awful Quinn is and why. Didn't get an offer even though every other interview (and even the non-Quinn part of that interview) was great.

I had something similar happen in my first screener interview.

>Interviewing with a midsize but well regarded non-Vault local firm
Hiring Partner: "what attracts you to our firm versus other types of firms?"
Me: "I like that you firm has a better reputation in appellate litigation than [top market firm]."
Hiring Partner: "I don't want to be compared to that firm, and I don't like the implication that they are better than us in non-appellate litigation. [Rants for 5 minutes about much better his firm is vs. top market firm] "
Me: "Okay." (what I wish I'd said- "I've also heard that your firm is full of humble, non-pretentious, and down-to-earth people").

Still received a callback but declined it, as I already had a better offer.

[A'nold]

I offhandedly compared an aspect of a V15 firm's litigation department to Quinn Emanuel during a callback interview with a partner. He yelled "THAT'S THE BIGGEST INSULT YOU COULD HAVE POSSIBLY GIVEN ME. HOW DARE YOU COMPARE US TO QUINN EMANUEL." He spent about ten more minutes on how awful Quinn is and why. Didn't get an offer even though every other interview (and even the non-Quinn part of that interview) was great.

I had something similar happen in my first screener interview.

>Interviewing with a midsize but well regarded non-Vault local firm
Hiring Partner: "what attracts you to our firm versus other types of firms?"
Me: "I like that you firm has a better reputation in appellate litigation than [top market firm]."
Hiring Partner: "I don't want to be compared to that firm, and I don't like the implication that they are better than us in non-appellate litigation. [Rants for 5 minutes about much better his firm is vs. top market firm] "
Me: "Okay." (what I wish I'd said- "I've also heard that your firm is full of humble, non-pretentious, and down-to-earth people").

Still received a callback but declined it, as I already had a better offer.

Lol.

[Anonymous User]

1. During a screener, I for some reason thought the exit door was behind me instead of to my right. I had a great interview, shook the man's hand, smiled, turned around, and walked into a fucking brick wall. No callback.

2. An interviewer asked me why I wanted to work at a place during a callback and I guess I had a slight misconception of what they did. He awkwardly corrected me: "So, it's different.... That's not what we do here... Really quite different... Not at all, really... So yeah, different." No offer.

3. I was given instructions to arrive at 8:45 for a 9:30 interview, which apparently was on error. I contacted the recruiting director when I got there (since I thought I was supposed to get there at that time), and she said "Oh, I'll be down" - she let me marinade there with my thoughts for 45 minutes - and then got me without really saying one word to me. I tried to explain why I was there so early, which really was tantamount to me telling her how she fucked up. No offer.

4. During a screener, I answered a partner's question in part by illustrating a story by saying that I don't know the location of a mountain range. The interviewer smiled, paused, and said "do you know where it is now" ...... "Nope," I replied. The other interviewer, while looking at my resume said, "Looking at where you've lived, how do you not know? I mean, you must have lived at the foot of it.... And you really don't know"? ..... "Nope". No callback.

Other awkward shit happened too.

[Anonymous User]

Showed up a day early for an out of state callback. Went back to hotel, came back next day. Offer.

Was awkward as hell when I realized my name wasn't written down anywhere because I had come a day early.

[Anonymous User]

I have a toned-down stainless Rolex that I wear with suits. It isn't even one of the nice ones, it is an oysterquartz (not oysterperpetual) is only really worth around $2000. It was a gift from my now-dead grandfather for getting into law school. It has some personal value to it, since he did not have an education past 6th grade.

Anyway, I wear it with suits and to important stuff. Like 2 people have ever even noticed it was a Rolex. Screening interview is with a shit-midlaw 25 attorney office in my home market, and goes like this:

>Smalltalk for a few minutes. Cool middle aged guy chatting with a young guy stuff. We trade a few self-deprecating jokes so the comfort level is good.

Interviewer: Nice fake rolex. That is pretty cheesy of you.

Me: It's a real oysterquartz. They are uncommon, so sometimes people think they are fake.

