below 3.3 GPA, limited w/e, weak social skills @columbia Forum

[Anonymous User]

Totally screwed right?

[09042014]

Find a professional interview coach or something. DO NOT use OCS.

[ebihara]

bid well and practice your interview skills.
i know a bunch of 2Ls and 3Ls with similar GPAs and not-so-impressive work experience, and they've scored offers from many respectable biglaw firms in NY.

[Anonymous User]

Does bad social skills mean you're really awkward? Have you been practicing at all? I have several friends (CLS) who have solid jobs with that GPA through EIP so grades aren't an automatic barrier for you.

[Anonymous User]

I'm in a similar position at a similar school. Posting for solidarity and advice.

[Anonymous User]

OP here.

I should mention that I am not part of a journal and my softs, aside from work experience, are lacking.

As for social skills; I disappoint interview trainers, at least ones with higher expectations.

[Anonymous User]

Your gpa is fine for EIP, but gpa + inability to communicate effectively could be a stumbling block. Did you attend any firm events and snag any business cards? Reaching out and establishing a dialogue w/ someone could help you generate more organic conversation topics w/ the interviewer. Also shows direct interest.

You can't improve "social skills" generically overnight, but you can do lots of practice interviews with alumns in your area and phone or skype informational interviews with firms you're interested in throughout july. Where are you working now? Maybe try going to lunch with coworkers and pursuing legal-related but non-awkward conversations. Put yourself outside your comfort zone now -> be less uncomfortable later.

Also start taking care of yourself (if relevant, otherwise ignore). Shave, comb your hair, buy some clothes that fit well. Go to the gym 3x/week, 45 min mixed, and stop eating gluten. You can actually make a physical difference in 3+ wks that could impact your interpersonal confidence. Physical presence can be equally crucial or damning for interviewing as the content of your answers.

[Nelson]

stop eating gluten.

Offer Vault rank is inversely correlated with carb consumption.

[OutCold]

stop eating gluten.

Offer Vault rank is inversely correlated with carb consumption.

I ate a heaping plate of spaghetti the evening before each callback, then made sure to load up on simple sugars during the associate lunches to power through the last two interviews of the day. The V20s were impressed by my high energy level.

[shock259]

How bad of social skills are we talking here? Can you have a conversation with someone?

Practice interviewing now. Practice with OCS, practice with attorneys, practice with everyone. Get your spiel down. Get it down perfectly. Practice being charming. Fake it.

[Strahilevitz]

how weak are your social skills?

what's your response to "hi, how are you?"

[nsideirish]

how weak are your social skills?

what's your response to "hi, how are you?"

"Not too much."

: oh fuck :

[Anonymous User]

how weak are your social skills?

what's your response to "hi, how are you?"

"Not too much."

: oh fuck :

it's a little unconventional, but go to a bar with your buddies and practice socializing with strangers. it'll help

edit: oops, did not mean to be anon

[Anonymous User]

Not OP but I'm in almost the exact same position.

As for social skills, obviously everyone can respond to "Hi, how are you?"
I think some people, like me, have trouble with social skills in the sense that we can carry on the conversation, but it's not engaging by any means.

For example, sure I can tell you what my strengths are. I can tell you why I went to law school. However, many people cannot make the interview seem seamless and engaging. Someone with weak social skills CAN go through an interview answering questions. The greater concern is HOW they do it.

I think weak social skils = lack of enthusiasm, lack of following up to questions, rigidity in answering questions, general awkwardness, etc.

I might be wrong but I've been working on these and my interviewing has improved drastically. Perhaps someone can fill in and say whether they agree or disagree, and any tips they have for me and OP

[Anonymous User]

Not OP but I'm in almost the exact same position.

As for social skills, obviously everyone can respond to "Hi, how are you?"
I think some people, like me, have trouble with social skills in the sense that we can carry on the conversation, but it's not engaging by any means.

For example, sure I can tell you what my strengths are. I can tell you why I went to law school. However, many people cannot make the interview seem seamless and engaging. Someone with weak social skills CAN go through an interview answering questions. The greater concern is HOW they do it.

I think weak social skils = lack of enthusiasm, lack of following up to questions, rigidity in answering questions, general awkwardness, etc.

I might be wrong but I've been working on these and my interviewing has improved drastically. Perhaps someone can fill in and say whether they agree or disagree, and any tips they have for me and OP

not the person who asked the "hi, how are you?" question, but i see why he asked. i'm not sure "not too much" is an answer to "how are you?" and it might seem weird to an older interviewer that such a question gets interpreted as "what's up?" (i have a problem with staying formal but relaxed as well, and it gets me during interviews)

for what it's worth, i find that hanging out with coworkers with high e.q. helps. i'm not sure what anyone can do about a lack of enthusiasm, but if anyone has a hard time coming up with follow-up questions, there's a list on the TLS forums somewhere

[Anonymous User]

As for social skills, obviously everyone can respond to "Hi, how are you?"
I think some people, like me, have trouble with social skills in the sense that we can carry on the conversation, but it's not engaging by any means.

For example, sure I can tell you what my strengths are. I can tell you why I went to law school. However, many people cannot make the interview seem seamless and engaging. Someone with weak social skills CAN go through an interview answering questions. The greater concern is HOW they do it.

I think weak social skils = lack of enthusiasm, lack of following up to questions, rigidity in answering questions, general awkwardness, etc.

I'm similar, and I would largely agree, but I would also add that I found callbacks significantly more challenging than screeners (I had maybe 30 screeners, 10+ callbacks, and only one offer that came pretty late in the game). It's relatively easy to fake it for 20 minutes, but I found it much more difficult to sustain enthusiasm and engagement (or a reasonable facsimile thereof) for a few hours. This also means that short-duration mock interviews may not accurately diagnose issues you have, so if you think you have interviewing issues don't let career services or whomever reassure you too easily.

[Anonymous User]

I don't know how much this applies to you but since personality is hard to change, make sure to do everything you can control to be confident. Get in shape, get a nice haircut, and buy a well-tailored suit. Knowing you look good can make a lot of difference and provide confidence in interviews. Of course the interviewer will likely think positively as well.

I think being "charming" = being good at interviews. In general terms, it's being able to steer conversations, be thoughtful, be interesting and engaging. Obv this is difficult and not something many people can do. Do what you can to be as close as possible.