fall recruiting/oci student prep 2015 university of houston law center career development office 1

FALL RECRUITING/OCI STUDENT PREP2015

University of Houston Law Center

Career Development Office

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UHLC Recruiting• Fall Recruiting

• Fall OCI: Session I• Fall OCI: Session II

• Spring Recruiting• Government and Public Interest Table Talk (GPITT)• Small & Midsize Firm Open House• Apprentice Program

• Year-Round Recruiting• Symplicity Job Bank• Resume Collects

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Fall Recruiting• What is OCI?• Dates to Remember• Before You Bid• Bidding• Selection/Scheduling• Before Interviews• Thank You Notes• Firm Receptions• Things to Remember

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What is OCI?

• On Campus Interviews• Fall Recruiting – Typically 85-100 employers

• Fall OCI: Session I• Predominantly large firms (50+ attorneys)

• Seeking Summer Associates

• Includes NALP and non-NALP firms (see handouts)• Some government agencies• A few smaller firms (may be looking to hire for Fall)

• Fall OCI: Session II• A few large firms; more midsize firms and government

agencies

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What is OCI?

• 20 or 30 minute interviews located on campus • Career Development Interview Rooms• Finnell Rooms• “Red Printer Room” - 2nd floor of TUII

• All rising 2L and 3L students are welcome to participate

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What is OCI?• Important OCI Terms:• Accept /Decline Interview Period – The period when students can accept or decline interviews granted by employers.• Alternate Interview Sign Up Period – The period when students who employers designated as alternates may accept

interviews based on available interview schedule space.• Bid – An application for a specific employer. The application includes a resume and any other documents requested

by the employer.• Bidding Period – The period when students can place bids for employers that they are interested in interviewing with. • Campus Interview Period – The period when employers come to campus to conduct interviews of the students who

have accepted their interview request.• Fall OCI: Session I– The first stage of Fall Recruiting; occurs the week before classes begin.• Fall OCI: Session II– The second stage of Fall Recruiting; occurs on designated days during the Fall semester of

classes.• Resume Collection – A collection of resumes that an employer gathers from interested students and in lieu of coming

to campus to interview viable candidates, the employer choses to follow up with the candidates at the employer’s convenience.

• Resume Review Deadline – Students must submit their resumes to their assigned counselor by this date in order to receive feedback prior to the first day of the Bidding Period. Resumes submitted after this date are not guaranteed to be reviewed before the Bidding Period begins.

• Student Review Period – The period when students can log on to Symplicity and view the employers who have signed up to participate in Fall OCI: Session I.

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Dates to Remember2015 Fall OCI: Session I

• July 1 Student Review Period Opens • July 7 Resume Review Deadline• July 14 – 20 Bidding Period • July 31 – Aug. 3Accept/Decline Interview Period • July 31 – Aug. 3CDO Mock Interview Program Sign-Up Period• Aug 4 Alternate Interview Sign Up Period• Aug 11 – 12 Attorney/CDO Mock Interview Program• Aug 17 – 20 2015 Fall OCI: Session I

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Dates to Remember

2015 Fall OCI: Session I

•September/October Bidding Period•October Fall OCI: Session II

•Dates to be announced. Look for announcements on • The CDO Weekly Digest• The Daily Lex• Career Development Calendar

•Or ask your Career Counselor or other CDO staff

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Before You Bid• Prepare Application Documents

• Resume • Request review from counselor by July 7 • Include your GPA/Class Rank

• Bring out to the thousandth, do not round• GPA with summer school grades cannot be listed in

conjunction with Class Rank• Do not calculate between the percentiles (e.g., “Top 12%”)• Minimum .5 margin

• Cover Letters• Address by name to hiring partner or recruiter• Do not include if not requested

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Before You Bid

• Prepare Application Documents (cont.)• Transcript

• Can be unofficial• Utilize “Unofficial Transcript Form” in Career Resource Library

• Writing Sample• Employers prefer 5-10 pages

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Before You Bid

• Research Employers • Bids are limited, thus employer research is key:

• Employer Website• Symplicity Profile• Third Party Websites

• NALP Directory• Chambers Associates• Vault• Martindale-Hubbell• Bloomberg

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Before You Bid• Research Employers (cont.)

• Make sure to investigate:• Hiring criteria (and manage your bids

accordingly)

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Before You Bid• Research Employers (cont.)

• Practice areas and sizes• No multiple interviews – Decide which office to apply to

• UHLC alumni presence• Recent press (mergers, office openings/closings, high profile cases, etc.)

• Work environment/culture

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Before You Bid • Social Media

• You WILL be researched by employers• Check your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. accounts

• Remove any inappropriate/inflammatory pictures or postings

• Tighten privacy settings• Update your LinkedIn account

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Before You Bid• Uploading Documents

• Upload all application documents to Symplicity (review OCI FAQ Handout for detailed instructions)

• You cannot bid on an employer unless all requested documents have been uploaded

• Convert Word documents to .pdf format before uploading• Review documents after uploading

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Bidding • How to Bid

• Log in to Symplicity.• Click on the “Recruiting” tab on the top navigation bar.

• Select the “Employers/Bidding” tab on the left-hand side under “on-campus interviews”.

• In the “Search Filters” box on the left-hand side of the screen, select the appropriate session from the “Session” drop-down menu.

