\par \par Getting The Interview Part III: Don't Wait And See\par \par

In Part I of this series, we talked about how to put yourself in the best\par ]]>\par
Part II we discussed how to leverage your application documents for the best chance at success. In this final part of the series, we’ll address the “wait and see” period that comes after you’ve applied and before you’ve heard anything back from the employer.\par \par So what can you do during this anxious time when it often seems there’s nothing you can do but wait? If we’re talking about dropping resumes during OCI, then you’re going to be pretty limited due to time constraints and the process in place. It should also be noted that no two circumstances are alike, and you are required to use judgment in how you approach each one. All that said, here are few actions you can take after applying to a more typical job posting:\par \par

1. Contact/follow up with the employer directly.\par \par (a) If the application process is through a third party facilitator (Symplicity; State Bar), you could reach out to the firm directly just to confirm they received your application (be sure to watch out for postings which say no direct inquiries and abide by their wishes). This little gesture can do two positive things: showcase your diligence and make your name recognizable when they review the applications.\par \par (b) If it’s been two or three weeks since the application deadline and you haven’t heard anything, it’s entirely appropriate to follow up, reiterate your interest, and check in on their progress. If you don’t hear anything, wait another couple of weeks and then try again.\par \par (c) If you have a connection with the employer or if our office can provide one for you, it may not too late to reach out and do an informational interview with that contact.
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2. Have someone else contact the employer on your behalf (this of course presumes you’ve taken our advice and created a network of advocates who would be willing to do this). A reference / vote of confidence from a former employer, faculty member or other credible connection can go a long way. This could come in the form of a letter, email or even a phone call (the best in my opinion), and would simply involve the advocate telling the potential employer the reasons why you would be an outstanding employee, and should be given serious consideration. You do have to think strategically here for a number of reasons:\par \par (a) When it comes to the majority of the people you would have make this call, you wouldn’t want to ask them a bunch of times in a short time-frame. So for those types, getting a generic reference letter that can be used multiple times would be advisable. And then only for the positions you want the most or feel you have the best shot at would you ask them to make a direct plea to the employer.\par \par (b) You’re going to want to save some references to be used after the interview but before the hiring decision is made. In fact, I would almost always save direct calls from my best advocates for this phase.
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3. Target your networking. Find out where representatives of the employer are likely to be in the coming days/weeks (CLE, Bar event, etc.) and show up and meet them. Don’t forget to go up, meet the employer representative and mention that you are a candidate for the open position. What better way to indicate your interest in the practice area and the employer by doing all you can to get to know them better.

\par There you have it. I hope this series on Getting The Interview has been helpful. I know we’ll continue to revisit the topic in the future, as there is plenty more I could say about it. In the meantime, please let me know if you have questions or would like to talk through this issue in more detail.\par \par Connect with Daniel at Daniel_Hare@Baylor.edu and/or @BaylorLawDaniel on Twitter.\par \par Job of the Week: Each week I highlight a job in Symplicity you might be interested in but may have missed. This week's job is: Session Administrative Clerk at Texas House of Representatives – House Research Organization(1L/2L/3L) Log in to Symplicity to view this job and apply. \par ]]>\par