Call Back Guide
The "call-back" or second interview is more serious than the initial interview and indicates the employer's increased interest in you. During the call-back interview, the employer will have the opportunity to further evaluate your skills, to clarify information on your resume, to determine your "fit" with the employer and to sell the firm or organization to you. At the same time you are being recruited and evaluated, you should be evaluating the employer.
I. Acknowledging the Call-Back Invitation
Your call-back invitation may come by phone call, usually made by the attorney who interviewed you at the on-campus interview, or by letter from the firm or organization. Acknowledge this invitation as soon as possible, preferably by telephone unless the employer has indicated you should reply by letter. The employer will then help you make the necessary arrangements for your call-back interview.
II. Scheduling the Call-Back Interview
Many employers make hiring decisions on a revolving basis. It is to your advantage, once you have received a call-back invitation, to arrange to visit the employer at the earliest possible date.
If you have an interest in a special area of practice (especially if you're interviewing with a large firm with several practice areas), let the person who assists in setting up the call-back know of this interest at the time you schedule the call-back. It is easier to develop a meaningful schedule for you when you give the employer advance notice of your interests.
Call-back interviews may last from an hour to an entire day. For planning purposes, ask beforehand how long the interview is expected to last.
Whenever possible, schedule one call-back interview per day. You will probably have time for only one call-back interview in a day and you may be exhausted afterwards. If you have two call-backs in one day, it might be difficult for you to be at your best for both of them.
III. Preparation
Whenever possible, have more detailed information about the employer than you knew in the on-campus interview. Faculty members, local practitioners and other students who have worked there may have valuable information about firm partners, prominent clients and recent cases.
Think about answers to expected questions. Your answers to all questions should reflect the reasons you are well qualified for a position with the employer and show them that you possess the attributes that they are seeking.
Always bring multiple copies of your resume, writing sample, Record of Academic Performance and reference list to call-back interviews.
IV. The Players
On the day before your call-back interview, late in the day, call to confirm arrangements and ask for the names of the people you will be seeing. Employers usually do not have final schedules of interviewers until the day before.
You may see both partners and associates during the call-back interview. Employers may try to have you meet USC graduates, alumni from your undergraduate institution or people with whom you have other things in common.
All attorneys who interview you are doing so because the employer values their judgment regardless of their job title, area of practice or length of time employed. Within the recruitment committee, the general rule is one person, one vote; however, if there is a disagreement among interviewers, the partners' feelings usually prevail. Similarly, recruitment coordinators may sit on hiring committees and, while they may not have a vote, they have the ability to affect a decision. Their opinions are particularly valued because, unlike any of the attorneys, they see all applicants. Therefore, treat all individuals whom you meet with respect.
V. The Interview
Do not be surprised if you are asked some of the same questions that were asked during the on-campus interview or if you are asked the same question by more than one attorney at the call-back interview. If you feel you have answered a question well and another attorney asks you the same question, feel free to use the same answer again. Avoid changing the substance of your answer as interviewers within the firm or organization may discuss the interviewee's answers. The attorneys who interview you during your call-back interview may complete review forms regarding their impressions of you. These forms may include evaluations of your demeanor, your ability to do associate-level work at the firm or organization, the level of your interest in them and whether you will fit in. Many forms also ask the interviewer whether you should receive an offer of employment.
VI. The Meal
Primarily large law firms, and some other employers, may include lunch or dinner in the call-back interview schedule. This offers an opportunity, in a more relaxed environment, for the employer to see you as an individual with a distinct personality. Your meal hosts will be determining whether you:
- Fit into their firm or organization
- Have good interpersonal skills
- Can converse easily
- Are enjoyable to be with
- Present a professional image
- Appear mature and self confident
Often, junior associates will take you to lunch on the theory that you will be more comfortable asking questions of someone who was more recently in your position. Though that is often the case, you should not assume that young associates are good friends. Feel free to discuss subjects of mutual interest outside the law and engage in casual conversation. Do not ask inappropriate questions or make inappropriate comments. You should maintain a professional image throughout your interview.
VII. Expenses
You should be aware that most employers, particularly small firms, government agencies and public interest organizations, do not typically reimburse students' travel expenses.