Interviewer: Rolex never made a quartz watch. If the watch ticks second-by-second it is fake. It should be smooth like this one. *Holds up his gaudy rolex that has the smooth hand motion*. You got scammed.

Me: Rolex did make a quartz watch, called the oysterquartz, from 1978 to 2001. This is one of the early versions, and it is genuine. Also, my grandfather got it for me.

Interviewer: Oh, I am sorry if it is personal. I'm just saying you got scammed. It can't be real.

Me: Just google "oysterquartz."

Interviewer: *Pretends to pull his blackberry out, then laughs and just moves on*


This shit actually happened. What was interesting is that it was kind of fun. I wasn't insulted and it wasn't awkward. He was just painfully wrong and jokingly condescending. Got a callback and offer. Declined for a significantly better offer.

[Anonymous User]

I have a toned-down stainless Rolex that I wear with suits. It isn't even one of the nice ones, it is an oysterquartz (not oysterperpetual) is only really worth around $2000. It was a gift from my now-dead grandfather for getting into law school. It has some personal value to it, since he did not have an education past 6th grade.

Anyway, I wear it with suits and to important stuff. Like 2 people have ever even noticed it was a Rolex. Screening interview is with a shit-midlaw 25 attorney office in my home market, and goes like this:

>Smalltalk for a few minutes. Cool middle aged guy chatting with a young guy stuff. We trade a few self-deprecating jokes so the comfort level is good.

Interviewer: Nice fake rolex. That is pretty cheesy of you.

Me: It's a real oysterquartz. They are uncommon, so sometimes people think they are fake.

Interviewer: Rolex never made a quartz watch. If the watch ticks second-by-second it is fake. It should be smooth like this one. *Holds up his gaudy rolex that has the smooth hand motion*. You got scammed.

Me: Rolex did make a quartz watch, called the oysterquartz, from 1978 to 2001. This is one of the early versions, and it is genuine. Also, my grandfather got it for me.

Interviewer: Oh, I am sorry if it is personal. I'm just saying you got scammed. It can't be real.

Me: Just google "oysterquartz."

Interviewer: *Pretends to pull his blackberry out, then laughs and just moves on*


This shit actually happened. What was interesting is that it was kind of fun. I wasn't insulted and it wasn't awkward. He was just painfully wrong and jokingly condescending. Got a callback and offer. Declined for a significantly better offer.

Saying that a watch "only" cost you $2000 makes you sound hella-douchey, but you told a story in which this guy took the douchiness to the next level. So your douchiness is negated and forgiven.

[FlightoftheEarls]

I have a toned-down stainless Rolex that I wear with suits. It isn't even one of the nice ones, it is an oysterquartz (not oysterperpetual) is only really worth around $2000. It was a gift from my now-dead grandfather for getting into law school. It has some personal value to it, since he did not have an education past 6th grade.

Anyway, I wear it with suits and to important stuff. Like 2 people have ever even noticed it was a Rolex. Screening interview is with a shit-midlaw 25 attorney office in my home market, and goes like this:

>Smalltalk for a few minutes. Cool middle aged guy chatting with a young guy stuff. We trade a few self-deprecating jokes so the comfort level is good.

Interviewer: Nice fake rolex. That is pretty cheesy of you.

Me: It's a real oysterquartz. They are uncommon, so sometimes people think they are fake.

Interviewer: Rolex never made a quartz watch. If the watch ticks second-by-second it is fake. It should be smooth like this one. *Holds up his gaudy rolex that has the smooth hand motion*. You got scammed.

Me: Rolex did make a quartz watch, called the oysterquartz, from 1978 to 2001. This is one of the early versions, and it is genuine. Also, my grandfather got it for me.

Interviewer: Oh, I am sorry if it is personal. I'm just saying you got scammed. It can't be real.

Me: Just google "oysterquartz."

Interviewer: *Pretends to pull his blackberry out, then laughs and just moves on*


This shit actually happened. What was interesting is that it was kind of fun. I wasn't insulted and it wasn't awkward. He was just painfully wrong and jokingly condescending. Got a callback and offer. Declined for a significantly better offer.

Saying that a watch "only" cost you $2000 makes you sound hella-douchey, but you told a story in which this guy took the douchiness to the next level. So your douchiness is negated and forgiven.

