OCI Approaches

For those of you with OCI interviews beginning August 22...

1. Where do I go? On campus interviews (this excludes NY Day and GPALS Job Fairs) take place on the second floor of Barrack Hall. For all interview purposes, use this guide – 15 minutes early is on-time and on-time is late. Sign your initials next to your name on the schedule board, then take a seat and wait for the interviewer to come out to the lounge and call your name. He or she will walk you back to the interview room. If something goes wrong and you can’t make your interview on time, please call Tim LeGower at 215-204-8806, or any of the other counselors.
2. What should I wear? We acknowledge the challenge inherent in swapping the flip-flops for pumps and loafers, but interviewing is a business formal occasion. Dark suits with white or blue shirts and conservative ties for men, and conservative pants or skirt suits for women. Make sure the suit fits well and looks appropriate. The goal is to stand out in your interviews because of your credentials and communication skills, not your wardrobe. If you have any questions about a particular outfit, feel free to call.
3. What should I expect from these screening interviews? How do I prepare? Screening interviews are usually 20 minutes. You quickly need to build rapport with your interviewer. Little things are important when making an impression, so remember to have a firm handshake, and make eye contact. Speak clearly and avoid fillers such as “like” and “you know.” Know your documents. Be prepared to answer questions about all experiences represented on your resume. Here are some standard questions you might be asked. Why did you apply to my firm? Why did you go to law school? What was your favorite class or professor? Are you interested in any particular area of the law? Also, be prepared to ask your interviewer questions about his or her firm, and their own practice. This is where you can stand out – ask interesting questions that show your enthusiasm for the firm and its clients. To the extent we have been informed, the name of the interviewer is on the CPM. Read the firm’s website from top to bottom, including attorney bios. The more research you do, the more prepared you will feel. Bring extra copies of your resume, transcript and writing sample. And most important, be positive.
4. What about thank you notes? Typically, there is no expectation of a thank you note after the on campus screening interview with a large firm. If you would like to send one, however, that is fine. You need to send it that day, so it should go by email. It needs to be perfect (we have unfortunately seen call back invitations go away after the receipt of a typo-filled email thank you). After a call back, you should send thank you notes. Email is fine. This thank you note advice is not universal. Small firms and public sector employers may appreciate thank you emails or notes after every stage. Later in your career, a thank you email or note in response to an informational or formal interview is a good idea.
5. When do firms issue call back invitations? Call backs, as implied by the name, take place at the firm, encompass meeting many more attorneys and usually take 3-4 hours. Usually, firms issue call back invitations very soon after the on campus interview.
6. How will the downturn in legal hiring, and tough times at big firms, impact this year’s on campus interview season? The economic challenges in the legal employment market continue. It is safe to say firms are hiring relatively smaller classes of summer associates. They will be very careful about the number of call back invitations they extend, and the numbers of summer associate offers extended after that. Many career planning offices are advising students to accept offers quickly, despite the NALP guidelines discussed below. Certainly, waiting until the last moment to be able to consider as many offers as possible is not a good strategy. Immediately accepting the first offer you receive, however, might not be the best for you in the long run. Rather than issuing blanket advice, we’d like to assist you in decision making on a case-by-case basis, so please stay in touch with the career planning counselors.
7. Are there any rules about offers? If the interviewing organization is a member of NALP, then they must adhere to the NALP guidelines. Essentially, these guidelines dictate that students have 28 days from the date of the offer to accept or reject it. There are some important exceptions to this rule, so please read them carefully. Cards with the guidelines can be found in the office, and you can link to them here: http://www.nalp.org/principles.
8. Do firms really check Facebook? Many do. Pretend you are the corner office partner at a big conservative law firm, then read your Facebook page. If you want more information about how to make certain sections of your page private, contact Tim LeGower (info below).
9. What if things go really well and I get a bunch of offers? What if they don’t go well, and I don’t get any? The answer to these seemingly divergent questions is the same. Stay in touch with the counselors in the Office of Career Planning. Our knowledge of these firms will help you sort through offers, and we’ll also help you prepare a plan to obtain employment from non-OCI firms.
10. Final thoughts? Please email, call or stop in to talk with us in the Office of Career Planning. There are no dumb questions and we want to do everything we can to help.

Melissa Lennon, 215-204-7892, melissa.lennon@temple.edu
Caroline Ruhle, 215-204-3832, caroline.ruhle@temple.edu
Elizabeth Eagles, 215-204-8903, elizabeth.eagles@temple.edu
Timothy LeGower, 215-204-8806, timothy.legower@temple.edu
Maureen Olives, Director of Public Interest Programs, 215-204-3705, maureen.olives@temple.edu