Why Do Some Firms OCI At Schools from Which They Rarely Hire?

[O.]

So I've been doing a little research about certain firms in secondary markets, and, once in a while, I'll come upon a firm that OCIs at a school yet rarely hires from it.

For instance, I found a secondary market firm that regularly goes to Michigan, but they have only two Michigan graduates, and both of them are senior partners.  One graduated in the late 1960s.

What's the point?  Do some of these places go for other reasons?  What might they be?  If a firm OCIs at a school yet never hires from it, is it a good sign for someone trying to drum up 1L employment?

[SCK2008]

Really good question.  I've got a few guesses but I wish I knew more...


I wonder if Wallace Stevens has seen this post?  This kind of esoteric *&^% is right up his alley...

[Susan B. Anthony]

So I've been doing a little research about certain firms in secondary markets, and, once in a while, I'll come upon a firm that OCIs at a school yet rarely hires from it.

For instance, I found a secondary market firm that regularly goes to Michigan, but they have only two Michigan graduates, and both of them are senior partners.  One graduated in the late 1960s.

What's the point?  Do some of these places go for other reasons?  What might they be?  If a firm OCIs at a school yet never hires from it, is it a good sign for someone trying to drum up 1L employment?

Which firm is that?

If they have offices in multiple locations, firms will often interview for all locations at the same time. It's possible that they have a lot of Michigan grads in other offices. Or that those two senior partners want them to recruit at their school. Or...I don't know.

[big - fat - box]

The firm may be doing it about of habit. They may have hired regularly there years and years ago and now all the associates and partners from that school have left the firm. They may  be hoping to find an extra special student at that school that they want to hire, but just haven't found yet.

I don't think the chances of getting a firm job 1L summer from a firm like this are good. Even if you have ties to the secondary market, the firm may not take you seriously until you apply for a 2L summer associate position because they know most 1L students from your school will just work at the firm 1L summer, then move on to a different market/firm. Firms know that most 1L positions are unpaid or pay very little and that 1Ls will do anything for a position that pays well.

[flyaway]

Maybe they want to hire from a school, but for whatever reason the students aren't really drawn to it.  An unpopular/distant market, the pay, the reputation compared to other firms in the market.

[pikey]

Maybe they want to hire from a school, but for whatever reason the students aren't really drawn to it.  An unpopular/distant market, the pay, the reputation compared to other firms in the market.

This is likely the credited response.  Even during 1L OCI there were some firms from secondary markets that had empty interview spots.  I'd imagine that these firms would have difficulty attracting students during 2L OCI, when students have a lot more firms/markets to choose from.

[pikey]

Maybe they want to hire from a school, but for whatever reason the students aren't really drawn to it.  An unpopular/distant market, the pay, the reputation compared to other firms in the market.

This is likely the credited response.  Even during 1L OCI there were some firms from secondary markets that had empty interview spots.  I'd imagine that these firms would have difficulty attracting students during 2L OCI, when students have a lot more firms/markets to choose from.

Poor those firms.     So lonely.  But why?

At a large, national school like Michigan, there's only so many people who are interested in smaller markets.  For example, some smaller Michigan/Midwest firms interview here because its convenient, but not many Michigan students are interested in staying in-state or in the Midwest (other than Chicago).  For some firms, the potential of having Michigan students outweighs the cost of interviewing, similar to applying to reaches when you apply to law school.

[yykm]

So I've been doing a little research about certain firms in secondary markets, and, once in a while, I'll come upon a firm that OCIs at a school yet rarely hires from it.

For instance, I found a secondary market firm that regularly goes to Michigan, but they have only two Michigan graduates, and both of them are senior partners.  One graduated in the late 1960s.

What's the point?  Do some of these places go for other reasons?  What might they be?  If a firm OCIs at a school yet never hires from it, is it a good sign for someone trying to drum up 1L employment?

Which firm is that?

If they have offices in multiple locations, firms will often interview for all locations at the same time. It's possible that they have a lot of Michigan grads in other offices. Or that those two senior partners want them to recruit at their school. Or...I don't know.

It's possible that the firm sends one or both of the UM partners in on a Friday before a home football game.  At the few good schools with good football, you'll see many more firms conducting OCI on the day before a game.

[notmikejones]

Don't many schools charge employers a couple thousand bucks to come to OCI?  Maybe it is a way for the two senior partners to give some money to their school and also be able to get tax deductions for the expenses.  It also helps the school because no matter how established they are, 625 employers interviewing at OCI looks better than 624.  In short, maybe it is a way for the senior partners to do something beneficial for their school.