Like many 2Ls, last fall I embarked on a bizarre, bewildering series of job interviews. Although I had dutifully attended every CDO information session, to be honest, I had absolutely no idea what to expect.
Here are a few suggestions for 2Ls going on interviews this year—whether you’ve lined up a slate of November in-firms, or will be interviewing for other positions early next semester. Alas, I cannot tell you how to score that perfect position or dazzle at a cocktail party. But I do have some advice for getting through the process with your sanity (and your self-confidence) intact.
1. Set aside some money for essentials.
Unless you’re extremely careful, going on job interviews can cost a small fortune.
First, you will open your closet and discover with some consternation that your carefully assembled collection of vintage dresses—rad as they might be—probably won’t pass muster on Bay Street. So you will plunge down the rabbit hole of conservative interview attire: tailored suits, sensible shoes, stacks of blouses… and enough pantyhose to equip every First Lady since Mamie Eisenhower. (Because those things run and snag like nobody’s business! Stay tuned for my forthcoming UV opinion piece, “The Pantyhose Racket: A Tool of the Patriarchy Designed to Slow Women Down and Empty Our Wallets.”)
Then, during interview week itself, other expenses will inevitably crop up. There’s dry cleaning, snacks in the path, large quantities of coffee in between interviews, and possibly an emergency foray into the pharmacy for Advil (and yet more pantyhose). Not to mention my own personal Waterloo: cab fare. Granted, there are some superior human beings who can conduct 11 articling interviews in 48 hours armed only with a TTC pass and Martin’s Criminal Code. I have witnessed this phenomenon firsthand, and it was wildly impressive. But if you’re anything like me—easily flustered, poor sense of direction, liable to trip over yourself and go tumbling down the TTC escalator—you should set aside money for taxis. Lots of money.
2. And some money for non-essentials.
When interviews finally end, make time for something—a stiff drink, a super-fancy dinner, a hot-stone massage, whatever!—that will make you feel amazing. This is non-negotiable.
Last year, to get me through OCIs, my genius boyfriend promised to make lobster rolls after my last interview. (We once spent four days criss-crossing the state of Maine in search of the perfect lobster roll—so, suffice it to say, this was a huge incentive for me.) Throughout the ups and downs of those 17-minute interviews, I had my eye on the prize: lobster. I can’t tell you how blissful it was to come home on Friday evening, change into an old flannel shirt, and boil up some delicious crustaceans in my teeny kitchen.
Of course, the following Monday I looked at my bank statement and winced. Such is the cumulative effect of fancy suits, umpteen taxi rides, and lobster dinners. But believe me—the lobsters were worth it.
3. Don’t get flummoxed by terrible, horrible, no good, very bad questions.
This is inevitable. No matter how prepared you are, somebody, somewhere will ask a question that throws you off your game. Smile, take a second, blunder through it, and move on.
During in-firm interviews, there was one seemingly innocuous question that really got me flustered. Whenever I visited a firm for the second time, somebody would ask: “Is there anyone else you’d like to meet?” Typically I had just been introduced to 37 different lawyers (whose names I had promptly forgotten) and my pockets were already bulging with business cards. And typically I had no answer, since it felt presumptuous to demand an audience with the managing partner or the high-flying litigator I had read about online.
My advice? Be prepared with a general response: “Can you introduce me to somebody in your pensions group?” or “Is there anyone who’s taken on an interesting pro bono case recently?” Remember to smile. You’ll seem enthusiastic, thoughtful, and engaged—because, of course, you are all these things!
4. Be unflaggingly kind and generous to your fellow law students.
Share taxis, share information, send encouraging texts, and talk each other up during cocktail parties. If you can swing it, plan to meet other students downtown for a quick pep talk between interviews. These five-minute meetings always gave me an incredible boost of energy and confidence.
Truly, I believe that the kindness you demonstrate at times like these—when you’re under pressure, in a competitive environment—speaks volumes about your character. This might be my closet hippie speaking, but I am firmly convinced that, when we put positive energy into the universe, it comes back in spades. At the very least, it can’t hurt.
5. Get excited about the amazing profession you’re about to enter.
During my job search, I was repeatedly starstruck by the lawyers I encountered. At Torys, I met the legendary litigator Sheila Block. At Faskens, I spoke with May Cheng, the IP lawyer representing a number of Chinese-Canadian authors in a high-profile plagiarism suit against Penguin Books (Google “Gold Mountain Blues” for details). I chatted with labour lawyers, federal prosecutors, ADR experts, NGO execs, and at least one lawyer pursuing his doctorate while working on Bay Street. (Colour me impressed.)
I promise you this: no matter where you interview, you will meet some amazing, inspiring, super-accomplished lawyers. So walk into each office excited to meet these insanely talented members of the legal profession. Ask them about their most exciting work, their biggest challenges, the files that make it all worthwhile. These interviews are a golden opportunity to learn more about the crazy, diverse, fascinating profession we are joining. What could be better than that?
6. Hang onto your sense of self.
One rainy afternoon last October, when I had received a string of disappointing emails, I wandered into Book City in the Annex. Three hours later, I emerged (so much the poorer) staggering under the weight of cookbooks and novels, biographies and histories. Perhaps predictably, I never got around to reading most of them (don’t ask me when, exactly, I was planning to tackle Tony Judt’s 878-page magnum opus Postwar). Still, it was an incredibly restorative moment for me.
It’s a funny thing. Somehow—among all the firm tours, the mock interviews, the CDO sessions, and even the well-meaning advice from folks like myself—you can lose sight of your real character and your real aspirations. During the stress of job interviews, carve out some time to reconnect with the things (big and little) that you truly love. You are not wholly defined by those clever anecdotes you’ve rehearsed, nor by the impressive accomplishments listed on your resume. Take a moment to remember this.
7. Remember, not everyone scores that perfect job right away.
Let me be frank: I spent my entire 2L year applying and interviewing for different positions, but I didn’t find a summer job that suited me. The entire process was exhausting and at times demoralising.
Then, a funny thing happened. School ended, the month of May arrived, and I had four months to spend however I liked.
I spent a month working in northern Ontario—swimming in the lake, drinking black coffee in the early morning, listening to folk music, wearing ripped jeans and Birkenstocks. (When I told an eleven-year-old boy that I was studying law, he looked at me in shock: “They’re letting you become a lawyer dressed like that?”) Later in the summer, I conducted some freelance research for a barrister working on a crazy-interesting defamation case. And I had a month-long volunteer placement with the Ontario Court of Justice, shadowing judges and watching the action at busy courthouses like Old City Hall and 311 Jarvis.
Ultimately, I landed a job. I will be articling with the Canadian Civil Liberties Association —an amazing organisation whose work I deeply, deeply respect. Things could not have worked out better for me.
Bottom line: I have so much faith that, when we pursue our interests, when we follow our talents, when we put love and energy and positivity into our work, everything falls into place. Really. Work hard and pay attention to the ideas that get you going. Be open-minded about possibilities in the legal profession and beyond. Maybe you won’t believe this right away, but take it from a 3L who’s been there—there’s an exciting career ahead of you. Good luck out there!!!
