14 callbacks + no offers --> should I be worried? Forum

[Anonymous User]

i apologize for any second-hand anxiety this causes. this recruitment process can be so draining and, before I spiral, I want to seek help/support from a community of people who are either going through the same thing or have done this before.

my OCI was last week and while I got 14 callbacks, only 9 were from V20 firms...this worries me because I've already had four callbacks this week and I have heard NOTHING...even though all the conversations seemed to go well. I think it might be because of the formatting on my resume. I was torn on whether to italicize my job titles and I decided not to but I worry that this might project apathy, which is misaligned with my narrative as an associate looking to take a generalist approach to detail-oriented work in the short-term. i feel like this is especially bad given the lack of action verbs used to describe the undergrad internships I have on my resume, but I honestly had no choice because I didn't actually do anything at those internships.

honestly, the biggest issue here is that everything in my life has been handed to me. i am a textbook product of nepotism and I think I am finally getting what has been coming to me. please try and be understanding and believe me when I say I am approaching this with as much self-awareness and introspection as someone in my position possibly can. in other words, before you pass judgment, try to put yourself in my shoes. what would you do if you were me? when you hit rock bottom, how do you bounce back with grace/pride/poise/etc.?

I hear ppl say if you don't make V20 you might not as well not do big law. however, I do think moments like this require you to redefine your standards for success. i am worrying that I have essentially struck out and I am wondering what the next steps are. i hear a lot of talk on this forum about mass mailing...what does that look like? how do i know what firms are still looking to fill their summer class so late in the process?

[jotarokujo]

without the italics thing it would be convincing

[Anonymous User]

i apologize for any second-hand anxiety this causes. this recruitment process can be so draining and, before I spiral, I want to seek help/support from a community of people who are either going through the same thing or have done this before.

my OCI was last week and while I got 14 callbacks, only 9 were from V20 firms...this worries me because I've already had four callbacks this week and I have heard NOTHING...even though all the conversations seemed to go well. I think it might be because of the formatting on my resume. I was torn on whether to italicize my job titles and I decided not to but I worry that this might project apathy, which is misaligned with my narrative as an associate looking to take a generalist approach to detail-oriented work in the short-term. i feel like this is especially bad given the lack of action verbs used to describe the undergrad internships I have on my resume, but I honestly had no choice because I didn't actually do anything at those internships.

honestly, the biggest issue here is that everything in my life has been handed to me. i am a textbook product of nepotism and I think I am finally getting what has been coming to me. please try and be understanding and believe me when I say I am approaching this with as much self-awareness and introspection as someone in my position possibly can. in other words, before you pass judgment, try to put yourself in my shoes. what would you do if you were me? when you hit rock bottom, how do you bounce back with grace/pride/poise/etc.?

I hear ppl say if you don't make V20 you might not as well not do big law. however, I do think moments like this require you to redefine your standards for success. i am worrying that I have essentially struck out and I am wondering what the next steps are. i hear a lot of talk on this forum about mass mailing...what does that look like? how do i know what firms are still looking to fill their summer class so late in the process?

Okay, you're either (a) the most anxious human alive or (b) a troll who needs to get better at this.

If (a): Look, you've had four total callbacks, so you could only have four offers. The CBs were this week, and CB->offer times are notoriously unpredictable. Chill out, your resume formatting has nothing to do with this. If you're the product of nepotism you say you are, you've probably never had to deal with worry about something before. Chill. Tf. Out.

If (b): Put the nepotism before the blatant trolling next time. The resume italicization is so obvious that it's painful. A good troll baits his targets slowly, but realistically. Dooley is an excellent example of this (and I'm not sure he is a troll). Few people are so neurotic as to think that their resume italicization would have kept them from an offer WHEN THEY ALREADY HAD THE CALLBACK. 2/10 needs more effort.

[Baron7]

I think it might be because of the formatting on my resume. I was torn on whether to italicize my job titles and I decided not to but I worry that this might project apathy, which is misaligned with my narrative as an associate looking to take a generalist approach to detail-oriented work in the short-term.

