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Direct-Write success stories

Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2014 3:55 pm
by sergiokun16
Hi All,

Wondering if anyone has had prior success with direct-writes. If so, do you feel you did something in particular which helped you secure an interview? Any tips for ensuring that your resume/cover letter don't fall into the abyss?

There are great posts involving advice on the topic scatterred around the site, but a unified post with success stories/advice might be helpful.

Re: Direct-Write success stories

Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2014 4:27 pm
by Anonymous User
I secured my current 1L SA at a large regional firm by playing the Jewish card hard in my cover letter and talking about how I am especially interested in the firm because they are very active in the statewide Jewish community and that is very important to me and how it is important to give back blah blah blah blah blah. It ended up being a major talking point at my interview. Note, while I have done some community service, I am by no means "active" or particularly invested in the Jewish community but you have to play up what the firms are all about.

Re: Direct-Write success stories

Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2014 4:39 pm
by sergiokun16
Haha nice. And shit man, 170,000 plus posts? You probably could have actually invested alot of time in the community with all the time spent on here lol.

Re: Direct-Write success stories

Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2014 4:54 pm
by Anonymous User
successes:

1) Call-back before OCI: I used a connection to get a targeted resume into the hands of the head of the practice group I'm interested in.

2) Guaranteed pre-select at OCI: had multiple contacts with the head recruiter over a prolonged period of time

3) Guaranteed pre-select at OCI: sent a friendly email to head of practice group, followed by resume. Had sporadic contacts with recruiter.

4) Guaranteed pre-select at OCI, reneged: sent friendly email to head of practice group, followed by a couple lunches. Was guaranteed to be pre-select at OCI, but never got an interview.

Re: Direct-Write success stories

Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2014 4:59 pm
by onionz
sergiokun16 wrote:Haha nice. And shit man, 170,000 plus posts? You probably could have actually invested alot of time in the community with all the time spent on here lol.

?? Joke or doesn't know how anon works?

Re: Direct-Write success stories

Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2014 5:55 pm
by sergiokun16
onionz wrote:
sergiokun16 wrote:Haha nice. And shit man, 170,000 plus posts? You probably could have actually invested alot of time in the community with all the time spent on here lol.

?? Joke or doesn't know how anon works?
The latter. :oops:

Re: Direct-Write success stories

Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2014 6:14 pm
by DUBcity
Anonymous User wrote:successes:

1) Call-back before OCI: I used a connection to get a targeted resume into the hands of the head of the practice group I'm interested in.

2) Guaranteed pre-select at OCI: had multiple contacts with the head recruiter over a prolonged period of time

3) Guaranteed pre-select at OCI: sent a friendly email to head of practice group, followed by resume. Had sporadic contacts with recruiter.

4) Guaranteed pre-select at OCI, reneged: sent friendly email to head of practice group, followed by a couple lunches. Was guaranteed to be pre-select at OCI, but never got an interview.
WRT #4 can you plz tell more about if and how the email led to the lunches and who they were with(title-wise) and how that led to a pre-select and if you kno why that never materialized for you? I have a lunch set up Monday and am curious thanks