There are pros and cons, but at least you won’t get lost in the PATH
It’s quite remarkable when you realize that 2021 technically had two Toronto’s 2L recruits. It’s just another indication that we live in a world with ever-changing circumstances. Unlike the condensed cycle held earlier this year, this cycle resumed its normal schedule and spanned across four months from mid-August to early-November. Other articles in this issue will focus on the substantive parts of this year’s recruitment, so I will reflect on some procedural aspects here.
From the get-go, this virtual process was a blessing and a curse. It was amazing to be able to attend all my interviews from the comfort of my home—although I had to scramble to make sure I had a clean, presentable background. The risk of getting lost in the PATH labyrinth was completely eliminated. We also didn’t have to budget travel time, making scheduling much easier. However, this flexibility also enabled me to schedule interviews back-to-back like jigsaw puzzle pieces and, let me tell you, sitting through interviews with no breaks was not fun. I strongly recommend against it. 1Ls, if virtual interviews are still a thing next year, you probably want to avoid this situation unless it’s absolutely necessary.
Now, let’s talk about my worst fear during this process that wasn’t even related to the recruit itself: unstable internet connection. Even in this day and age, internet outages are not uncommon in Canada. You can bet I prayed to anything and everything that my internet provider would be at its finest. I also pleaded that at least my cell phone data provider would remain strong in the event of an outage (pro tip: it’s probably sensible to distribute the risk by having two separate providers). While I had no major issues, I know Bell had a clock glitch on the first day of in-firms and I am so sorry if anyone woke up an hour later than they planned to (another pro tip: make sure to set a second alarm clock that doesn’t sync with an external source, for the recruit and for exams). Despite our best efforts, some technical issues are unavoidable. Maybe Murphy’s law is the rule of our universe. In my case, my Zoom audio suddenly stopped working even though it was perfectly fine for the interview right before. Migrating to Teams resolved the issue but, oh boy, I definitely felt panic brewing.
There was one specific procedural change to the OCI stage this year. Instead of students selecting their interview times, the Career Development Office scheduled our OCIs through UTLC. I liked this change because I didn’t have to worry about logging into the system ASAP to accept any offers and figure out my schedule. This also hopefully removed any inference a firm may draw between a particular interview slot and a student’s level of interest. On the other hand, I had no control over when my interviews would be. As a notorious night owl, I definitely had a bit more trouble earlier in the day. I guess you can’t have your cake and eat it too.
However, my biggest challenge during OCIs was actually not related to the OCIs themselves, but rather having to attend an evening class on Thursday. Luckily, my professor was kind enough to host this evening class online (and my sincere apologies for still not paying any attention). Had it been in-person, I don’t think I would’ve made it to the school in time given my commute. This is not to mention how the return trip would have exacerbated my overall exhaustion. Even for non-commuters, with an exhausting day and another day of OCIs ahead, I truly hope the administration would consider cancelling evening classes during the recruit next year, especially if students do not have any control over when their last interview is scheduled.
One thing I very much appreciated during this virtual process was that many firms decided to forgo evening socials during in-firms, significantly removing pressure from students. After a long day of interviews, it really helped to have the night to take a mental break (albeit still frantically checking emails or phones for any callbacks). While I personally see the value of in-person interviews to build more rapport and tour the actual office, whether these socials are gone for good remains an open question. Maybe it’s my naivety but I believe there could be a win-win situation here: firms could save significant expenses while students could relax and prepare for the next day.
The 2L recruit process was as overwhelming as I anticipated it to be. Despite some obvious challenges, I have to admit that the virtual process made things easier. Moving forward, it might even be worthwhile to continue holding OCIs virtually, given how short they are, and bring back the in-person element only for in-firms. This lets students recoup in the evening rather than facing unnecessary exhaustion, allowing them to be the best version of themselves the next day. I suppose only time will tell what the next cycle will look like.
