Rising Mid-Level (V10) + OCI Interviewer Taking Questions. Forum

[Anonymous User]

If an applicant was no-offered for a particular position after a call-back, would it be crazy if that applicant applied to another advertised position 1.5 months later? It seems a little awkward and desperate no?

[Anonanonymous]

Do firms "yield protect" with callbacks?

We don't, can't speak to other firms. We expect the 3.8+ kid at a T-14 to want to come here. Even if that doesn't happen.

[Anonanonymous]

How do you feel about a resume that lists experience before education? Career services suggested this to me but I am skeptical

Could be entirely appropriate if you have significant work experience, or unique/special work experience that should be highlighted. Personally, I would think it would depend on those factors and the strength of your grades.

[Anonanonymous]

If an applicant was no-offered for a particular position after a call-back, would it be crazy if that applicant applied to another advertised position 1.5 months later? It seems a little awkward and desperate no?

I can't imagine that the success rate in this approach would be very high. But stranger things have happened. And what do you have to lose? If pressed on it, can deflect by saying you thought a new opening came up etc.

[Anonymous User]

This has been discussed to death on TLS but what's your take on thank you letters/emails after screeners and callbacks?

[Anonymous User]

What year are you? You can give a range if you don't feel comfortable, or not at all. How long do you plan to stay?

[Eldon Tyrell]

Thanks for doing this, OP.

[Anonanonymous]

This has been discussed to death on TLS but what's your take on thank you letters/emails after screeners and callbacks?

Very unlikely to have an impact, although may help on the margins. Easy to mess this up and have it count against you though. For example, one recruit sent a thank you note with bad formatting and spelling. Was circulated to whole interview team, all of whom remarked got the exact same email. If you do it, write them quick, make sure they look good, and personalize as possible.

[Anonanonymous]

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[Anonanonymous]

Thanks for doing this, OP.

My pleasure.

[Anonymous User]

If you were to start again as a first-year associate, anything you would recommend doing or that you would have done differently? I'm coming into an M&A practice and realize I know absolutely nothing. How can I get up to speed?

[Anonanonymous]

If you were to start again as a first-year associate, anything you would recommend doing or that you would have done differently? I'm coming into an M&A practice and realize I know absolutely nothing. How can I get up to speed?

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Yeah, not stressed out as much. Seriously. I touched upon this more fully in a previous answer, but your firm knows you are useless at first. Especially in corporate. Focus on what you can control: minimize sloppy mistakes, work hard (or appear to work hard) and have a good attitude. Do these three things and you will be set.

[Anonymous User]

If someone struck out at OCI and mass mailing failed, is 2L grades the biggest factor for 3L OCI and mass mailing? Transfer here so my GPA "resets."

[Anonymous User]

What have your hours been each year? How does that translate to like a week to week or month to month outlook?

[Anonanonymous]

If someone struck out at OCI and mass mailing failed, is 2L grades the biggest factor for 3L OCI and mass mailing? Transfer here so my GPA "resets."

Grades will be key. However, once the "institutional" pathways have passed (OGI, career fairs, etc) hustle becomes extremely important. Way too early to know if both mass mailing and OCI have failed though. Keep hustling. Mass mail targets in every plausible city where you have ties, reach out to alums at those firms immediately after sending in your materials, asking to talk to them about their experience at the firm. Mention at end of chat that you have applied, and would appreciate them reaching out to firm's internal recruiters on your behalf. This process works.

[Anonanonymous]

What have your hours been each year? How does that translate to like a week to week or month to month outlook?

Average between 2200-2400+. Can be crushing. Other weeks not so bad. You never know what the week will look like. In M&A/corporate, you will have some 80/90+ hr billable weeks. Consecutive nights of a few hours of sleep. These are awful. A "normal" week isn't so bad, but still constant firedrills which may or may not be tied to a real deadline. Hardest part is always being "on". Your plans could be blow up any any time, to the extent you are lucky to make plans, and this can still be hard to accept if you try to have a life outside of work, although it is an inescapable reality.

[Anonymous User]

Assuming everything else is equal (personality, fit, etc.), does law review carry more weight than GPA at times? Would you take a kid with 3.5/LR over a 3.8/secondary journal?

[Anonymous User]

What kinds of questions can a candidate ask during a call back that would impress you as an interviewer?

How much do grades matter during a call back?

[Anonymous User]

I'm interested in a reasonably niche practice, and have been hitting the firms that are highly ranked in the field. They know it through my CV and screeners, and my resume reflects it.

When I follow up with recruiting, what are your thoughts on CC-ing the practice groups main partner? I figure he/she might be interested and tell them to give me a callback.

[Anonymous User]

What are some of the most common things interviewees say (particularly in response to "why this firm/city") that you find off-putting/insincere?

[Anonymous User]

To what extent do you think OCI has been affected by pre-OCI interviews. Is your firm extending fewer callback offers to students from OCI than they did in the past?

Also, I get the sense that for a lot of firms, they have a kind of soft quota for different schools, so students are really competing more against their peers for offers than against students at other schools. Is that how it is at your school?

[Anonymous User]

I had 2 call backs a week apart. In each CB the partners said they will get back to me in a week or two. It has been 3 and 4 weeks for each CB. About 3 days ago I sent an email out reiterating my interest, what i liked about the firm, and some new developments in a big case i was working on in my previous firm. Still no word.

Is it because I have rejection snail mails on its way?

[Anonymous User]

When the recruitment committee reviews a candidate is there more weight given to candidates who had their screeners with a partner?

[Anonanonymous]

Assuming everything else is equal (personality, fit, etc.), does law review carry more weight than GPA at times? Would you take a kid with 3.5/LR over a 3.8/secondary journal?

Potentially, but that is a pretty sizable GPA difference. Depends what school too. Some schools have 1/3 of their students on law review while others might be 7-10%.

[Anonanonymous]

What kinds of questions can a candidate ask during a call back that would impress you as an interviewer?

How much do grades matter during a call back?

1. Any questions which show you've done some previous homework on our firm (subtly) AND can't be learned online.

2. Grades don't matter nearly as much past the screener, although that depends in part based on the randomness of which attorneys you are assigned and their personal biases. Let me put it this way, grades are unlikely to be deciding factor at callback stage unless you are neck-and-neck with someone and we are running out of spots.