ITT Cool Posters Give Good Advice to 2L Job Search Noobs

[BearlyLegal]

[Edit - I started this thread as a post regarding my individual situation, but Botbot posted a wonderful response that anyone could use, so I decided to open the thread up to any and all 2L job search questions or advice. Good luck to everyone with your searches!]


Grades are out, and Bears is ballpark-ish top 30-40% 1L at BU Law. Not the smartest person in the class, but certainly smarter than the average Bears.

As LSD gunners know, BU is a T20 school, so it's not too bad. Bears won't know if bears wrote onto law review or journal for at least a month. Bears also won't know his moot court status until the middle of 2L year. Bears has a lot of litigation experience as a paralegal at V10 firms and prestigious government agencies. Bears has a summer job at a prestigious government agency right now.

Bears is starting to prepare for OCI and the hiring season. Bears' goal is to litigate at a reasonably high level and pay off his student loans. Bears wants to avoid ID work and temping if at all possible, and he is willing to do practically anything to make that happen.

Primarily, Bears plans to target the market between NYC, Boston and Albany. Bears would also like to try to get a gig in Florida becuause Bears is a fan of pina coladas and enticing female bears from Cuba.

Bears needs your advice! What would you do if you were a Bears?

[CTL]

I would stop speaking in the third person.

[BearlyLegal]

If you don't like Bears' schtick, stay out of Bears' thread. TY muchly!

[botbot]

1) Start prepping for your mail merge, develop your firm list.
2) Write your default cover letters for boston, nyc, albany, and miami.  Additionally, write as many personalized cover letters as possible.
3) Even though some firms are going to be at OCI, prepare packets for each (including a cover letter).  If you eventually interview with the firm at oci, remember to toss out the cover letter.
4) Determine least expensive way to print resumes + mailers (or labels).  Use white cotton paper.  Print + prepare.  Mail first week of August.  You should be sending ~150 letters.  Balance these letters between the uber-prestigious, V100, and less prestigious regionals.
5) Primarily target less prestigious market paying firms at OCI.  Interview for as many as possible.  Further focus on those with low exposure to transactional work involving securities.
6) During OCIs, be genuinely interested in the firm and the people interviewing you.  Know about the people interviewing you, but don't bring it up in an obnoxious way.  Say things like: "I read in your firm bio that you are primarily focused on corporate litigation. What is a normal workday like for you?"  Don't say things like: "I was recently reading this NLJ article on the litigation over mortgage-backed securities issued by wamu, who, as I'm sure you know, is now in bankruptcy. I bet you - as a corporate litigator - are pretty interested in that case, huh?"
7) Send thank you notes to each attorney who interviews you.
8 ) During any callback / flyback:
(a) During interviews: Again, be genuinely interested in the firm and everyone interviewing you. Ask many questions - don't let any of them be stupid. If interviewed by multiple attorneys at one time, make sure to include each in the interview - meaning - look each in the eye, converse with each, and if one seems to be left out, ask them a question.
(b) During lunch: order a mid-priced entree and water. Be amenable to appetizers and desserts, but do not bring them up. 
(c) During dinner: order a mid-priced entree - but don't order a pasta. Follow suit with the attorneys.  If they order a beer, get a beer.  If they order a bottle of wine, drink it. If they order alcohol, order lower-mid-level scotch (single or blended is fine)/bourbon with still water.  Do not be the first person to get a second drink.
(d) At all times: Smile.  Firm handshakes for any guy - don't crush any female fingers.  Pay attention to every word.
9) Again, send thank you notes to each attorney who interviews you.
10) Don't be phased by the constant stream of rejection letters.  If you get a summer offer, answer within a week.  If you get an offer at a firm where you want to work and you aren't overly concerned about their ability to give permanent offers - accept within 1-2 days.

Don't be afraid to send out 20-30 resumes to smallish firms.  Boston and NYC each have a number of small firms that pay $125k+.

[CTL]

That was incredibly rich and helpful.  I wish I could make this a sticky.

[BearlyLegal]

You are a good man, botbot! Your posts are always amazing.

Especially useful was the advice requiring firm ranges to target. Do you think I'd be marketable at lower AmLaw 250 or 100k+ paying midlaw in the regions I mentioned, or should I be sending out resumes to a lot of firms in the 50-100k range as well, for assurance that I don't end up homeless?

Finally, to what extent can I pull off moving to a big firm in a small market in the area I mentioned (e.g. Connecticut, Jersey, Albany, etc.) when I have no connections in those cities besides my love of their wonderful money?

[Jamie Stringer]

CTL, copy the post and email it to yourself in Gmail, then star it so you can find it later.  That's what I typically do when I read valuable gems like botbot's post above.

[Pop Up Video]

CTL, copy the post and email it to yourself in Gmail, then star it so you can find it later.  That's what I typically do when I read valuable gems like botbot's post above.

You must have an entire folder for the great advice I post here. I call my best posts "web gems"

[CTL]

Good idea.

[botbot]

Especially useful was the advice requiring firm ranges to target. Do you think I'd be marketable at lower AmLaw 250 or 100k+ paying midlaw in the regions I mentioned, or should I be sending out resumes to a lot of firms in the 50-100k range as well, for assurance that I don't end up homeless?

Finally, to what extent can I pull off moving to a big firm in a small market in the area I mentioned (e.g. Connecticut, Jersey, Albany, etc.) when I have no connections in those cities besides my love of their wonderful money?

You have a shot at many $100k+ midlaw + biglaw jobs.  Again, target as many less-prestigious $100k+ paying firms at OCI.  You should apply to 25-30 V100 firms and 60-70% of your resumes should be sent to NLJ 250 firms.

Assuming that you will choose most $100k+ jobs over most lower paying jobs - allocate only ~20% of your resumes for sub $100k firms.  If there are smaller, lower paying firms at OCI, tack them on as well.

Your mass mail should be made up like:

30% V100
30% NLJ 250 (but not V100)
10% Regional market paying firms not on either list
30% Small-mid sized firms not found above.  Pay is obviously straying lower.

The smaller markets you mentioned in the NE will not be as difficult to market yourself too.  Write personalized CLs to any you particularly like focusing on a firm specialty that you are interested in.  If interviewed say "I've always loved [insert city]" and focus on why you <3 the firm.

As for marketing yourself to Miami - "I always planned to work in Miami, but my parents lived in Boston and let me stay at home during law school"