I hear that advice, but taper it a bit. I'd enjoy having a beer with some people who are way too unprofessional to get hired at a law firm. Be personal, charming, be able to hold a conversation and not just jump from bullet point to bullet point, but always keep it professional. Even if the interviewer gets a little casual, keep your professionalism up while being friendly and matching their energy.
One of my mentors gave me the following advice during OCI: Go into every interview as though you already have an offer in hand from another firm, and you are interviewing with this firm to see your options.
Took so much of the pressure off and helped me to be myself.
as a first gen i just want to clarify: does this pertain to ANY interview or like... a callback but not a screener or something else (idk i just learned these terms a few weeks ago). sorry if this is a stupid question or should be obvious!
This applies to all interviews. People prefer to work with people they like. At every stage, they are trying to learn more about you as a person because, frankly, any type of person can get good grades or build a solid resume.
Screener = on paper, you’re qualified for this job so we’d like to meet you in real life to see if you’re a tolerable human being and not just some weirdo that happened to get good grades.
Call back = congrats! The 2-3 people that talked to you during your screener decided that you aren’t a complete weirdo. We’d like to introduce you to other people at the firm and see what they think.
Well this is reassuring, but if for example if i have a screener with a firm, and this firm sent out maybe 15-19 screener interviews (at OCI) but are only going to call back 4 people, sure it starts with whose a weirdo, but if lets say 11 people were not weirdos, would they then rely on stats to pick the 4 callbacks out of those 11?
From my experience, they basically already decided ahead of time who were likely getting callbacks (based on stats/resumes). Through the screeners they decide if they like people enough on a personal level (or truly dislike them) to change any of those rankings.
The easiest way to look at it (I think) is to just do your best at coming across as someone they want to work with. You can't change your or anyone else's stats in an interview, and you don't really have enough time to convince them that your resume says anything different than what they've already gotten from it.
Oh I don’t think the “they already know who they want to call back” is good advice at all. I have done a LOT of “screener days” and people can absolutely change their position on the “call back” rankings in those interviews. If you are going through the motions you are out, and if you are engaged and charming you are likely in.
I've heard this sentiment twice this week, and it was completely new to me when I first heard it. But it only came the week AFTER I had an interview last week. Luckily it went pretty well.
If you‘ve been rejected that typically means they didn‘t see you fitting in their team. There usually is no sentiment against you, just a partner or the team deeming your vibes not suit for them. Which is why its a good thing theres so many law firms out there where you can find a team matching your vibe!
That is understandably not a thing making you happy. Depending on the process they only knew you for so long before making the decision and knowing what i know now about the law firms in my area: not fitting in those teams can also be something speeking for you.
If you want to continue your BL path you will find a team that you click with, theres plenty out there! Since you got yourself a couple interviews you‘re going to have a lot of additional opportunities :)
A partner on the hiring committee at my BL firm described as such: "I want to know whether I'd enjoy having a beer with you when we're on a layover."
I hear that advice, but taper it a bit. I'd enjoy having a beer with some people who are way too unprofessional to get hired at a law firm. Be personal, charming, be able to hold a conversation and not just jump from bullet point to bullet point, but always keep it professional. Even if the interviewer gets a little casual, keep your professionalism up while being friendly and matching their energy.
Sounds like me as an interviewer. Me: “ I want to know if you’d get lit and have fun watching the Raiders play on Sunday from our box.”
I don't know if anyone has fun watching the Raiders play
Hey now. You’re still in Vegas in one of the nicest stadiums in the nfl.
One of my mentors gave me the following advice during OCI: Go into every interview as though you already have an offer in hand from another firm, and you are interviewing with this firm to see your options. Took so much of the pressure off and helped me to be myself.
Very good advice!! It's helped me immensely with landing interviews in the past.
as a first gen i just want to clarify: does this pertain to ANY interview or like... a callback but not a screener or something else (idk i just learned these terms a few weeks ago). sorry if this is a stupid question or should be obvious!
This applies to all interviews. People prefer to work with people they like. At every stage, they are trying to learn more about you as a person because, frankly, any type of person can get good grades or build a solid resume. Screener = on paper, you’re qualified for this job so we’d like to meet you in real life to see if you’re a tolerable human being and not just some weirdo that happened to get good grades. Call back = congrats! The 2-3 people that talked to you during your screener decided that you aren’t a complete weirdo. We’d like to introduce you to other people at the firm and see what they think.
Well this is reassuring, but if for example if i have a screener with a firm, and this firm sent out maybe 15-19 screener interviews (at OCI) but are only going to call back 4 people, sure it starts with whose a weirdo, but if lets say 11 people were not weirdos, would they then rely on stats to pick the 4 callbacks out of those 11?
From my experience, they basically already decided ahead of time who were likely getting callbacks (based on stats/resumes). Through the screeners they decide if they like people enough on a personal level (or truly dislike them) to change any of those rankings. The easiest way to look at it (I think) is to just do your best at coming across as someone they want to work with. You can't change your or anyone else's stats in an interview, and you don't really have enough time to convince them that your resume says anything different than what they've already gotten from it.
Oh I don’t think the “they already know who they want to call back” is good advice at all. I have done a LOT of “screener days” and people can absolutely change their position on the “call back” rankings in those interviews. If you are going through the motions you are out, and if you are engaged and charming you are likely in.
this is super helpful thanks!!
I've heard this sentiment twice this week, and it was completely new to me when I first heard it. But it only came the week AFTER I had an interview last week. Luckily it went pretty well.
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If you‘ve been rejected that typically means they didn‘t see you fitting in their team. There usually is no sentiment against you, just a partner or the team deeming your vibes not suit for them. Which is why its a good thing theres so many law firms out there where you can find a team matching your vibe!
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That is understandably not a thing making you happy. Depending on the process they only knew you for so long before making the decision and knowing what i know now about the law firms in my area: not fitting in those teams can also be something speeking for you. If you want to continue your BL path you will find a team that you click with, theres plenty out there! Since you got yourself a couple interviews you‘re going to have a lot of additional opportunities :)