Author: jkossuth

Keep in mind that the bid deadline for OCI Week 1 and all off-campus programs is FRIDAY, JULY 6, at NOON.  That’s a hard deadline.

As you finalize and upload your materials, some questions that might pop up —

1.  If the employer does not require a cover letter, should I use one anyway?

No.  Employers will ask for any materials they need.

2.  If I’ve reached my document limit on Symplicity, can I delete a document after I’ve used it to bid?

Yes.  Once you’ve used a document to bid for an employer (say, a cover letter specific to that employer), you can safely delete it and upload another cover letter for a different employer.

3. Is there a bid limit?

No.  You can bid for as many employers as you wish in any of the programs.  Keep in mind, though, that it’s unlikely that you will actually be interested in interviewing with all the employers at any given program, so, as always, bid wisely, and don’t bid for the sake of bidding.

As we approach the bid deadline for the off-campus programs and OCI Week 1, please contact your advisor with specific questions.  In the meantime, we'll address some that commonly come up . . .

1.  How can I figure out which employers will hire someone with my GPA? 

Most employers do not have a GPA cut-off.  So, in some respects, you should not disqualify yourself from any employer that you'd like to work for just because you think your GPA is not high enough.

The best way to figure out where you're likely to get traction with employers is to look at their hiring criteria on Symplicity (if they included it) and on nalpdirectory.com.  You will see "prior work experience," "strong work ethic," and other things that are not strictly tied to 1L GPA.  You should then use your resume to highlight those non-GPA factors.  Although it's not an exact science, it will give you a good sense of where you'll feel comfortable applying and focusing your efforts.

2.   Can I bid for an employer that is participating in more than one program (OCI, off-campus, BLG, etc.)?  / What does "no multiple interviews" mean?

Yes, you can bid for multiple offices of the same employer through any number of programs.  However, when the employer says "no multiple interviews," you can interview for only one of them, regardless of how many times the employer selects you.

3.  Some employers ask for unofficial transcripts.  Should I get one from the registrar and scan and upload it?

No.  Use the grade sheet template from the CDO website.  Upload that to Symplicity, and then bring a copy of your unofficial transcript from the registrar's office to any interview.

4.  When is the best time to bid? 

The bid deadline for OCI Week 1 and all off-campus programs is Friday, July 6, at NOON.  You can bid any time before that.  We encourage you to submit your materials earlier rather than later, but that's just because you don't want to be scrambling on the morning of the deadline to make sure you get it all in. Once the deadline hits at noon, there's nothing that can be done.

5.  Symplicity says my profile is only 50% complete.  Do I have to complete it to participate in OCI?

Your Symplicity profile is a purely internal thing.  Employers will not see it, so there is no need to update it before participating in OCI.

However, it is helpful for the CDO to see if you've shifted practice area interests, or geographic focus, so do keep it up-to-date.

6.  The employer's hiring criteria says "journal/moot court preferred."  I plan to do moot court in the fall.  Can I add that to my resume now?

No.  You can add only those things that you are already enrolled in (including 2L clinics and externships).  Because moot court sign-ups aren't until the fall, you cannot add it to your resume just yet.  "Journal/moot court preferred" is sort of a boilerplate statement for hiring criteria that firms will use, and those employers who recruit from BU know that no one will have moot court on their resume for OCI.

 

1.  What does "no multiple interviews" mean?

If an employer is participating in more than one program -- say, OCI and the NY off-campus program, or OCI and BLG -- then you can bid for both, but if you get selected for interviews through each program, you can accept only one of them.

2.  Why do I have to get a 70 on VMock; or, Why does VMock keep telling me my resume has mistakes?

 Creating your best resume is both an art and a science.  We’ve trained VMock to help with the science part (format, word choice, etc.) and your CDO advisor will help with the art (What story are you trying to tell?  How can you tell it best?).  The CDO and VMock trained the program using hundreds of BU Law student resumes, along with the BU Law resume handbook, and lots of human input.  VMock uses all of those examples and data to determine your resume’s score.  VMock also puts the score on a curve, comparing your resume to all other BU Law resumes in the system.  (This is law school, after all.)  You don’t have to get 100, 90, or even 80, to have an excellent resume.  Once you get a 70 or above, which should give you a great base to work with, send it to your CDO advisor to help you work on the art of your resume’s narrative.

VMock will continue to improve as we provide feedback, so please send specific feedback to your CDO advisor as it comes up in VMock (spelling, formatting, etc.).  We need to give that back to VMock so they can adjust the program accordingly. 

Please note that one problem that seems to pop up a lot is that VMock has a hard time working with resumes that include tables (which we advise against in the Resume Handbook), and as a result it will say you have formatting errors that look fine to you.

Summer is OCI season, and we know you have lots of questions now, and more will come up along the way.  We will be updating this list frequently, so please send your questions to James Kossuth, jkossuth@bu.edu, and we'll post anonymous answers within a day or two.

1.  How important is GPA; or, Is my GPA good enough for OCI?

It depends.  While many firms put a lot of emphasis on grades and GPA, and may even have specific targets (e.g., top 20%), most firms consider GPA as part of your entire candidacy.  What else have you done, either in undergrad, or in any work experience before law school, that will make you a valuable addition to the team?  You will want to use your resume to tell a compelling story of all the skills and experiences that you will bring to the table to help the firm help its clients.  Your GPA is part of that calculus, but not the only part.

That being said, students with GPA in the top third have tended to do well in OCI.  There are of course exceptions, and those depend not just on the story you tell in your resume, but how much effort you put into networking during this summer before OCI, how well you present in interviews, and what the firm's specific needs are.

