Does a partner sending your resume / recommendating you actually help? Forum

[Anonymous User]

A partner at a V10 forwarded my resume / recommended me for a summer position to recruiting at his firm. Do hiring committees typically treat these candidates differently or will it just be thrown in the stack with the others?

If it matters, the partner is the head of one of their largest practice groups.

[Anonymous User]

For a practice group head, I'd say it matters. Run of the mill partner, probably not much. But the more influential, then yes. Could also depend on the culture of the firm.

At the V20 I'm at, if said partner knows the hiring partner and the other partners on the hiring committee well or , is quite prominent in the firm's leadership, I'm sure the candidate would get an interview, assuming they meet the minimum qualifications (which is key here). They can't get a candidate an offer if the hiring committee is against giving them one. But if they want, they can get you a callback, which gives you at least a coin flip's chance at most firms.

[Anonymous User]

In addition to the partner's influence, also relevant might be your qualifications (a 4.0 gpa might get you far w/o nepotism) and how strongly they actually recommend you. Is the partner a rando family friend who you've met once and owes your family nothing? Or is the partner your mother, for example. I am generally not a well-connected person, but in one instance I was lucky to know someone and I will say it made a big difference.

[lolwat]

Assuming it doesn't get lost in the partner's inbox and never actually gets forwarded, I think it can only help, because worst case scenario it'd just get thrown in with the rest of the stack. How much it helps depends on the firm, the influence of the partner, and the partner's recommendation, if any, when forwarding your resume (e.g., the difference between "see attached resume" versus "i'm attaching a resume from a law student i've met and i strongly recommend that we interview this person for a position at the firm")

[xjustyoursmile]

The only reason why I got my current job at a biglaw firm was because I met a partner at a conference and then she spread my resume around.

From talking to her about it, they treated my resume similarly to most hires, debating whether I was more valuable of a hire (as a one-year-out- lateral vs other options such as a fresh-out-of-law-school-smart-person). At the same time, she has a lot of sway since she is a big name in the practice area I was hired for.

[lavarman84]

I think the answer is exactly what you expect. If a person is a partner there, they've done enough to earn the respect of the higher-ups at the firm. So yes, it will help. It won't guarantee you an offer, but I expect you have a strong chance of getting at least a screener.

[Just This Post]

Recommendating isn't a word.

[A. Nony Mouse]

Recommendating isn't a word.

Classy and necessary necro, likely alt.

[nealric]

In addition to the partner's influence, also relevant might be your qualifications (a 4.0 gpa might get you far w/o nepotism) and how strongly they actually recommend you. Is the partner a rando family friend who you've met once and owes your family nothing? Or is the partner your mother, for example. I am generally not a well-connected person, but in one instance I was lucky to know someone and I will say it made a big difference.

If the partner is your parent, most firms won't allow you to work for them at all. Even if you could, you probably wouldn't want to.

But yes, how powerful the partner is and how strongly they advocate for you has a lot to do with it. If a big rainmaker who is on the hiring committee says "hire this person" it's almost certain they will be hired unless they are patently unqualified. If a junior service partner meekly forwards your resume to one of the recruiting secretaries with a note saying they "see attached resume" it's unlikely to advance the candidate much beyond blind applying.

Edit: just noticed necro thread. Oh well

[pancakes3]

lol @ working for my mom.

[gaddockteeg]

A partner at a V10 forwarded my resume / recommended me for a summer position to recruiting at his firm. Do hiring committees typically treat these candidates differently or will it just be thrown in the stack with the others?

If it matters, the partner is the head of one of their largest practice groups.

depends on (1) how strong of a recommendation nad (2) influence of partner.

I have a friend's dad who is a partner at a v20 in dc. Whenever he's asked to recommend or forward a resume, he writes "attached is a XX's resume. please give XX the same consideration that you would any other applicant."

[Anonymous User]

Presented without comment

When I was in banking, my buddy was applying to V15 firm for 2L SA. They were counsel on a few of our transactions, I had "worked with" (i.e., was on email chains with and had said hi to during drafting) one of their partners. Friend got a callback, I emailed the partner his resume, said "hey my friend XYZ is interviewing with you guys, he's a bright guy, etc etc." Buddy got the offer, said that partner had told him during the interview, "it's great that you know Anon, these are the sort of connections that help make your career. Good of him to put in a word blah blah blah." (Which for the record is retarded, b/c I was an associate and had no authority whatsoever over which firm we retain on transactions.)