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Bidding• How to Bid (cont.)

• To bid for an employer, click the “Review” button located to the left of the desired organization or the “Apply” button in the “Bidding/Application” box to the right of the screen.

• Click the “Apply” button at the bottom of the “Bid Details” box. If a document type is listed here, it is a required document for this specific employer.

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Bidding• Bidding Strategy

• Bids are limited so apply strategically. Consider the following:• Employer’s listed requirements• First or second half summer program• Local office practice areas

• Resume Collection bids do not count towards bid limit

• Selection is not based on time of bid - but don’t wait until the last minute

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Bidding

• Troubleshooting• Sending employers an updated resume

• During the Bidding Period, you can upload an updated resume and send it to all employers you bid on. After the Bidding Period ends, all bids are locked in and you cannot make any additional changes.

• Deleting a bid• You can bid and withdraw bids at any time

during the Bidding Period. Your bids are locked in once the Bidding Period ends.

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Bidding • Troubleshooting (cont.)

• Symplicity Document Limit• Symplicity will only allow you to upload 10 application materials at a time. Thus, once you bid on an employer, you may need to delete your existing application materials in the “Documents” tab in order to make room for new application materials tailored to another employer. Deleting application materials from the “Documents” tab will not affect your previously submitted bids.

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Selection/Scheduling Employer Interview “Invitations”

• Accept/Decline Interview Period (July 31 – 3)• “Accept Preselect” = selected for interview• Preselected students may accept or decline interviews granted by

employers during this period• Accept by choosing an interview time; First come, first served• Check Symplicity daily for employer selections

• Alternate Interview Sign Up Period (Aug 4)• “Accept Alternate” = selected as an alternate• Alternates may accept interviews based on available interview space• Accept by choosing an interview time; First come, first served• You may only view the interview times that fit into your schedule

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Selection/Scheduling

• Employer Interview “Invitations”

• “Not Invited” = not selected; no action needed

• If you don’t accept or decline an interview, you are deemed declined at the end of the sign up period • As a courtesy to your classmates, decline as soon as you

know you’ve chosen not to interview with that employer

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Selection/Scheduling

• Considerations• Interview selections only allowed through the end of the

Accept/Decline Interview Period and the Alternate Interview Signup Period

• Limited number of bids and interviews• Strategic distribution of interviews• Callbacks occur during classes/co-curricular activities

• Is this an employer that really interests you?• Understand the employer’s practice• You will be asked why you want to work for them

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Selection/Scheduling - Cancellations• Best to attend all scheduled interviews

• Shows professionalism • Maintains the reputation of the Law Center • Encourages employers to continue Law Center

recruiting

• Be aware of the CDO Good Standing Policy • If you absolutely must cancel, you must

• Provide 48 hours notice or• Prepare a letter of apology to the employer and deliver to the CDO

within 48 hours of the missed interview

• If you have an emergency and may be late or must cancel, call the CDO immediately.

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Before Interviews

• Prepare Interview Wardrobe• Men – dark suits, white shirts, and conservative ties

• Clean-shaven or neat facial hair• Shoes should be polished

• Women - dark skirt suits with pantyhose, dark shoes • Primary employer complaints: attire too tight, sheer blouses, low-cut

neck lines, short skirts and extremely high heels, flashy jewelry

• No Distractions• Interviewers should be focusing exclusively on what you have to say

and the substance of your resume (e.g. no visible tattoos or facial piercings)

• When in doubt, ask a CDO Career Counselor• Dressing Rooms are located across from the CDO

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Before Interviews• Prepare Interview Documents

• Print extra copies of documents• Resumes – on resume paper; upright watermark • Writing Sample – regular copy paper• Transcript – unofficial copy, unless otherwise instructed; regular

copy paper

• Purchase thank you notes• Neutral shade; simple and professional

• Research individual interviewers• Interviews could change as late as the day of• Check for last minute changes before your interview

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Thank you Notes• Provide a separate thank you note for every interviewer• Personalized each note with topics discussed during the

interview; take notes after each interview to remember• Handwritten; legible; spell checked• No embossed symbols• No automated service delivery system• Mail within 24-48 hours of the interview

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Firm Receptions• Primarily hosted by large firms• Some firms invite all interviewees; some invite only

callbacks• Can be scheduled before or after OCI• Always RSVP; always attend if you RSVP• Remember, a reception is a part of the job interview• Generally, attire is business (interview) attire• If you need to attend more than one in one night, it is

acceptable to attend for 20-30 minutes, and then visit the next event

• Map locations + plan transportation (cab, carpool, etc.)

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Things to Remember• Make sure you have met with your Career Counselor for the initial 1L Intro

to the CDO meeting

• Request a resume review from your Career Counselor early (before July 7 deadline)

• Check your Social Media accounts for inappropriate content and tighten your privacy settings

• Check Symplicity daily for updates • Especially during bidding and signup periods

• Choose your interview time a.s.a.p. to get the time you want

• OCI is a fluid process - the CDO will keep you informed

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Things To Remember• Schedule an appointment with your Career Counselor, now and

throughout the summer (in person and by phone)• Anne Elise Doise (Section B, C & E)• Bhavika Shah (Section A)

• And no matter what: • Be prompt

• Be courteous

• Be prepared: research, research, research

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