Networking

[BetterCallPaul]

I am convinced that, aside from grades, networking is the single most important tool you have as a student going through this process. While it was mentioned to me a handful of times as a 1L, I have only just now begun to appreciate its importance, seeing as I have been able to reflect on my experience with the OCI recruit. When firms recruit law students, they generally look for two things: qualifications and interest. They want to hire people who will work hard and efficiently; that's a given. But, they also want to hire people they are confident won't turn them down or jump ship. So, when student committees are in the war room deciding on which of the many overqualified applicants to bring to the next stage, those who have demonstrated a consistent, active interest in the firm will be the ones who stand out. All you need is one advocate from one firm who will speak for you when you're on the chopping block.

So, to any people who will undergo or are currently undergoing any recruitment process, if you are applying to a firm, take 20 minutes to build a connection with someone who works there. As you progress through the stages, rely on this person to build other relationships within the firm (while being wary not to seem obsessive). Soon enough, you will be a household name. It won't guarantee a job, but it will separate you from another similar or slightly better candidate whose success will only depend on a piece of paper and a brief interview.

Aside from grades, law firms don't know how to decide between candidates. Through most of the process, they rely on familiarity (whether consciously or unconsciously). Recognize that and take advantage of it.

[LegalSeagull]

@BetterCallPauldid you obtain a job during the formal OCI process? I was very invested in networking with countless law firms all summer. I demonstrated genuine interest in a few firms where I really wanted to work, and thought I had made some great connections. I obtained a couple of in-firms, and did not receive any offers. I definitely don’t think of it as time wasted because I met some amazing people along the way, but at the same time it’s hard not to feel discouraged and to question how much networking actually does in a process that is not clear-cut at all. 

 

[Sacamano]

Interesting. I didn't find networking to be a factor at all.

Myself and a group of 4 other close friends all went through the process doing little or no networking and all ended up at full-service Bay St firms.

Aside from grades, I think they valued experience above any kind of networking advantage, and the ability to connect that experience to demonstrated interest in the firm's practice areas. In addition, the ability to connect with interviewers through conversation, rather than pre-planned interview answers was also critical. I can't count the number of times this recruit I heard people spending time pre-plannng every kind of interview answer they could think of.

My advice, truly, would actually be to stop overthinking and stressing oneself about it, because I think it easily shows. 

[Jaggers]

You can dream up scenarios where networking and working a newly-built internal connection will help you get a job. But in the big Bay St hiring process, it's unlikely to make much of a difference, if any.

Planning out how you are going to answer questions *is* critical! As a lawyer, 99% of your advocacy is planning how to answer questions. And at least for me, my comfort level and ability to be myself increases when I know I've thought about what's coming and how I'll respond when it does.

[Sacamano]

I'm not saying that you shouldn't have a good idea of how you want to respond to certain questions, but I'm moreso speaking to so many classmates I know who actually had spent such a great deal of time plotting out exactly their answers to the point it becomes painstakingly obvious you're working to a script. Keeping it natural worked. Not being so glued to pre planned answers I think was actually a real benefit. 

[BetterCallPaul]

During the interview process, almost every firm asked me why I wanted to work for them specifically. I doubt they ask this question for students to tell them how prestigious the firm is; they often want to see if the student has taken the extra step of building a connection with the firm. So when I could say: “well, throughout this process, I have been speaking with John Doe who said XYZ, and that resonated with me because XYZ,” you set yourself apart from another student who can only speak to the firm from an outsider’s point of view.

I am not saying that this is always the case. The impact of networking will depend on each candidate's qualifications as well as the extent to which firms value qualifications over interest. If you have good grades and can speak with poise, and you're interviewing with a big firm seeking top performers, showing an interest will have little impact on your candidacy. But if you're a dead average student applying to a small boutique, showing an interest can make up for the lack of qualifications. There is no better way to show interest than through networking.

All I’m saying is you’re better off doing networking than not. You have nothing to lose but potentially a lot to gain, so why go through the entire process of getting good grades and working on your resume but stop at networking? Like I said, it only takes one person to advocate for you when it could be between you and a similar or slightly better candidate.

Edited November 11, 2022 by BetterCallPaul

[LMP]

I was all gung-ho for networking too, but then on call day, the firms I didn't network with gave me offers and the firms I did network with went silent. 

This is more antecdote than story, but maybe the lesson is only certian people should be networking. Clearly, the less they see me the better.

