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Any tips for OCIs?


groovy1363

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groovy1363
  • Law Student

Any tips for OCIs? Not sure how to prepare for a ~ 15 - 20 minute chat - it seems more like a likability thing than a real interview. 

Alternatively, words of encouragement appreciated. 

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MapleLeafs
  • Law Student

Aside from knowing your resume inside/out, I'm not sure how to prepare either. Is it recommended to reach out to associates at firms we have OCIs with to learn more about the firm? 

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Pantalaimon
  • Lawyer
3 hours ago, groovy1363 said:

Any tips for OCIs? Not sure how to prepare for a ~ 15 - 20 minute chat - it seems more like a likability thing than a real interview. 

Alternatively, words of encouragement appreciated. 

That's more or less what it is. Prepare like it's a networking event - have a few responses ready that naturally lead you into talking about yourself (e.g. responses to questions like "why law school" or "what's your favourite course so far" that are more than a sentence long). You could also prepare few smalltalk questions for your interviewer for lulls in the conversation and perhaps a question or two about the firm if you have genuine questions.

It's easy for me to say but try to be yourself and confident. You got into law school and got the grades for an OCI. You don't have to fake anything to succeed in OCIs.

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Torlaw
  • Law Student

in my experience doing the 2L recruit last year, some firms are leaning more towards behavioural questions as opposed to casual conversation, so maybe prep for that as well 

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Rashabon
  • Lawyer

Avoid coming across as overly rehearsed. We get spammers on the forum telling us robots will replace lawyers any day now, and we don't want to meet one in person.

Edited by Rashabon
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  • 2 weeks later...
lawlawlawlaw
  • Law Student

Does anyone have advice on how to prep for OCIs including how long we should spending prepping, what to prep for, where to start, what to look for.  

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Psychometronic
  • Lawyer
9 hours ago, lawlawlawlaw said:

Does anyone have advice on how to prep for OCIs including how long we should spending prepping, what to prep for, where to start, what to look for.  

Just know your application inside and out so you're prepared to answer anything about it. Do a bit of research on the firm as well so you're aware of what they do and whether their practice areas align with your interests. It's also not a bad idea to have a few questions in your back pocket in case the conversation hits a lull.

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Rashabon
  • Lawyer
On 9/29/2021 at 5:35 PM, lawlawlawlaw said:

Does anyone have advice on how to prep for OCIs including how long we should spending prepping, what to prep for, where to start, what to look for.  

OCIs aren’t an RPG, you can’t grind an optimal amount of exp to trivialize an encounter. Know your resume and application, be prepared to speak to it and any items in it, have a sense of why you went to law school or what you might hope to get out of OCIs and then just be a normal person.

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goosie
  • Lawyer
On 9/29/2021 at 5:35 PM, lawlawlawlaw said:

Does anyone have advice on how to prep for OCIs including how long we should spending prepping, what to prep for, where to start, what to look for.  

The advice you've already gotten is great. One thing I did to prepare (and what I do for all my interviews) is I have at least one anecdote prepared for each experience on my resume (every job, EC, moot, interest, etc). Ideally it's an anecdote that reveals some characteristic or skill of mine - like a time I had to think on my feet, or an example of my experience in client-facing roles. That way if someone asks "Tell me about X role" I can give a brief overview of what I did and bring up the anecdote. It's more interesting than just a dry explanation of what my tasks and responsibilities were and more often than not starts a discussion. Also if someone asks me a question like "Tell me about a time you had to think on your feet" I already have an answer prepared and linked to something on my resume. This was a really helpful exercise for me because it made me think about what I had that I could sell to employers and it made me feel more comfortable in the interviews knowing that I had these anecdotes in my pack pocket to fill up dead space if there was any.

Edit: I should mention, don't memorize a speech and rattle it off - it comes off canned basically every time. Instead I just make a note next to each experience on my resume with a key word or phrase (like one I have is "locked fridge") that'll jog my memory when I'm practicing interviews, so that I'm not just reciting the same speech over and over.

Edited by goosie
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Darth Vader
  • Lawyer
1 hour ago, Rashabon said:

OCIs aren’t an RPG, you can’t grind an optimal amount of exp to trivialize an encounter. Know your resume and application, be prepared to speak to it and any items in it, have a sense of why you went to law school or what you might hope to get out of OCIs and then just be a normal person.

Seriously. I have never prepared for an interview like this besides the substantive ones I did with government. I never attended a mock interview session and was always shocked at the amount of prep my peers put into casual interview processes. And I always still did well. Just be a normal fucking person. They just want to know more about you, your interests, why you are applying, and get a sense of your personality and if you are someone they want to work with. Students prep for these interviews like they're interviewing for the Queen. Be relaxed and go with the flow and you should be fine. It's understandable that you would be nervous because maybe you really want this job, but at the end of the day, there are hundreds of corporate law jobs in the field and many employers hiring students, so be a normal person and you should be able to land somewhere.

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Rashabon
  • Lawyer

I think the closest thing I did to preparation before my interviews years ago was glancing at the lawyer profiles the firm sent me (and the list of transactions one firm sent me which was very off putting). I think the information I retained was what practice area they were in and that was about it. Barely even came up in the interviews to be honest.

But questions like "how much time should I be putting in", to anything in law school or law frankly, demonstrates the question asker is already off on the wrong foot, because that's a meaningless question.

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If you are feeling anxious, there is no problem preparing anecdotes about the things you've learned in your previous jobs. But generally speaking, if you can say a few things off the cuff about your previous experience, you don't really need to. 

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lawstudent97
  • Law Student
On 9/29/2021 at 5:35 PM, lawlawlawlaw said:

Does anyone have advice on how to prep for OCIs including how long we should spending prepping, what to prep for, where to start, what to look for.  

I think you already got great advice. But to add on previous posts, know a little bit about the firm, and prepare questions! Insightful questions (things that you won't find on their website). Know your resume inside-out, and have stories that demonstrate skills that are transferrable to the legal practice. Also, don't be afraid to show your personal side (your professional self).

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