No interviews?!

[krystal82]

So I'm A 1L at a top 30 school. I still haven't gotten any interviews yet from any of the PI organizations I applied to so far and i'm getting really nervous. I think I have an ok resume, so im not sure what the problem is. Please help! Also as my grades were just ok, should i be sending them unless they're explicitely requested?

[Bigbie]

All orgs are a bit different and none are on the same schedule. This is right about the time they start to get going, so I wouldn't be too worried. Plus, I would think that getting your grades would be a useful way of following up with them. If you're in the top third they're probably better than OK. Call or send an email with them and ask what their time table is. Some orgs won't be making decisions until March.

[Miss P]

So I'm A 1L at a top 30 school, in the top third of my class after the first semester. I still haven't gotten any interviews yet from any of the PI organizations I applied to so far and i'm getting really nervous. I think I have an ok resume, so im not sure what the problem is. Please help! Also as my grades were just ok, should i be sending them unless they're explicitely requested?

Most of the PI organizations in the city have been frantically working on their selections for the fair.  You should hear about fair interviews in the next couple of days.  If not, then I agree with Bigbie that it's time to follow up with the organizations to which you've applied directly, and submitting your grades might be a good way to do that.  But keep in mind that organizations that are interviewing at the fair will be really tapped out in terms of hiring resources over the next two weeks.  Be patient with them, and prepare yourself for more follow-up calls in the next few weeks.  (FWIW, outside of the federal government, most PI employers will not care about your grades for 1L internships, if ever.)

[vap]

Your grades are pretty good considering the school you are at.     Nonetheless, you can still affect a big change in your grades from first to second semester, so don't despair if you want to go higher.  (FWIW, I was barely top 1/3 after first semester and finished top 15% after the whole year).  Some people lose confidence because of low grades and others have too much confidence because of high grades, and some people in both categories stop working as hard.  Keep up the good work and talk with your profs about how to improve.

Re: the job situation, I wouldn't sweat it.  It's still a little early.  How many apps have you sent out?  Just keep sending out apps, and something will come your way.

[krystal82]

No interviews at the NYU fair after submitting 19 applications. I am so discouraged.  Is it too late to start applying to judicial internships?

[dashrashi]

I can only tell you what worked for me: get the organization you want to interview with on the phone. Preferably the intern coordinator or her equivalent. Make up a reason, Oh, I just wanted to be sure I was directing my resume at the right person, blah blah blah whatever. That's a good all-purpose one. If you only get a receptionist, don't go into it, just leave a message, say you'll call back. Then call back if they don't call you back first. Once they're on the phone, then you can go into the whole "Oh I just wanted to be sure etc." Guess what? Now you've got the decisionmaker on the phone. You can sound enthusiastic and friendly, and attach at least a voice to a name. An email is easier to ignore than the person on the other end of the line. Best case scenario: you get into a convo and they offer you a spot right there. 2nd best case scenario: you set up an interview. 3rd best case scenario: you've established your interest with the decisionmaker and made an impression, thereby standing out from the hordes of emails, causing said decisionmaker to perk up when she finally sees your resume. Worst case scenario: you actually are sure that your app got to the right person.

Okay, actual worst case scenario: you acted like a feminine hygiene product on the phone and are now off the list. But that's entirely within your control.

Phone. You can't rely on them granting you interviews while you sit there passively, figuratively waiting for the phone to ring.

Anyway. Wait til after the fair if they are stressed right now, and then get a-calling.

(I didn't get any interviews for the fair I signed up for and it really wasn't a death knell. Try not to take it personally. Just move on.)

[vap]

No interviews at the NYU fair after submitting 19 applications. I am so discouraged.  Is it too late to start applying to judicial internships?

Certainly not.  I would guess that many USDC judges in NYC have probably hired, but I would call their offices to check.  I know some USDC in major cities deliberately do not start interviewing until January/February/March.  You also might want to check with U.S. magistrate judges.  These judges are often overlooked, but you will usually do the same things as an intern working for a USDC judge (depending on the judge).  State courts in NYC would certainly be respectable, too.

[justadreamer]

At the NYU fair you can always go to the agency tables and bring them your resume and talk them maybe into giving you an interview or tell them how much you are interested in the position. I heard that many people do get internships offers at the tables!!!

[Miss P]

At the NYU fair you can always go to the agency tables and bring them your resume and talk them maybe into giving you an interview or tell them how much you are interested in the position. I heard that many people do get internships offers at the tables!!!

This is true.  There's also free sign-up coming up, so try to get some free sign-up interviews if you can.

I'm sorry you didn't get any interviews, though, Krystal. 

I also totally agree with Dash's advice.  Phone.

[dischord]

FWIW (since I'm in school in a different city), I went to panels at my school both with student speakers and with reps from a handful of government and public interest organizations that participated in my city's big public interest fair.  ALL of the panelists said that if you bid an organization in the fair and don't get an interview, to directly send another resume and cover letter if you're interested.  Apparently they will hire people that way (at least anecdotally).