Callback Advice Forum

[5ky]

Thought my CB went very well. Was 48 hours ago. Haven't received an offer yet but I know of someone who interviewed at the same time who did. Am I out of the running?

Not out of the running, but the way my firm does it is that the hiring committee meets and reviews all open CBs at once, so you'll either get a ding in a few days or you're in a limbo pile

[Anonymous User]

Thought my CB went very well. Was 48 hours ago. Haven't received an offer yet but I know of someone who interviewed at the same time who did. Am I out of the running?

Not out of the running, but the way my firm does it is that the hiring committee meets and reviews all open CBs at once, so you'll either get a ding in a few days or you're in a limbo pile

OP here: Good to know. Thought I was lucky enough to get a CB because of my interviewing skills. I know I'm definitely a marginal candidate.

[Anonymous User]

Thought my CB went very well. Was 48 hours ago. Haven't received an offer yet but I know of someone who interviewed at the same time who did. Am I out of the running?

Not out of the running, but the way my firm does it is that the hiring committee meets and reviews all open CBs at once, so you'll either get a ding in a few days or you're in a limbo pile

With the understanding that this may vary by firm, is there anything useful a candidate can do in the limbo position? Does checking in periodically (i.e., every week or two) and showing continued interest potentially help in these discussions, or is it just a matter of the pool and who else accepts offers at that point?

I think I'm in this boat post-CB trying to go from a T14 back to my home regional, and I'm waffling between following up (in case any of the skepticism relates to my desire to return/interest) vs. not pointlessly bothering them or seeming neurotic. And I know of at least one other T14 offer they've made, so it's not solely a case of a regional market moving more slowly.

[thesealocust]

With the understanding that this may vary by firm, is there anything useful a candidate can do in the limbo position?

No.

[Anonymous User]

After lunch with te associates are you supposed to leave direct from lunch or stop back in at the office?

[thesealocust]

After lunch with te associates are you supposed to leave direct from lunch or stop back in at the office?

They'll tell you (or you can ask). In my experience the interview is done, but maybe you have luggage or something at the office.

[5ky]

After lunch with te associates are you supposed to leave direct from lunch or stop back in at the office?

yeah depends on the firm. for most, it's over then. i had a few where they had me come back and finish up with recruiting, but that was explicit and told to me before we went to lunch.

[lavarman84]

What the hell kind of behavioral questions did they ask?

Edit Accidental anon. It's monsterman

1. Tell me about a time you made a mistake at work
2. Tell me about a time you used a creative solution to solve a problem (or something like that, don't really remember anything except sounding stupid for 2 minutes afterwards)

I'm sitting here trying to come up with an answer for #2 and I have nothing. I'm not even in an interview and I can't answer it. So you shouldn't feel bad. I don't even know what would qualify as a "creative" solution.

[Anonymous User]

"I read Barbarians at the Gates and am intrigued" coupled with a dose of "ra-ra team work! ra-ra collaboration!"

This - basically verbatim - has been my go-to this cycle. So far so good.

[Anonymous User]

I'm having trouble clicking with my interviewers (this was a problem with screeners too). I don't know how to make it go from an interrogation to a dialogue a lot of the times and it seems like I'm missing some kind of cue to jump in since the interviewer feels like he's about ready to be done talking. It goes without saying I see myself as being aspie but I'm wondering if anyone has tips on how you use questions as a springboard.

[Traynor Brah]

Well it was never an interrogation to begin with. If the first question you're asking is aftee the person asks, "what questions do you have for me," something probably went wrong. For example, if they ask "why are you interested in x firm?" it is totally cool to answer and then interject with "what originally attracted you to the firm?" (Or, e.g. "what practice area are you interested in?" Answer, then, in the same breath, ask what their practice is like and how they went about choosing their area/tips for exploring areas before deciding).

When a question pops up in your head or there is some natural follow up to the subject at hand, bring it up, as you would in any conversation. You're trying to charm them and lead an interesting conversation; the best way to do that is to seem interested in them and their personal experience.

[Anonymous User]

How do you best bring in the fact that you spoke to people at your school who summered at the firm? Like, I don't want to seem like I'm regurgitating what they said, but they were an influence in my bidding decisions.

[Anonymous User]

Losing hope here and really cannot find what went wrong during my callbacks. CSO said I was fine/nice/etc after a mock. Having gone for three but all ding. Only four callbacks now - what should I do?

[Anonymous User]

Do the firms have low callback to offer ratios? In those cases, it may not be you; it's just that the spots are really limited. And four more callbacks is plenty. I dunno, I feel like the more I go through this process, the more I feel that luck of the draw plays such a heavy roll in the whole process.

