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thoughts?

42.76%

Actually, I'd say it is about the same (which is around 50% or a little less in my region). If employers are hiring more summers, they will just give more callbacks.

Jarndyce wrote:42.76%

Actually, I'd say it is about the same (which is around 50% or a little less in my region). If employers are hiring more summers, they will just give more callbacks.

Why? Two years ago the offer rate was much, much higher once your got a callback. Is there any reason to think that employers will not revert to their pre-ITE ways now that they have a handle on things?

Do we know if employers have reduced their number of CBs in accordance with their reduced class sizes? (As opposed to granting more or less the same number of CBs pre-ITE and just extending fewer offers.)

I have been told by various people in my summer firm that things will never go back to the way things were. Too many firms got burned and learned their lesson the hard way. So if a firm would have, in the past, called back 8 people and offered 6, but this year they are only hiring 4, it still makes sense for them to call back 8. That gives them a bigger pool to choose from and a higher possibility of finding a better match.

I think it depends on how much expense they are dropping on callbacks. If they are paying for flights and hotel for everyone, I would imagine they are not calling back too many more people than they intend to hire, as it would be silly to pay for 20 people's travel to fill 3 positions. However, if they are not paying for that stuff, or if they call back a large number of local candidates, I would be a bit wary. If they are not paying to bring you in, then why not just offer callbacks to as many people as possible? Only thing they loose is the time the attorneys spend interviewing you.

Jarndyce wrote:I have been told by various people in my summer firm that things will never go back to the way things were. Too many firms got burned and learned their lesson the hard way. So if a firm would have, in the past, called back 8 people and offered 6, but this year they are only hiring 4, it still makes sense for them to call back 8. That gives them a bigger pool to choose from and a higher possibility of finding a better match.

Yah, as I said above, I think that logic holds up only if they are not paying for travel.

Bosque wrote:I think it depends on how much expense they are dropping on callbacks. If they are paying for flights and hotel for everyone, I would imagine they are not calling back too many more people than they intend to hire, as it would be silly to pay for 20 people's travel to fill 3 positions. However, if they are not paying for that stuff, or if they call back a large number of local candidates, I would be a bit wary. If they are not paying to bring you in, then why not just offer callbacks to as many people as possible? Only thing they loose is the time the attorneys spend interviewing you.

Jarndyce wrote:I have been told by various people in my summer firm that things will never go back to the way things were. Too many firms got burned and learned their lesson the hard way. So if a firm would have, in the past, called back 8 people and offered 6, but this year they are only hiring 4, it still makes sense for them to call back 8. That gives them a bigger pool to choose from and a higher possibility of finding a better match.

Yah, as I said above, I think that logic holds up only if they are not paying for travel.

Fair enough- I have never flown anywhere for a callback, so I didn't consider that. Good point, though.

Bosque wrote:I think it depends on how much expense they are dropping on callbacks. If they are paying for flights and hotel for everyone, I would imagine they are not calling back too many more people than they intend to hire, as it would be silly to pay for 20 people's travel to fill 3 positions.

I think that logic holds up only if they are not paying for travel.

Not really. If a firm has a really small summer class, then they have more of an incentive to get the "right" people in that class. All firms realize that they are running a not insubstantial risk of facing a different economy in 5 years and not having the proper staffing. When you hire a lot of people, you expect attrition, and generally know that you will still have the right number of people at each class year. When you only take a small class on, attrition can really put you in a bad place. Flying people out for callbacks is less expensive than getting into a bidding war for laterals.

I would expect that last year's model will hold up -- firms with smaller classes will offer callbacks in waves. While getting called early is a definite advantage, the firm's "pickiness" level is likely to be higher, so they may keep you on ice longer.

Basically, I wouldn't worry about the ratio of callbacks to offers. Take as many callbacks as you are offered until you are offered a job that trumps your other options.

LurkerNoMore wrote: While getting called early is a definite advantage, the firm's "pickiness" level is likely to be higher, so they may keep you on ice longer.

I'm curious about when's the optimal time to schedule callbacks. As close as possible to initial interview? Or closer towards when the firm is done with all their OCIs so they won't forget you amidst the more recent interviewees?

jamaicanjynx wrote:

LurkerNoMore wrote: While getting called early is a definite advantage, the firm's "pickiness" level is likely to be higher, so they may keep you on ice longer.

I'm curious about when's the optimal time to schedule callbacks. As close as possible to initial interview? Or closer towards when the firm is done with all their OCIs so they won't forget you amidst the more recent interviewees?

ASAP. You never know if offers are rolling. Also, if you don't make an impression that lasts, going towards the end won't help anyway -- someone else will have set a benchmark that won't overcome.

jamaicanjynx wrote:

LurkerNoMore wrote: While getting called early is a definite advantage, the firm's "pickiness" level is likely to be higher, so they may keep you on ice longer.

I'm curious about when's the optimal time to schedule callbacks. As close as possible to initial interview? Or closer towards when the firm is done with all their OCIs so they won't forget you amidst the more recent interviewees?

ASAP. It's usually rolling/cascading.

Jarndyce wrote:I have been told by various people in my summer firm that things will never go back to the way things were. Too many firms got burned and learned their lesson the hard way. So if a firm would have, in the past, called back 8 people and offered 6, but this year they are only hiring 4, it still makes sense for them to call back 8. That gives them a bigger pool to choose from and a higher possibility of finding a better match.

Why not just give everyone a callback then? Invite almost every 2L from the T14 and you'd have a pool of 3,000. That'd give the firm great options.

Interviewing costs time and money. Firms will want a high percentage of offers from their callbacks--that's why they screen first. It will depend on the firm and your school, but I'd say maybe 60% at the T14.