Early Interview Program in 2009? – UPDATE
Mark Weber, the Assistant Dean for Career Services, just sent an email announcing that HLS is considering moving OCS to an early interview program in August. Here is the memo: https://internal.law.harvard.edu/ocs/jdstudents/Adobe_Files/eipmemo.pdf
What do you think?
David
UPDATE – For better or worse, it is probably worth noting that, according to Above the Law, Yale is now considering the same move. (http://abovethelaw.com/2008/12/fall_recruiting_fallout_harvar.php)
Brian
Jon Taylor
December 2, 2008 @ 5:59 pm
this is a terrible idea, and only serves to increase the situational pressure students already feel to join a law firm.
Julia
December 2, 2008 @ 6:02 pm
I strongly disagree with this proposition. Having gone through both the on-campus and off-campus interview processes, I found no disadvantage to the September/October timing. Though I realize that hosting OCI earlier will bring HLS into conformity with many of its peer law schools, I don’t think the recent OCI experience warrants such a move. To require students to come back to campus in late August would require many to cut their summers short and to shortchange any reflection on the experience they have only just finished. The opportunities presented through OCI are too important to rush such a decision.
Tamara Schulman
December 2, 2008 @ 6:22 pm
Early is a great idea
Zac
December 2, 2008 @ 6:37 pm
The specific conditions that made interviewing difficult for Harvard students this year are idiosyncratic and are NOT likely to be repeated next year. On average late interviewing should have a neutral effect: some years giving Harvard students an advantage and some years giving them a disadvantage.
It is essential to note the unusual timing of the sharpest economic news. That news came after students at other schools had finished their interviews and received offers, but before Harvard students had even begun their interviewing process.
If the news had come before other schools started interviewing then law firms would probably have reduced their hiring goals for all schools, keeping Harvard’s slots in the same proportion. (Unless one posits that bad economic news reduces the desirability of Harvard students, in which case, the issue is not the timing of Harvard’s interviews.)
Therefore, because firms are already anticipating difficult economic times, Harvard’s late interviewing schedule should not affect students negatively next summer.
And of course if the news had come after Harvard students had received offers it would not have had any effect at all. There is only a short window of time when economic fluctuations can have a differential effect. The crucial thing to note is that economic fluctuations within that window are just as likely to have a positive effect as they are to have a negative effect. Consider for instance the possibility of a sharp improvement in economic outlook between conclusion of interviews at other schools and commencement of Harvard interviews. In that case Harvard’s interview timing should confer an advantage on Harvard students.
In short it does not make sense to infer from the unfortunate events of this year that in future years later interviews will be a liability. What is clear however, is that students need time to process their summer experiences and explore new classes before deciding how to spend their next summer. Students at other schools are interviewing for 2L summer jobs while they are still at their 1L summers!!! That does not make sense.
Moving to earlier interview dates would be a cosmetic change only. While it may placate students who were hurt in this year’s unusual circumstances, it will not help future students, and will likely harm them.
n
December 2, 2008 @ 8:40 pm
Folks at other schools who do this system seem to say that it makes Fall 2L yr less stressful, which would be nice. Getting it out the way before classes start up means not having to juggle lecture and reading and trips to the Charles Hotel each afternoon.
Justin
December 2, 2008 @ 9:12 pm
earlier is better
d
December 4, 2008 @ 8:46 pm
IT would be better to have this earlier. I think it would be advantageous to have this process earlier for HLS students. By the time we interview for jobs, people from other schools often have jobs already. So we’re competing against other HLS students and YLS students.
Chris
December 4, 2008 @ 11:01 pm
I am a 1L and completely for this change. Even if the events of this year are not likely to ever be repeated, why even leave open the possibility? This change will ensure that Harvard students are always on equal footing.
Furthermore, I like the idea of completing part of the job search process before classes begin. That timing will make the experience less stressful.
W.
December 4, 2008 @ 11:42 pm
I totally agree that this is a rash decision based on an idiosyncratic circumstances. What happens next year when there is a downturn in the middle of August??
Additionally, it seems pretty disingenuous for OCS to solicit out comments on the pretense that they’ll be taken into consideration – given that we, the students, are the ones actually going through this process only – two days before the Registrar’s office sends out next years calendar which the changes already made and the only question left being exactly when flyout week will be scheduled. Based on the logic of the OCS calendar now, we’ll have Fall Break/Fly Out the second or third week of school. It’s great to know student thoughts and input are being taken so seriously.
R
December 5, 2008 @ 4:12 pm
Totally pointless change.
What if next year there’s a huge turnaround in the economy come September?
Will the school change the interview dates back for 2010?
A
December 5, 2008 @ 5:31 pm
This is an incredibly rash decision. This is a HORRIBLE idea. Now I have to come back to the country earlier, and won’t actually have time to process anything from the 1L summer.