[BetterCallPaul]

5 hours ago, LegalSeagull said:

@BetterCallPauldid you obtain a job during the formal OCI process? I was very invested in networking with countless law firms all summer. I demonstrated genuine interest in a few firms where I really wanted to work, and thought I had made some great connections. I obtained a couple of in-firms, and did not receive any offers. I definitely don’t think of it as time wasted because I met some amazing people along the way, but at the same time it’s hard not to feel discouraged and to question how much networking actually does in a process that is not clear-cut at all. 

 

There is no rhyme or reason to this process. Alot is dependent on luck; I got lucky. You'll have people with great qualifications slip through the cracks and you'll have people who demonstrated a great amount of interest slip through the cracks. But now you can continue through this process knowing you've built a support system that can help make things easier. If you have not already, I suggest reaching out to some of those connections now to ask for direction/referrals/feedback.

[QMT20]

5 minutes ago, BetterCallPaul said:

So when I could say: “well, throughout this process, I have been speaking with John Doe who said XYZ, and that resonated with me because XYZ,” you set yourself apart from another student who can only speak to the firm from an outsider’s point of view.

Almost every student gives some version of this answer. 

6 minutes ago, BetterCallPaul said:

I am not saying that this is always the case. The impact of networking will depend on each candidate's qualifications as well as the extent to which firms value qualifications over interest. If you have good grades and can speak with poise, and you're interviewing with a big firm seeking top performers, showing an interest will have little impact on your candidacy. But if you're a dead average student applying to a small boutique, showing an interest can make up for the lack of qualifications. There is no better way to show interest than through networking.
 

The best way to show interest is to actually have a background or some consistent exposure to what the firm does. For example, if you're applying to a tax boutique, having an accounting background will go much further than having coffee with a few lawyers from the firm. 

It's true that if you're an average student and you want to land in the recruit, you should do everything you can to help your application. If that's your situation, then it's better spend time networking than not. However, for the vast majority of people networking won't make a significant difference to their application. Nobody should attach expectations to their application just because they networked with people at the firm. 

12 minutes ago, BetterCallPaul said:

All I’m saying is you’re better off doing networking than not. You have nothing to lose but potentially a lot to gain, so why go through the entire process of getting good grades and working on your resume but stop at networking? Like I said, it only takes one person to advocate for you when it could be between you and a similar or slightly better candidate.

The difference in discussions and rankings of applicants is unlikely to turn on whether one applicant networked with the firm before the recruit and the other didn't. It's more likely to turn on the substance of their application, their performance during in firm interviews, and whether they said "first choice" to the firm. 

I agree with you that for an average student who wants to land in the recruit, they should do everything they can to improve their application. Networking might have a small effect on that. However, I wouldn't say you have "potentially a lot to gain", that "there is no better way to show interest", that it is the "single most important tool" aside from grades or even that it makes the difference between you and a "slightly better candidate." 

The biggest benefit of networking is learning about the practices and opportunities available at different firms. The main benefit from that is in helping you decide where you want to go. It doesn't go that far in conveying interest if you throw that back at the firm in an interview. 

[BetterCallPaul]

I'll admit I am speaking with a fair amount of bias because I felt as though the people I networked with advocated for me during the process, and I was even told so a handful of times. I just think that those who disregard networking completely are not doing themselves any favours, while those that take time to network will only reap benefits from it. 

[QueensDenning]

Anecdotal, but I networked by ass off during 2L recruit with no offers. No networking in 3L recruit and multiple offers. Working on interview skills, experience, and knowing how to talk intelligently about the practice area(s) your interested in worked a whole lot better for me. 

[CheeseToast]

I had a fairly strong network in the non-TO major city I work in and am convinced they played a big role in my receiving multiple offers.

[shibainuofthenorth]

Law is by nature a job that deals with people (yes even tax law and IP). Whether it is your colleagues or clients, people skills are important. So yes reaching out to lawyers and networking is important because it not only demonstrates that you are interested in the firm but also shows your level of people skills.

However I don't think from my experience (and several of my friends') of the recruitment process and from what I see at my firm that networking plays an overwhelmingly important role. Firms do seem to move towards more "modern" and "scientific" approaches to hiring such that biases are rooted out as much as possible.

[sageclock]

I don't know. I networked minimally, and with the several close connections I made, I don't know how much weight those relationships impacted a firm's enthusiasm towards me during in-firms, or if it had anything to do with their decision-making in giving me an offer. I had several colleagues with similar stats as me who networked intensely and landed no offers. I think it's all about not overthinking it, and using your best judgement to do what you think is right for you.