Archive for the 'OCI's' Category

Fall 2009 On-Campus Recruitment Program

Published by careerservices on June 12, 2009 in Interviews, OCI's and Resources. 0 Comments

The Fall On-Campus Interview Program begins on Tuesday, August 25, 2009.

On July 6, students may begin viewing and researching OCI employers.  OCI employers are those who will either interview students on-campus or who will review resume booklets (“resume collect”) from University of Richmond Law students in lieu of coming to campus.  Student bid applications will be accepted beginning on July 28, 2009.

There are currently five interview sessions in Symplicity:


Session 1 (Aug. 25 – Aug. 28):  Application deadline is August 9 at 11:45 p.m.
Session 2 (Aug. 31 – Sept. 4):  Application deadline is August 16 at 11:45 p.m.
Session 3 (Sept. 8 – 11):  Application deadline is August 23 at 11:45 p.m.
Session 4 (Sept. 14 – 18):  Application deadline is August 30 at 11:45 p.m.
Session 6 (Early Oct.) - Application deadline is September 6 at 11:45 p.m.

PRIOR TO THE BID APPLICATION DEADLINES, students must:

Confirm that all Profile information (particularly class year and graduation date) in Symplicity is current.

Upload default resume under “Documents” tab in Symplicity.  *Remember that the Career Services Office is here to assist with resume review.*

Upload employer-specific cover letters and attach them to bid applications by respective bid deadlines.

Upload a current grade list under the “Documents” tab.

Check each PDF document after converting it from Word.  Spacing issues may occur during the conversion (resulting in dropped lines, tab spacing changes, or the addition of an extra page).  Go back to the original Word document, correct the problem, and re-upload as a PDF if this occurs.

Pssst! A little insight on OCI’s

Published by Denise on February 17, 2008 in OCI's. 0 Comments

We are heading into the second week of our Spring OCI season, but it is already time to share an important insight – the overwhelming majority of law students do notget their 1L summer jobs or their permanent job offers through OCI’s!!!  If you think we are just trying to make some of you feel better, you must think again.  In fact, it has been discussed in career services and other legal circles for years.  

Here is a link to an important article that appeared a few years ago in the
ABA’s Law Student publication: http://www.abanet.org/lsd/stulawyer/sept99/jobs.html.  Read it from start to finish.  You’ll see that nationwide, only 17% of students get their permanent job offers through OCI’s, and, as stated in the article, “For law schools not ranked in the top 20, this percentage is probably much lower.”   

You will also see that the author addresses another issue with OCI’s that can be very frustrating, i.e. the same handful of students seem to get all the OCI interviews.   It is often a recurring theme -  students at the top of the class apply to most visiting employers (because they are just not sure which firms are best for them), but, as a result, the same students – for the most part – get most of the interviews, and the rest of the class feel lousy.

If you are not getting the interviews you want, do not fall into this trap!!!  Look at the OCI season as the author of the ABA article suggests – prime time to “dust off [your] interview suit, proof your résumé, draft cover letters, and begin [your] … campaign to find a … a full-time [or summer] position.”   In fact, if you have taken the time to apply for an OCI interview, you should feel good about this.  You have begun your campaign. 

Also, take the author’s advice and focus on your networking opportunities.  Look to your contacts - those you have developed through law school and law school organizations and through family and friends, and those you may not have considered like alums, attorneys with similar backgrounds, etc.

Realize that this is a process - a process that takes time, focus, energy and patience – like a marathon.   

If you are frustrated, confused about what you should be doing, or just  have questions, come by the CSO and request an appointment with one of us to discuss strategy and where you can best direct your focus right now.  We are here to help.  But do not get frustrated!  This is not the end of the process.  This is the beginning.