If you have questions about what your GPA will mean for your chances in OCI, please ask your advisor.

2. All this talk about networking.  What am I supposed to do, and who am I supposed to talk to?

The low-hanging fruit of summer networking is firm receptions.  Please check the CDO site and watch your Monday email for upcoming events.  If there are none in the city where you are working this summer, contact the firm's recruiter listed in the NALP Directory to ask if they are hosting anything in your city.

Review the information on the CDO's networking page for suggestions on how to make the best of those receptions and other networking opportunities.

You will also want to reach out to BU Law alums and alums from your undergrad at various places.  One easy way to find them is via LinkedIn.  From your home page, search for "Boston University School of Law," click on the entry for BU Law labeled "school," and click "See Alumni," which brings you to the list of all BU Law alums on LinkedIn.  You can then search and sort that list by location, employer, etc.  People who are on LinkedIn expect to be contacted, and you should feel free to reach out to folks who look interesting.  Using their email from their firm's web site will be the easiest way to get in touch.

3.  Is there any incentive to bid early, as soon as bidding opens? 

With the caveat, "Please don't wait until the last minute to bid," no, there is no need to bid as soon as bidding opens.  Take your time, review the employers, do your research and networking, and assemble strong application materials.  (Information on all of that will be in upcoming OCI modules on Blackboard.)  Then, when you're ready, upload your materials and start to bid.

Summer is OCI season, and we know you have lots of questions now, and more will come up along the way.  We will be updating this list frequently, so please send your questions to Blair Edwards, edwards2@bu.edu, and we'll post anonymously with answers here.

• What employers are coming?

The participating OCI employers will be viewable on Symplicity in May.  The employers participating in the off-campus programs will be viewable on June 12.

• Is OCI just “BigLaw”?

No.  Participating OCI employers include smaller regional firms, as well as some government agencies and non-profits, although the majority of participants are large law firms.  Review the list of participating employers carefully to make sure you don’t overlook any employers you might be interested in.

• What does it mean to “bid” for an employer?

“Bidding” is just another word for applying.  To bid for an employer is to submit your application materials to the employer via Symplicity.

• How many employers should I bid on?

That is entirely up to you. While there is no limit to the number of employers you can bid on, you should only bid for those employers you would like to work for.  Because OCI is often the best opportunity to get an interview with many of these employers, you should probably err on the side of more bids, rather than fewer.

• How do I bid?

After you have uploaded your resume to VMock, and had it reviewed by your CDO advisor, simply upload it (and any supporting documents, such as a cover letter and grade sheet) to Symplicity, and select the appropriate documents to bid for a particular employer, just like applying for any other job on Symplicity.

• What about off-campus programs?

The off-campus programs and employers are ON A SEPARATE SYMPLICITY SITE, because those programs are run in conjunction with other law schools.  You will receive login information for that site.

• How can I tell firms apart?

Now is the time to research employers to find out what each one does, and what it does better than its competitors.  Many firms focus on a few practice areas (corporate, IP, litigation, etc.), so spend some time to figure out which firms’ areas match your interests.  Review the firms’ web sites, read reviews on Vault.com, Chambers, etc.  But most of all, talk to lawyers who work there and get a sense from them of both the firm’s strengths and its culture.  This will help you, at least initially, in determining which employers you’d like to bid on.

• Does networking matter?

Absolutely.  Attend the firms’ networking receptions, which they hold in most cities in which they have an office, across the country.  (Attendance is tracked!) The CDO Monday emails will include upcoming reception information, and it is on the CDO website, as well.

In addition to the receptions, reaching out to lawyers at the firm who are BU alums, or alums of your undergrad, or who have a practice area you’re interested in, can be a valuable resource.  Review the “Informational Interviewing” page on the CDO website for tips on how to do this outreach.  Most attorneys will be happy to talk to you about their firm and their practice.  This will give you not only good information to use in interviews (“When I talked to so-and-so about the firm, I learned . . .”), and will also help you figure out which firms might be right for you.

• Should I go to firm receptions?

Yes!  These receptions not only give you an easy opportunity to meet several attorneys at the firm to learn more about it, but firms also keep track of who goes to these receptions.  The attorneys you make a good impression on will sometimes mention that to recruiters, and they keep track of that, too.  In other words, firm receptions can both make the firm stand out for you, and make you stand out for the firm.  Positive interactions at and after firm receptions can make the difference between getting an interview or not, getting the callback or not, or getting the offer or not.

• What if I’m in a city this summer without any receptions for me to go to?

You can still make a good impression with the firm.  Recruiting contacts are usually listed on the firm’s NALP Directory page, and you can reach out to the recruiter and explain your interest in the firm.  You can also reach out directly to attorneys in the office you’re interested in, and set up a time for a phone call.  This initiative is something that firms notice and appreciate, and it can make a difference, too.

• How do I apply to firms or offices that are not participating in OCI or an off-campus program?

You will need to make a connection with the firm or that particular office soon.  Find an attorney in the office you’re interested in, reach out for an informational interview, and try to build that relationship.  Reach out to the firm’s recruiter, too, to explain your interest.  Apply through the firm’s website (most large firms have a web portal for submitting resumes and cover letters), and then follow up with the attorney and recruiter to let them know you’ve applied.  It can be difficult to stand out from the crowd when applying directly to non-OCI firms, but your efforts ahead of time to make yourself known can go a long way.

Every year, students successfully land jobs at large firms outside of OCI and off-campus programs through direct applications.