Do I have an advantage because I applied immediately to posted OCIs?

[Bottlebottle]

See title.

Does it matter when you submit your application? What is the consensus among recruiters? The UBC website states that applications submitted by mid August is strongly recommended. Why?

[PePeHalpert]

It does not matter.  You are not going to take precedence over an equally or more qualified candidate because you submitted earlier. 

[Conge]

5 hours ago, Bottlebottle said:

See title.

Does it matter when you submit your application? What is the consensus among recruiters? The UBC website states that applications submitted by mid August is strongly recommended. Why?

Probably just to keep you organized so you aren't submitting at the last second while trying to get school work done and getting stressed out/doing a bad job.

Having done some hiring in the past, the people screening applications and conducting interviews likely won't even see when you applied.  

[Jaggers]

Worrying about when you send in your application is a new one for me. But at least you don’t have to worry about where to place the stamp anymore.

[Yogurt Baron]

Usual disclaimer in case the OP doesn't know: I'm not a lawyer, have never been through the OCI process, but am a paraprofessional who sometimes helps smaller practices with hiring.

This isn't as stupid a question as it might seem, because there are many jobs in real life that post on September 1 with a clearly stated closing date of October 1, and the best candidates might think, "Okay, I've got until October 1," and then somebody who's just kind of adequate applies on September 2 and the hiring manager thinks, "Well, I'd rather get someone in sooner, and this person seems adequate," and then the best candidate doesn't get to apply. We all know that this is a thing in blue-collar work, but I've been surprised to learn how much of a thing it is even in professional jobs - including law jobs. Generally, I'd say if you want to be the third person in a two-person law office, apply as quickly as you realistically can.

But from my understanding, the OCI process is not real life. It's a highly formalized process where the goalposts aren't going to move that way. (Open to correction if I'm wrong on that, but I don't think I am.) And if the risk of the goalposts moving is off the table, what, exactly, is the advantage you think you would get from applying early? Do you think employers are going to think that's relevant? If you were hiring, would you think that was relevant? Why? Presented with two candidates, more-qualified A and applied-sooner B, are you really going to agonize, "Well, this one candidate is better, but this other candidate applied earlier"? Do you root for the Cincinnati Reds because, hey, these Blue Jays are cool or whatever, but the Reds got here 100 years sooner, so they must have wanted your fandom more? I'm going to guess not.

The cliche is that applying early shows enthusiasm or whatever, but that argument cuts both ways---some people display their enthusiasm for a particular job by applying right now, while some display it by taking extra time and care to craft a good application. So by applying early, you aren't necessarily displaying enthusiasm---for all the employer knows, you could be displaying enthusiasm, or you could be displaying that you don't care enough to put effort into your application. It could read either way, or as neither of the above.

[GoBigOrGoHome]

So this information may or may not be reflective of all firms, but I have been working with someone who previously did recruiting for firms and she suggested I reach out to UBC's CSO to inquire if they have a list of the firms that do rolling interviews. What she meant by that is that some firms will start slotting people into their list as applications come in and max out. 

Full disclosure - I am about to start my OCI applications and need to get them done by Wednesday. It is going to be a long three days. I told her that I'm not going to bother because at that point I was 10 days out of the deadline and at this point, getting one firm in a few hours before another firm is not going to make a difference for me. 

Good luck to those of you out there like me who are doing this last minute!

[utahjazz]

One data point. I summered at a BigLaw firm and in conversations with the Director of HR and the rest of the HR team, it was mentioned several times that individuals who submit their application earlier have an advantage.
 

Internally, they have already decided on several applicants who will definitely get an OCI. That said, if a superstar submits at the last minute, I’m sure those so-called ‘definite’ OCIs could be subject to change. 
 

Hope this helps, and best of luck! 

[pastmidnight]

I think it only gives you an advantage if you are on the cusp of being competitive for OCIs, and even then you’d only have an advantage over candidates with similar marks/experiences to you. i.e. other bubble candidates. You submitting your application earlier is not going to prevent an employer from giving your OCI spot to a better qualified candidate who submits their application later. Some employers also don’t seem to review applications on a rolling basis, but instead wait until the deadline has passed before they start making decisions.

The UBC CSO said during an information session that they encourage people to apply early because there is a lower threshold to getting in the “yes” pile when employers have received fewer applications, whereas there is a higher threshold to getting in the “yes” pile if you apply later in the process and employers have more applications to compare yours to. I’m not certain how true this is, but that’s what they said. If it is true, again I imagine it’s more relevant for some candidates than others, and if an employer doesn’t look at applications on a rolling basis, applying early won't give you an advantage at all. I also think what @Conge said above is a big part of the reason why they encourage people to apply early – they’re trying to avoid a bunch of people rushing to submit at the last minute and sending them a bunch of late-night panicked emails.

If you want an idea of (approximately) how many OCIs you can expect to receive, and if you applying early might give you a leg-up, you should ask the CSO how students with similar marks to you have fared in years past. Obviously there will still be some level of variability based on your resume/cover letter, but I think the CSO will be able to give you a better idea of where you stand and if submitting early is actually going to help you than we can.

[Jaggers]

I doubt the CSO actually has any clue about this.

[cjs]

I’ve heard from some law firms if you apply earlier it’s better because they receive way more applications towards the end and they kind of “blur together”. They said fewer applications are received earlier thus they get a bit more detailed read (at least initially) than the mass influx that comes at the end which can be advantageous, relatively speaking.  

Edited September 1, 2023 by cjs

[Patient0L]

In my conversations with the CSO, they basically contradicted themselves. In their info sessions, they say that applying early will have an impact on whether you get an interview. Speaking to them in person, they told me that it might make a difference in some cases with some employers. Still, having a better application later than an unpolished one earlier is preferable... 

FWIW, I also noticed in Vilawportal that several employers didn't even retrieve my application materials until applications closed.

[Ramesses]

Did the Vancouver and Calagry recruiit and applied on the last day both times and got interviews with 70-80% of the firms I applied to.

[Patient0L]

As an add on to this. All my apps were submitted in the second half of August and I did them in a couple of batches. I got more OCI hits from the places I applied to later, a few days shy of the deadline. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[GoBigOrGoHome]

I wish I applied early. I got OCI offers from places that I knew going into law school I would interview with, and nothing else.  

All it takes is one. I also have non-OCI employers in mind that I would love to work for.

 

[Dinsdale]

Makes absolutely no difference on Bay Street for 2L positions.  Applications from each school are batched together and reviewed all at once, immediately after the deadline.  I agree that for associate positions, etc., applying early might have an advantage.  But the 2L recruit is heavily regulated and follows rhythms well defined over the past 20 years.