…

I hear ppl say if you don't make V20 you might not as well not do big law.

If this is not a troll post, LOL at the future of this profession.

[Anonymous User]

We deserve better trolls

[nixy]

without the italics thing it would be convincing

Agreed, without the italics I might possibly have fallen for it (and I fall for all the trolls so if it’s obvious to me you know it’s bad).

[Anonymous User]

OP here. i actually appreciate the constructive feedback. i believe nuance will come with practice. it's hard to read a room you just entered. appreciate you all.

[Anonymous User]

OP here. i actually appreciate the constructive feedback. i believe nuance will come with practice. it's hard to read a room you just entered. appreciate you all.

"just entered" — joined in 2009
"projects apathy" from OP best describes your trolling efforts, not resume italicization

[Anonymous User]

OP here. i actually appreciate the constructive feedback. i believe nuance will come with practice. it's hard to read a room you just entered. appreciate you all.

"just entered" — joined in 2009
"projects apathy" from OP best describes your trolling efforts, not resume italicization

u know it says 2009 for all anon posts right? u gotta proofread/think critically before u go narc mode online mate

[Anonymous User]

I went to HYS had 10-15 callbacks (top 10% of class) and only got one offer. So you never know - sometimes people have bad luck.

[Anonymous User]

I went to HYS had 10-15 callbacks (top 10% of class) and only got one offer. So you never know - sometimes people have bad luck.

one offer is all u need tho x

[Anonymous User]

I went to HYS had 10-15 callbacks (top 10% of class) and only got one offer. So you never know - sometimes people have bad luck.

Out of curiosity, were these big NYC firms or like small-class secondary market firms? I'd be shocked by someone in the top 10% at HYS going 1/15 on V10 NY callbacks.

[Anonymous User]

I actually do know someone who got 10 CBs and only one offer. Had no obvious flaws or anything, never figured out why.

[Anonymous User]

I went to HYS had 10-15 callbacks (top 10% of class) and only got one offer. So you never know - sometimes people have bad luck.

Out of curiosity, were these big NYC firms or like small-class secondary market firms? I'd be shocked by someone in the top 10% at HYS going 1/15 on V10 NY callbacks.

California firms

[Anonymous User]

I went to HYS had 10-15 callbacks (top 10% of class) and only got one offer. So you never know - sometimes people have bad luck.

Out of curiosity, were these big NYC firms or like small-class secondary market firms? I'd be shocked by someone in the top 10% at HYS going 1/15 on V10 NY callbacks.

Actually if anyone goes 1/15 on V10* NY callbacks it would be a top 10% at HYS. Very book smart but terrible interview, so you get a ton of CBs based on credentials but can't convert.


*wait that math doesn't add up how can you have 15 CBs with 10 firms. Guess we're being metaphorical?

[Anonymous User]

I went to HYS had 10-15 callbacks (top 10% of class) and only got one offer. So you never know - sometimes people have bad luck.

Out of curiosity, were these big NYC firms or like small-class secondary market firms? I'd be shocked by someone in the top 10% at HYS going 1/15 on V10 NY callbacks.

California firms

Ah, makes sense. I got way more traction on NY firms than CA firms and I was at SLS.

wait that math doesn't add up how can you have 15 CBs with 10 firms. Guess we're being metaphorical?

In theory you could have multiple CBs with the same firm for different offices, but yeah lol the math doesn't check out.

[Anonymous User]

I went to HYS had 10-15 callbacks (top 10% of class) and only got one offer. So you never know - sometimes people have bad luck.

Out of curiosity, were these big NYC firms or like small-class secondary market firms? I'd be shocked by someone in the top 10% at HYS going 1/15 on V10 NY callbacks.

California firms

Ah, makes sense. I got way more traction on NY firms than CA firms and I was at SLS.

wait that math doesn't add up how can you have 15 CBs with 10 firms. Guess we're being metaphorical?

In theory you could have multiple CBs with the same firm for different offices, but yeah lol the math doesn't check out.

I was trying to be vague - to be precise, I had roughly 30 screeners, 12 callbacks and one offer.