As June draws to a close, the Office of Career Services is busy preparing for the onset of the fall semester. Today we will post a nearly complete list of our fall Tuesday/Thursday programming on the “Events” section of Symplicity.
Our schedule includes panels on the state of the legal economy, on-campus and call-back interviewing, the bar exam and practice area-specific discussions. We will also again co-sponsor a six-part Student Success Series with the Office of Student Affairs.
For the first time, we will offer some of our programming as on-demand webinars. We’re still putting the final touches on the first two webinars: “Interviewing Tips” and “Beyond On-Campus Interviews.” The former should be ready for release in early August, with “Beyond OCI” to follow in early September.
On Thursday, July 1, students will be able to access a list of the employers currently registered for fall on-campus interviews in the “OCI” section of Symplicity. Beginning July 1, you can submit resumes and other application materials on Symplicity to the fall OCI employers. The deadline to submit resumes for consideration by Week 1 employers is 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 2.
Twenty-seven employers are currently registered. Last year we topped out at 43 fall OCI employers, and we expect our final employer total to rise modestly this year with the mildly improving economy.
Three frequently asked questions about OCI:
- Is there any advantage to applying earlier in the OCI submission period?
No. The employers will wait until the OCI application period closes to begin reviewing the submissions. - Will more employers register for OCI?
Yes. Due to the recession, the number of employers registering for on-campus interviews has fallen sharply nationwide. We will continue to solicit registrations and expect that 20-25 additional employers will register by the time the five-week fall OCI period has concluded. - Will my revised resume that reflects my summer activities need to be approved by Career Services before it can be submitted to employers?
Yes. We must approve your updated resume before it can be submitted to an employer, so don’t wait until the last minute to revise and upload. Once uploaded and approved, you may submit the resume by clicking on the “Apply” button in an employer’s OCI record.
If you are interested in large law firms that are not interviewing on campus at KU Law, it is important to contact those firms by cover letter and resume in the month of July. This is necessary because large firms in other cities will interview on campus in August and September at schools nearby, and you’ll want to be considered by these firms at the same time as students at those schools.
To conduct quick and easy searches for large firms and the names of their recruiting contacts, consult www.nalpdirectory.org and www.martindale.com (using the “Advanced Search” feature to search by firm size).
Also, if you are a 3L, be aware that OSCAR, the Online System for Clerkship Application and Review, is up and running. Federal judges post their judicial clerkship openings on OSCAR, and applicants can upload resumes, cover letters, reference letters and writing samples to the website.
OSCAR Version 6 debuted on Monday, May 17. Class of 2011 law school graduates gained access to OSCAR on Friday, May 21.
Tuesday, Sept. 7, is the first date when OSCAR-based applications may be accessed and reviewed by federal judges. Monday, Sept. 13, is the first date when judges may contact applicants to schedule interviews. Thursday, Sept. 16, is the first date when interviews may be held and offers made.
If you are a 2L interested in working for a federal agency during the summer of 2011, you should definitely consult the Government Honors and Internship Handbook. The 2009-10 edition may be accessed online. Please e-mail me if you need the username and password.
The 2010-11 edition should be released in the next couple of weeks. Many federal agencies will set 2L application deadlines in August, September or October 2010 for positions to begin in the summer of 2011.
Finally, you should know that the job postings of other law schools may be accessed at the Intercollegiate Job Bank. Again, if you need the username and password, please e-mail me.
We understand that the fall job-hunting season can be stressful and difficult to manage along with classes, part-time work and all of life’s other obligations. I encourage you to schedule an appointment with me or Karen so we can assist you in organizing your thoughts about your career into a logical and productive action plan.
Todd Rogers, Assistant Dean for Career Services