Balancing OCI/interviews and school Forum

[girlrunning]

I recognize this is a major first world problem , but I'm just looking for advice from 2/3Ls about how to balance all of this. 1L OCI is currently going on at my school. My school is a few hours away from the "big" market (where I hope to practice), so any time firms offer callbacks it requires almost half a day at best in order to travel/interview/travel back. Likewise, OCIs don't always line up with classes and well, jobs are scarce for 1Ls, so you take what you can get.

I feel like I haven't been able to get a good grasp on things this semester. At the beginning of the semester I was blanketing every OCI known to man, directly mailing the firms, and other things that made time focused on homework scarce. Now, it's all about traveling and interviewing.

Again, I recognize this is a first world problem if there ever was one, but I am stressed and as it would be incredibly tactless to discuss this with classmates, I'm looking for any advice as to how to handle getting a job and not floundering in class.

[brotherdarkness]

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[rad lulz]

Job > school

[daleearnhardt123]

While I agree with the general "jobs > school" advice, taken to its extreme it can yield poor results. 1L Spring OCI is one such especially notable example.

To illustrate why, first consider 2L OCI. Your mission is to get a job under just about absolutely any circumstances. If you don't get a job, you're very likely screwed. Or, if not screwed, you're going to be subject to months of a nightmarish and arbitrary process dominated by mass mailings. Under those circumstances, school needs to take a backseat.

Now, contrast with 1L OCI. The same is not true for a 1L summer job. You should NOT let your grades slip for a 1L summer job. These jobs often DON'T come with expectations/guarantees of permanent employment post-graduation. Remember to keep your eyes on the big prize. That prize is a job through 2L OCI: one that is expected to yield permanent employment. Don't go chasing the 1L SA prize when 1. success is especially uncommon, and 2. your grades still matter a LOT.

In sum, you need to find a balance in pursuit of your 1L SA. That pursuit should come after you feel you've done the minimum necessary work to keep on top of your studies such that catching up later (likely around finals time) will not be arduous and you won't be in the position of having to self-teach entire doctrines while you're a week away from the final.

[Tiago Splitter]

jobs are scarce for 1Ls|

Jobs really aren't scarce for 1L's. Paying jobs are hard to come by, but spending too much time chasing what might turn out to never have been possible in the first place is a bad move if it means the most important grades of your life suffer. As The Intimidator said above, don't let going for a 1L SA prevent you from getting a 2L SA.

[girlrunning]

jobs are scarce for 1Ls|

Jobs really aren't scarce for 1L's. Paying jobs are hard to come by, but spending too much time chasing what might turn out to never have been possible in the first place is a bad move if it means the most important grades of your life suffer. As The Intimidator said above, don't let going for a 1L SA prevent you from getting a 2L SA.

Thank you for all of the replies! I should add that these are those illusory 1L market-ish paying jobs.

[Tiago Splitter]

jobs are scarce for 1Ls|

Jobs really aren't scarce for 1L's. Paying jobs are hard to come by, but spending too much time chasing what might turn out to never have been possible in the first place is a bad move if it means the most important grades of your life suffer. As The Intimidator said above, don't let going for a 1L SA prevent you from getting a 2L SA.

Thank you for all of the replies! I should add that these are those illusory 1L market-ish paying jobs.

That's what I figured. It's worth missing some class for, but if it's gonna happen it's gonna happen. You're early in the semester so there's nothing you can't recover from it you mist class, but missing out on one of these jobs doesn't have much downside.

[mr.hands]

If you aren't a URM, your chances of landing one of these jobs is really, really small. As a 1L, I had between 6 and 8 interviews at firms. I didn't get any of them. It didn't have to do with interviewing skills (i got multiple job offers as a 2L). Instead, it happened because there are so few spots and 95% go to URMs. Basically, don't assume that you'll get a coveted paying job just because you have multiple interviews.

Go to your interviews, get notes from classes you missed, and continue to apply for all jobs (paying and non-paying). There are plenty of outlines available for 1L classes so you aren't missing anything crucial in class.

[sd5289]

Step one: 1L grades.

Step two: ...

Step three: profit (aka: 2L jerbs).

[sublime]

..

[jbagelboy]

I just flew across the country for callback interviews and missed a bunch of class. Next week ill by flying to europe for moot court and missing a bunch of class. Shit happens. I figure Ill catch up with supplements & spring break. You can travel a few hours if it means a 1L SA: Im guessing Cornell, commuting to NYC? Do your callbacks, but dont overdo it, just for your own sanity.

Good luck

[20141023]

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[arklaw13]

Job > school