Interviewing

While your focus right now is on EIP next week, callback interviews will be here before you know it. Some employers may extend callback invitations as early as the same day as your EIP screening interview.

Virtual interviewing has many upsides. You can control your environment, have notes on-screen for quick reference, and not rush from one place to the next for interviews.

As you approach EIP, a callback, or any other interview, many things are out of your control. Your grades and previous experience are what they are.

There are two things that have the biggest impact on EIP success: a well-balanced bid list and a strong interview.

More employers, including law firms, are using psychometric assessments as part of their hiring process. Psychometric assessments use a series of questions, games and scenarios to gather insight on your cognition, personality, and behavioral tendencies.

Scheduling Preview interviews can be tricky given students are working at their 1L summer jobs and firms are running summer programs. Remember, if a firm only offers times during the workday, you may request additional times if you are unable to make the times offered fit with your work schedule.

If you haven't already, now is the time to get your EIP interview wardrobe in shape. You can take advantage of holiday sales and also give yourself time to allow for any necessary alterations.

You may be scheduling Preview interviews or looking ahead to EIP. Before you get too far into the process, review the OCS page on Evaluating Firms for Your Own Success. Knowing in advance how to evaluate the firms can help you know what to look for or ask about in your interviews.

If you haven’t received any invitations to interview through Preview yet, don’t panic. Remember, different markets and firms work on different timelines. You can check in on the firms on which you bid on the Interview Tracker to see if they have begun extending interview invitations.

Now that Preview bidding is complete, ensure you are ready to schedule and manage Preview interviews. It is critical to respond promptly to emails and phone calls from employers. Employers have been asked to schedule interviews around your work schedules. If you are asked to interview during times you have work commitments, you are encouraged to let the firm know that and seek alternate interview times.

Each student participating in EIP Preview should have received a link to their Interview Tracker, a  survey for reporting progress with Preview firms to OCS. Update your Tracker promptly after you hear from firms.

Employers will schedule and host your Preview interview(s), and we anticipate that many employers will use Flo Recruit, the same platform we will be using for EIP interviews this August. If you’re not familiar with the system, checkout the 3 Min Student Interview Training Video and test your audio, video, and network connection.

Firms will receive Preview applications tomorrow after the close of bidding, and interview invitations could begin in the days to come. Firms have been asked to offer interview times outside of business hours. Once your Preview bids are in, turn your attention to understanding how to schedule and manage Preview interviews (Leg 5 of the EIP Roadmap) and interview prep (Leg 4).

If you participate in EIP Preview, you may be conducting law firm interviews prior to EIP this summer. Be sure you are thinking ahead by purchasing or choosing your interview attire, polishing your online presence, and reviewing Leg 4 of the EIP Roadmap for additional interview advice.

If your 2L summer job search will be focused on a smaller or secondary market you may be wondering how to think about Preview and EIP. While many firms from smaller markets do participate (check the 2022 Employer List in Leg 3 of the EIP Roadmap), many firms from smaller markets do not participate in EIP.

EIP seems a long way off, so you may be wondering why you should sign up for an EIP mock interview now. Interviewing is a key component of EIP, but doing it well requires preparation and practice.

If you are planning on focusing your summer job search on a smaller market you may be wondering about EIP. While many firms from smaller markets do participate, there are still a large number of smaller firms and firms from smaller markets which do not come to EIP.

Interviewing is a key component of EIP, but doing it well requires preparation and practice. Before you leave Cambridge for your summer job, before you get too busy studying for final exams, participate in the EIP Mock Interview Program.

One of the many services offered by OCS is the opportunity to do private sector mock interviews with an OCS adviser. Schedule an appointment with an adviser and select “Mock Interview” as the service.

Many students wonder if they should be writing thank you notes after interviews with potential employers for 1L summer positions. The general rule of thumb, particularly for large law firm employers, is that they are not necessary after a screening interview, but are recommended after a callback interview.

Whether you already have some interviews lined up, or hope to have some shortly, make sure you are prepared.