Also, I find that CSO advice can promote being a bit too stiff and mechanical with interviews.

[Anonymous User]

I don't really know - based on CLS data yes, but I'm non-T14, not local school, so not sure if that's accurate. Couldn't find my school data. I am very concerned but at the same time puzzled...

But thank you!

[Anonymous User]

How do we did out what a firms offer rates are?

[Anonymous User]

My school has a record of callback to offers based on last year (CLS). Check with your school's OCS, since my school may not necessarily have the same as mine.

[n1o2c3a4c5h6e7t]

Does the same advice apply to a callback obtained by mass mailing, where there was no screener interview?

[TheoO]

Does the same advice apply to a callback obtained by mass mailing, where there was no screener interview?

Why wouldn't it? I assume that you sent them your transcript and they saw it. Which means that the essential purpose of the screener has been accomplished.

[Anonymous User]

Is it okay to mention the interviewer's background which I found from his Linkedin profile during the cb interview? The firm's profile doesn't say anything about it, but the interviewer has an interesting work experience before he moved to this firm as a lateral. But I'm afraid he might think I'm a creeper.

[Traynor Brah]

Is it okay to mention the interviewer's background which I found from his Linkedin profile during the cb interview? The firm's profile doesn't say anything about it, but the interviewer has an interesting work experience before he moved to this firm as a lateral. But I'm afraid he might think I'm a creeper.

Yeah, that'd be kind of creepy if you brought it up like that. Just ask him about his career path and how he got to the firm, then follow up on his response.

[Anonymous User]

Okay, a little worried here. T14, and I've had nine callbacks so far in a few different markets and only received one offer. Only one outright rejection so far, but my friends are receiving offers from firms where we interviewed on the same day, so I have a handful of assumed rejections as well.

I'm a fairly normal guy, I think I come across as a decent conversationalist, and I'm not sure what is leading to my rejections. I suppose it could be any number of things - a not-very-rigorous undergraduate major, I'm more awkward than I realize, I left FedSoc on my resume when I shouldn't have (but politics have not come up in interviews, and they gave me the callback knowing it was on my resume), or something else entirely. I have great grades and am on law review, but am having trouble converting callbacks to offers... Getting a little bummed out. I have a few callbacks left... trying to stay positive!

What's a guy to do when he doesn't know what's going wrong?

(I am very grateful for the one offer I have - don't get me wrong!)

[Anonymous User]

Okay, a little worried here. T14, and I've had nine callbacks so far in a few different markets and only received one offer. Only one outright rejection so far, but my friends are receiving offers from firms where we interviewed on the same day, so I have a handful of assumed rejections as well.

I'm a fairly normal guy, I think I come across as a decent conversationalist, and I'm not sure what is leading to my rejections. I suppose it could be any number of things - a not-very-rigorous undergraduate major, I'm more awkward than I realize, I left FedSoc on my resume when I shouldn't have (but politics have not come up in interviews, and they gave me the callback knowing it was on my resume), or something else entirely. I have great grades and am on law review, but am having trouble converting callbacks to offers... Getting a little bummed out. I have a few callbacks left... trying to stay positive!

What's a guy to do when he doesn't know what's going wrong?

(I am very grateful for the one offer I have - don't get me wrong!)

First of all thanks for acknowledging that you're in quite a nice position nonetheless given your current offer.

It might be just chance/hiring needs, it might be that you have a certain kind of personality that's coming off and only meshing with certain other types of people, other people just having higher grades and the firm being one that's going for that, etc. 9 callbacks is a lot so clearly you're doing something right at the early stages. Maybe talk with your school's job center? Have people who have interacted with you a lot as well as those who have only interacted with a you little (the latter being a little more awkward) say if there's anything off-putting or controversial about you? Maybe ask the job center if they can get any feedback from the firms you've been rejected at?

[Anonymous User]

I had a really great recruiting season - 14 callbacks, 12 offers. I got to speak to one of the firms that rejected me - said I just didn't seem that interested and overconfident. Totally fair criticism - no one wants to work with someone who thinks they're better than everyone.

Got offers at V2-V9; rejections from V25 firms.

[El Pollito]

I had a really great recruiting season - 14 callbacks, 12 offers. I got to speak to one of the firms that rejected me - said I just didn't seem that interested and overconfident. Totally fair criticism - no one wants to work with someone who thinks they're better than everyone.

Got offers at V2-V9; rejections from V25 firms.

thanks for contributing