I don't think that's the point. Rolex watches are notoriously expensive, and while $2000 is certainly a lot of money, the poster is clearly trying to indicate that he didn't wear some $35,000 watch to try to look like a baller. Rather, the watch is nice but hardly near the top-of-the-line models that the company produces.

[c3pO4]

Us normals have no idea that rolexes cost up to 35k. I consider $300 an expensive watch.

[AlanShore]

Guy looks at my resume, and says, "Columbia? You didn't want to go to Harvard?", with a straight face.
I answered, "You didn't want to make up your own stupid questions?"

Ropes and Gray?

[Anonymous User]

1. During a screener, I for some reason thought the exit door was behind me instead of to my right. I had a great interview, shook the man's hand, smiled, turned around, and walked into a fucking brick wall. No callback.

2. An interviewer asked me why I wanted to work at a place during a callback and I guess I had a slight misconception of what they did. He awkwardly corrected me: "So, it's different.... That's not what we do here... Really quite different... Not at all, really... So yeah, different." No offer.

3. I was given instructions to arrive at 8:45 for a 9:30 interview, which apparently was on error. I contacted the recruiting director when I got there (since I thought I was supposed to get there at that time), and she said "Oh, I'll be down" - she let me marinade there with my thoughts for 45 minutes - and then got me without really saying one word to me. I tried to explain why I was there so early, which really was tantamount to me telling her how she fucked up. No offer.

4. During a screener, I answered a partner's question in part by illustrating a story by saying that I don't know the location of a mountain range. The interviewer smiled, paused, and said "do you know where it is now" ...... "Nope," I replied. The other interviewer, while looking at my resume said, "Looking at where you've lived, how do you not know? I mean, you must have lived at the foot of it.... And you really don't know"? ..... "Nope". No callback.

Other awkward shit happened too.

you are not very good at interviewing

[Anonymous User]

I have a toned-down stainless Rolex that I wear with suits. It isn't even one of the nice ones, it is an oysterquartz (not oysterperpetual) is only really worth around $2000. It was a gift from my now-dead grandfather for getting into law school. It has some personal value to it, since he did not have an education past 6th grade.

Anyway, I wear it with suits and to important stuff. Like 2 people have ever even noticed it was a Rolex. Screening interview is with a shit-midlaw 25 attorney office in my home market, and goes like this:

>Smalltalk for a few minutes. Cool middle aged guy chatting with a young guy stuff. We trade a few self-deprecating jokes so the comfort level is good.

Interviewer: Nice fake rolex. That is pretty cheesy of you.

Me: It's a real oysterquartz. They are uncommon, so sometimes people think they are fake.

Interviewer: Rolex never made a quartz watch. If the watch ticks second-by-second it is fake. It should be smooth like this one. *Holds up his gaudy rolex that has the smooth hand motion*. You got scammed.

Me: Rolex did make a quartz watch, called the oysterquartz, from 1978 to 2001. This is one of the early versions, and it is genuine. Also, my grandfather got it for me.

Interviewer: Oh, I am sorry if it is personal. I'm just saying you got scammed. It can't be real.

Me: Just google "oysterquartz."

Interviewer: *Pretends to pull his blackberry out, then laughs and just moves on*


This shit actually happened. What was interesting is that it was kind of fun. I wasn't insulted and it wasn't awkward. He was just painfully wrong and jokingly condescending. Got a callback and offer. Declined for a significantly better offer.

Saying that a watch "only" cost you $2000 makes you sound hella-douchey, but you told a story in which this guy took the douchiness to the next level. So your douchiness is negated and forgiven.

I don't think that's the point. Rolex watches are notoriously expensive, and while $2000 is certainly a lot of money, the poster is clearly trying to indicate that he didn't wear some $35,000 watch to try to look like a baller. Rather, the watch is nice but hardly near the top-of-the-line models that the company produces.

Dude, I get that. I've been around enough lawyers to understand the price points of Rolexes. I'm just trying to play the passive observer role (while is essentially the role I play in law school, as I'm consistently dumbfounded and confused by the things around me, aside from the actual class material), in noting how silly it sounds.

