I wanna work in the Bay area, I decided in the last few weeks that I would rather work there than in DC (my original plan and second choice). I've been looking into recruiting options, there's the Bay area diversity fair and my school has a regional recruiting program there as well. Both of these options would require that I spend about $500 changing my international plane ticket, plus another $800-$1000 for a 4 day trip to SF, plus the inconvenience of all of it. This would mean I would have to cut my summer job short by two weeks as well. Basically I don't really want to do this unless I have to.
My other option is to bid on the biglaw firms whose SF offices are coming to OCI (about 10 of them) and mass mail.
I go to a T10, slightly above median, no significant WE outside of internships (though the internships are pretty impressive), great interviewing skills and demeanor, great diversity/backstory, foreign languages and other good 'softs'. Connections to SF include a close family friend who is practically like a brother and two cousins (with wives and families) working in good positions in big tech companies.
So should I go to SF or work the OCI circuit?
Make my Choice Forum
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Rowinguy2009
- Posts: 364
- Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2009 7:37 pm
Re: Make my Choice
I think conventional wisdom on this site is to employ an "all of the above" type strategy. If you want the Bay area, concentrate most heavily on it, but also have multiple back-up areas that you apply to as well. OCI and mass-mailing are both great ways to hit a large number of firms in a relatively easy way.
I don't fully understand the conundrum involving the bay area diversity fair. Does it conflict with OCI? It sounds like this fair would be a great way to meet employers in your target market and would be worth the expense. Even if this causes you to miss a couple days of OCI, I would assume the four days spent at the diversity fair would be > than four days spent at OCI (but you should look at the specific employers that will be at each to ensure this is the case). Ideally, you should do the fair, as much of OCI as you can, and also mass mail.
TLDR - Do everything you can.
Edit - I just noticed the part about you cutting your summer job short to do the diversity fair. Is there any chance this job will lead to long term employment? Even if it won't, you should talk to your supervisor and make sure they are cool with you leaving early. Right now they are one of the only "legal" references you have, it would be a mistake to completely blow them off. If they are not going to result in a full-time offer, hopefully they understand the need to apply for jobs.
I don't fully understand the conundrum involving the bay area diversity fair. Does it conflict with OCI? It sounds like this fair would be a great way to meet employers in your target market and would be worth the expense. Even if this causes you to miss a couple days of OCI, I would assume the four days spent at the diversity fair would be > than four days spent at OCI (but you should look at the specific employers that will be at each to ensure this is the case). Ideally, you should do the fair, as much of OCI as you can, and also mass mail.
TLDR - Do everything you can.
Edit - I just noticed the part about you cutting your summer job short to do the diversity fair. Is there any chance this job will lead to long term employment? Even if it won't, you should talk to your supervisor and make sure they are cool with you leaving early. Right now they are one of the only "legal" references you have, it would be a mistake to completely blow them off. If they are not going to result in a full-time offer, hopefully they understand the need to apply for jobs.
