Callback interviews

[Budlaw]

You will get a callback within 48 hours from most firms.  Smaller firms and offices will sometimes take longer. 

Don't send thank-you notes after a screening interview.  It's pointless and makes it look like you don't know what you're doing.

Really? I'll have to tell the Director of Career Services at my school that she's wrong and I actually shouldn't send a thank-you note. I'll let her know that she doesn't know what she's talking about, and she doesn't know what she's doing.

Jackass.

[J D]

You will get a callback within 48 hours from most firms.  Smaller firms and offices will sometimes take longer. 

Don't send thank-you notes after a screening interview.  It's pointless and makes it look like you don't know what you're doing.

Really? I'll have to tell the Director of Career Services at my school that she's wrong and I actually shouldn't send a thank-you note. I'll let her know that she doesn't know what she's talking about, and she doesn't know what she's doing.

Jackass.

Our career office also tells us it's unnecessary to send a thank-you note after the OCI screening interview (I guess because it won't arrive in time to make any difference anyway, and because employers really don't expect to receive a thank-you from each of the hundreds of such interviews they conduct through OCI).  I'm relying upon their advice.  But I don't see how sending the thank-you letter could hurt.

[johnnylongtorso]

You will get a callback within 48 hours from most firms.  Smaller firms and offices will sometimes take longer. 

Don't send thank-you notes after a screening interview.  It's pointless and makes it look like you don't know what you're doing.

Really? I'll have to tell the Director of Career Services at my school that she's wrong and I actually shouldn't send a thank-you note. I'll let her know that she doesn't know what she's talking about, and she doesn't know what she's doing.

Jackass.

Well, frankly, you probably should let her know that she's giving terrible advice.  A thank-you note will make no difference unless you make some kind of error, in which case it will hurt you.  And it's simply implausible for students doing 20+ 20-minute interviews in the span of a few days to send out meaningful notes to employers, especially since firms generally make their decisions before the notes would arrive.  This is the advice the OCS at a good school would give you.

[CoxlessPair]

After the call-back, will the firm call or write you in the event that they decide to extend an offer? I'm 3 days out of my first call-back and I can't decide if I should be obsessively checking my phone or mailbox.


And I have to agree in regard to not sending a thank-you note in regard to the OCI Screening Interviews. These seem to be about your hard numbers and any huge personality defects. Absent an anti-social personality disorder, I can't see an OCI making a huge difference in their initial thoughts about an offer. While I'm sure there are exceptions, I have a feeling they already know who they want before you walk in the door.
Also, more practically, what is there to thank them for? Thanks for giving the fluff answers you already have on your website about being a lifestyle firm and the commitment to pro-bono work. Thanks for listening to me craft BS questions based on your NALP report or website attorney profile. 

[Budlaw]

Well thanks for the "advice", but seeing how my Career Director is the one who has a relationship with the particular firms that conduct OCI at my school, I'll follow her advice, and not some random internet people's advice. I think she has a little bit more insight into these particular firms and whether or not they appreciate thank you notes after screening interviews or not.

Just because the firms that interview at your schools don't appreciate thank you notes, doesn't mean that the firms that interview at my school don't.


Thanks for the opinions, but you know what they say about opinions...

[J D]

Well thanks for the "advice", but seeing how my Career Director is the one who has a relationship with the particular firms that conduct OCI at my school, I'll follow her advice, and not some random internet people's advice. I think she has a little bit more insight into these particular firms and whether or not they appreciate thank you notes after screening interviews or not.

Just because the firms that interview at your schools don't appreciate thank you notes, doesn't mean that the firms that interview at my school don't.


Thanks for the opinions, but you know what they say about opinions...

Of course, you should do what your career services advisors tell you; they are the ones getting paid to help you after all.  I just thought it was interesting how different career offices take different approaches.

[Budlaw]

Oh and "Johnnylongtorso", you can take your elitest attitude and shove it up your ass. I haven't seen one post of yours that actually is aimed at helping someone. Go and take your ass over to xoxoth where maybe someone will actually care that you go to a "T14".

[Budlaw]

Well thanks for the "advice", but seeing how my Career Director is the one who has a relationship with the particular firms that conduct OCI at my school, I'll follow her advice, and not some random internet people's advice. I think she has a little bit more insight into these particular firms and whether or not they appreciate thank you notes after screening interviews or not.

Just because the firms that interview at your schools don't appreciate thank you notes, doesn't mean that the firms that interview at my school don't.


Thanks for the opinions, but you know what they say about opinions...

Of course, you should do what your career services advisors tell you; they are the ones getting paid to help you after all.  I just thought it was interesting how different career offices take different approaches.

No problem. That post wasn't directed at you, but at Mr. Elitist.

[johnnylongtorso]

Well thanks for the "advice", but seeing how my Career Director is the one who has a relationship with the particular firms that conduct OCI at my school, I'll follow her advice, and not some random internet people's advice. I think she has a little bit more insight into these particular firms and whether or not they appreciate thank you notes after screening interviews or not.

Just because the firms that interview at your schools don't appreciate thank you notes, doesn't mean that the firms that interview at my school don't.


Thanks for the opinions, but you know what they say about opinions...

Easy there, big fella.  Take a deep breath.  I think it should be obvious at this point that you aren't getting very good advice, and that unless some different, unusual firms interview only at your school, they don't want or expect a thank-you note after a screening interview.  Admittedly, you seem to have some insecurities about not going to a T14, so maybe the small firms that interview at your school do want thank-you notes.  But it doesn't help anybody when you act like this woman in your OCS office is omniscient.

[Lenny]

I haven't read all of the posts, so if I am being repetitive.  First, re: thank-you notes.  They do nothing but expose you to the possibility that you will make a huge spelling error in them.  Look at it this way - most firms have made a decision about an interviewee within a day or two of the interview.  Unless you use FedEx, there is little chance that your thank-you note will make it to the firm before they have made their decision, so it will do you no good.  They will not say "well, we thought this guy was a no-go, but now we have this thank-you note on this fine piece of stationary, so he's in."  But, if they have already made up their mind in your favor and you make some huge gaff in the note, things could change.  Obviously this doesn't apply to all firms, but having gone through it twice and now having interviewed on behalf of my firm, I can say that most firms don't pay attention to thank you notes.

So, BudLaw, you may ask "why then did my Career Services officer say I should send them?"  Glad you asked, Bud, I'll tell ya.  Career Services people are not working for you, individually, all the time.  Their primary client/constituency at all times is the school.  If your interests and the school's interests coincide, then great.  But if they don't, the Career Service person will advise you based on what is best for the school.  For instance, it looks great for the school if all the students send thank you notes - it looks like all the students are climbing over top of each other to get to that firm if they all send thank you notes, so it is worth while for the firm to come on campus, which is what Career Services wants.  But, as I said above, a thank you note is like a cover letter - it can do nothing but hurt you.