T14 OCI Strike-out. What to do? Forum

[lemmonzzestt]

I'm a JD at T-14, 3.1 GPA (two B-s), 3 years of work experiences, nothing special about my background and experiences. Lived a very common, mediocre life. I targeted NYC/LA/SF and didn't get any callback during the OCI. Mass mailed more than 100 firms but didn't get any screener. Completely devastated rn. Any advice on what to do from now?

[trebekismyhero]

Just keep mass mailing everywhere in NYC and any secondary markets you have connections or would be interested in living. LA/SF are tough even with good grades. Talk to career services for advice and help. Also apply for gov internships that are in the areas that you have an interest and that would look good for 3L OCI. And to improve your chances, focus on getting your gpa up as much as possible this year.

[LBJ's Hair]

I targeted NYC/LA/SF and didn't get any callback during the OCI.

You might be coming across poorly in interviews. I'd talk to campus services about this.

[acr]

I'm a JD at T-14, 3.1 GPA (two B-s), 3 years of work experiences, nothing special about my background and experiences. Lived a very common, mediocre life. I targeted NYC/LA/SF and didn't get any callback during the OCI. Mass mailed more than 100 firms but didn't get any screener. Completely devastated rn. Any advice on what to do from now?

Hard to tell across the Internet, but based on how you describe yourself ("nothing special about my background and experiences," "very common, mediocre life") I have a feeling that you're coming across as lacking enthusiasm for the firm/position/practice group in interviews. As another poster mentioned, I would get in with Career Services to see if there's something off-putting you're doing in your interviews.

[QContinuum]

I targeted NYC/LA/SF and didn't get any callback during the OCI.

You might be coming across poorly in interviews. I'd talk to campus services about this.

I'm hesitant to read too much into a single Internet forum post, but it could also be a language issue. Awkward phrasing like "didn't get any callback during the OCI," "didn't get any screener," "3 years of work experiences," "I'm a JD at T14" suggests OP's English may be noticeably accented. If true, I think it'd be critical to spend some effort addressing that.

[BeeTeeZ]

I targeted NYC/LA/SF and didn't get any callback during the OCI.

You might be coming across poorly in interviews. I'd talk to campus services about this.

I'm hesitant to read too much into a single Internet forum post, but it could also be a language issue. Awkward phrasing like "didn't get any callback during the OCI," "didn't get any screener," "3 years of work experiences," "I'm a JD at T14" suggests OP's English may be noticeably accented. If true, I think it'd be critical to spend some effort addressing that.

Good call. And taking it a step further, if OP *appears* to be an international student, OP may be getting dinged for perceived sponsorship/VISA issues/costs.

[nixy]

I was going to raise the international student thing as well. And while it’s good to be aware of your limitations, I do wonder if you’re being too self-deprecating in person, based on your description of yourself. Obviously you don’t want to pretend to have done things you haven’t, or that your experiences are worth more than they are, but you sound a little defensive over what you have too offer?

[QContinuum]

I do wonder if you’re being too self-deprecating in person, based on your description of yourself. Obviously you don’t want to pretend to have done things you haven’t, or that your experiences are worth more than they are, but you sound a little defensive over what you have too offer?

That's a cogent point. OP says there's "nothing special about my background and experiences. Lived a very common, mediocre life." Well, frankly that's true of the vast majority of T13 K-JDs (and even some of the non-K-JDs - nothing too special, really, about having been an ibanking/consulting analyst or BigLaw paralegal for a few years between college and law school).

There are a number of Yalies with "wow!" experiences/accomplishments, but the most impressive attribute of the average T13 2L is their T13 student status.