[Anonymous User]

1. During a screener, I for some reason thought the exit door was behind me instead of to my right. I had a great interview, shook the man's hand, smiled, turned around, and walked into a fucking brick wall. No callback.

2. An interviewer asked me why I wanted to work at a place during a callback and I guess I had a slight misconception of what they did. He awkwardly corrected me: "So, it's different.... That's not what we do here... Really quite different... Not at all, really... So yeah, different." No offer.

3. I was given instructions to arrive at 8:45 for a 9:30 interview, which apparently was on error. I contacted the recruiting director when I got there (since I thought I was supposed to get there at that time), and she said "Oh, I'll be down" - she let me marinade there with my thoughts for 45 minutes - and then got me without really saying one word to me. I tried to explain why I was there so early, which really was tantamount to me telling her how she fucked up. No offer.

4. During a screener, I answered a partner's question in part by illustrating a story by saying that I don't know the location of a mountain range. The interviewer smiled, paused, and said "do you know where it is now" ...... "Nope," I replied. The other interviewer, while looking at my resume said, "Looking at where you've lived, how do you not know? I mean, you must have lived at the foot of it.... And you really don't know"? ..... "Nope". No callback.

Other awkward shit happened too.

you are not very good at interviewing

Did you get an offer?

[dixiecupdrinking]

I have a toned-down stainless Rolex that I wear with suits. It isn't even one of the nice ones, it is an oysterquartz (not oysterperpetual) is only really worth around $2000. It was a gift from my now-dead grandfather for getting into law school. It has some personal value to it, since he did not have an education past 6th grade.

Anyway, I wear it with suits and to important stuff. Like 2 people have ever even noticed it was a Rolex. Screening interview is with a shit-midlaw 25 attorney office in my home market, and goes like this:

>Smalltalk for a few minutes. Cool middle aged guy chatting with a young guy stuff. We trade a few self-deprecating jokes so the comfort level is good.

Interviewer: Nice fake rolex. That is pretty cheesy of you.

Me: It's a real oysterquartz. They are uncommon, so sometimes people think they are fake.

Interviewer: Rolex never made a quartz watch. If the watch ticks second-by-second it is fake. It should be smooth like this one. *Holds up his gaudy rolex that has the smooth hand motion*. You got scammed.

Me: Rolex did make a quartz watch, called the oysterquartz, from 1978 to 2001. This is one of the early versions, and it is genuine. Also, my grandfather got it for me.

Interviewer: Oh, I am sorry if it is personal. I'm just saying you got scammed. It can't be real.

Me: Just google "oysterquartz."

Interviewer: *Pretends to pull his blackberry out, then laughs and just moves on*


This shit actually happened. What was interesting is that it was kind of fun. I wasn't insulted and it wasn't awkward. He was just painfully wrong and jokingly condescending. Got a callback and offer. Declined for a significantly better offer.

Saying that a watch "only" cost you $2000 makes you sound hella-douchey, but you told a story in which this guy took the douchiness to the next level. So your douchiness is negated and forgiven.

I don't think that's the point. Rolex watches are notoriously expensive, and while $2000 is certainly a lot of money, the poster is clearly trying to indicate that he didn't wear some $35,000 watch to try to look like a baller. Rather, the watch is nice but hardly near the top-of-the-line models that the company produces.

Dude, I get that. I've been around enough lawyers to understand the price points of Rolexes. I'm just trying to play the passive observer role (while is essentially the role I play in law school, as I'm consistently dumbfounded and confused by the things around me, aside from the actual class material), in noting how silly it sounds.

As far as I can tell, only law students who post on message boards, and lawyers who used to be law students who post on message boards, care about watches. Hope that helps your confusion.

[Helmholtz]

I've been around enough lawyers to understand the price points of Rolexes.

This phrase struck me as really funny.

[Anonymous User]

I've been around enough lawyers to understand the price points of Rolexes.

This phrase struck me as really funny.

Yeah, I phrased it oddly. But I mean that I've overheard enough inane conversation regarding the $$ people spent on watches to know that $2000 is actually at the low end of what one might spend for a Rolex