The (completely subjective) recollections of a 2L after the Toronto Recruit
Earlier this month, a new cohort crossed the finish line of the 2L recruit marathon. I was one of said 2Ls, having completed rites of passage ranging from spending two days with my suited-up classmates in a crowded conference room to nearly crying in the PATH when I got lost on the way from my second reception to a dinner all in the same night.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I was one of the lucky ones who managed to come out of this with an offer from my first-choice firm. Nevertheless, the 2L recruit was likely the most stressful time of my life. Much of this stress was compounded by the advice coming at me from all directions—the CDO, upper years, articling student friends, and in-the-know classmates.
Some of this advice (in my very subjective experience) turned out to be a total myth. Other scenarios actually happened—but were much less scary than I thought they might be. Without further ado…
“If you drop a fork/spill something at dinner, consider yourself out with that firm”: MYTH.
Now, don’t get me wrong here: I’m not saying good dinner etiquette isn’t an asset. But when you’ve had several interviews and cocktail parties before you get to dinner, you are a) hungry and b) tired. This combination, despite your best attempts, can sometimes result in dining blunders.
In my particular case, I dropped a bite of steak straight past my mouth into my napkin at a dinner. I was not proud of this then, and I am definitely not proud of it now (not entirely sure why I’m admitting to it in a UV article). That said, I am very excited to be starting at said firm this summer.
“Doing more than a reception and a dinner in a single night is not a good idea”: FACT.
During OCIs, I talked up my time management and multitasking skills so much that I actually believed myself. I packed two cocktail parties and a dinner into one night, and convinced myself that I would be at my best during all of them despite a 6:30am wake-up that morning and a day of back-to-back interviews.
Fast forward to liking the first reception so much that I stayed way past my “drop-dead” time, sprinting in my heels to attend the second for exactly 10 minutes (which did not go unnoticed by the recruiter), and getting lost in the PATH on my way to the dinner. When people told me the week is designed to force you to make choices, they were probably right.
“First Tuesday interviews mean you’re out at that firm”: MYTH.
It is likely true that requesting your first interview on a Tuesday is a signal to the firm, and unfortunately not a positive one. The firm will be aware that your Monday is too packed to fit everyone in, and the choice has not been made in their favour.
However, a first impression in this case is not the only one that matters. If a firm is willing to schedule you on a Tuesday, they do see you as a candidate to whom they could potentially make an offer, and I am aware of several such offers being made this cycle.
“During the second interview, the firm will switch to selling you on them if they like you”: FACT.
I didn’t make it to a second interview at all of the firms I interviewed with. I also don’t know whether the firms I didn’t see follow this practice. However, based on both my experience during the second half of interview week as well as what I have heard from classmates, firms do seem to switch into “sell” mode once they are satisfied that you are a good candidate.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that once a firm asks you if you have any questions, you can check out and assume a call is coming at 5pm, but it is a better sign of interest than still being grilled on your resume come Wednesday.
“Don’t drink even a sip in front of lawyers – it makes you look sloppy”: MYTH.
Now, this is not to say that getting drunk will lead you to a Seven Sister job (though who knows—stranger things have happened!) However, someone told me during in-firm prep that you shouldn’t drink when you’re speaking to someone (seems like good advice) or when someone is speaking to you (?).
The question then arises – when do you drink, and should you ever have a sip or two or just hold your wine glass as a prop instead? I am happy to report that I not only sipped my drink during receptions, but told some of the lawyers about this advice and had it serve as a great icebreaker.
“The recruiters all talk”: FACT (but a less scary one than I thought).
Within three business days of accepting an offer, several other firms I interviewed with reached out to congratulate me/ask to stay in touch. It is true that the information about where I have landed didn’t come from me, or wasn’t yet made widely public, but (at least in my case) it did not seem like recruiters were talking in order to influence where candidates will go, but rather about the post-factum results.
Granted, I also said “first choice” to exactly one firm and accepted an offer with that firm. I can imagine how, if that was not the case, it could make for some very awkward conversations during and after call day.