However, among the myriad details to which you should pay attention in arranging and going on a large law firm call-back interview, areas of great concern for both students and employers are costs and reimbursement. Firms have different policies regarding call-back expenses; do not make assumptions about a firm's expense policies. The first rule in dealing with expenses is to ask. It is best to ask about a firm's expense policies prior to actually making arrangements for your visit. The person at the firm who handles these details is usually the recruitment coordinator or someone on the recruitment coordinator's staff.
Firms generally pay for all normal business expenses directly associated with your trip. Reimbursable expenses include:
A. Round-Trip Coach Airfares
Some firms make the travel arrangements and will send you a ticket; others prefer applicants to make their own arrangements. Check with the firm to determine its policies.
B. Hotel Accommodations
As with travel arrangements, many firms prefer to make the hotel arrangements and have established a direct billing agreement with a hotel. If the firm suggests you make your own reservations, you should ask the recruitment coordinator for a list of recommended hotels.
C. Meals
Firms will pay for meals that are reasonable and expected during the call-back visit. They will not pay for meals that are exorbitant, for example a $45.00 room service breakfast.
D. Ground Transportation
Cab fares and airport parking costs are necessary and reimbursable expenses. Car rental may be excessive unless the city or location of the firm makes such rental a necessity.
E. Multiple Call-Backs in One City
If you have call-backs with more than one firm in the same city, the firms will expect to share your expenses if they have all agreed in advance to pay for the trip. Before you make your trip, find out whether the firms will take care of prorating your expenses and doing the accounting or whether you will be required to do so.
F. Record-Keeping
Keep accurate records of expenses and save all receipts. Make copies of your receipts in case questions or problems arise. To help you organize your expenses, the firm may give you a travel expense form. If a form is not provided by the firm, see a CSO staff person as they may have one of the NALP general expense reimbursement forms.
G. Miscellaneous
Such items as the cost of a friend's dinner and theater tickets are non-reimbursable expenses. Recognize that expenses not directly related to the call-back interview should not be charged to employers.
Staying an extra day or days in a particular city in order to meet with another firm for a first interview (or to see friends and relatives) is permitted as long as you have a genuine interest in the firm that is paying for the trip. That employer can be billed for the full cost of your transportation to and from the city and any charges directly attributable to your call-back interview. However, you obviously cannot charge that firm for expenses that result from personal visits or from an initial interview with another firm.
VIII. Thank You Letters
A. General
A thank you letter is appropriate following a call-back. Employers usually keep files on each applicant and anyone having contact with you is requested to put copies of correspondence in your file. Under the circumstances, the same letter addressed to each interviewer does not make sense. Instead, you might address your letter of thanks to one of the following:
- The person who had responsibility for your call-back schedule. Some law firms involve junior associates in the process by assigning them to a student for that day
- The on-campus interviewer. This is always an appropriate choice since he or she was responsible for the call-back invitation, or
- The recruitment coordinator, if the organization has one
B. Contents of Letter
When writing a thank you letter, be sure to use specifics. Your letter should clearly acknowledge that you visited that employer. The letter should not be so general that it could be used for all call-backs. For example, you might mention such specifics as a newly-developed rotation system for first-year associates that was described to you or the employer's plans for a new building that you were shown, etc.
C. Timing
Be sure to send your thank you letter as soon as possible after the call-back interview.
IX. Offers
A. Receiving an Offer
The recruitment committee's decision to hire an individual usually must be unanimous. While personality and fit are important considerations at a call-back interview, the attorneys interviewing a student during a call-back must be convinced of the student's legal ability just as the on-campus interviewer had to be.
The employer may make its offer by telephone, followed by a confirming letter, or by letter within a day or two, within a week or two, or more. In some instances, a law firm may decide to keep you "on hold" until it determines the number of acceptances it has received to its offers. Do not assume that a rejection will follow. If an offer ultimately is extended, do not reject it assuming that you may be viewed as a "second" choice. Most of the attorneys with whom you will be working will not know the circumstances of your offer and will only be interested in the quality of your work.
B. Responding to an Offer
Once the employer has made you an offer, it is important to acknowledge its receipt. Call and let the employer know of your interest and, if the offer has not included one, inquire about their timetable for an answer. NALP standards for the timing of offers and decisions require that all offers be reaffirmed within 30 days or the offer may be retracted. NALP's "General Standards for the Timing of Offers and Acceptances" is in the Fall On-Campus Interview Program Registration and Information Handbook.
All offers require a response -- whether positive or negative. Whether accepting or rejecting an offer, call the organization and speak with the individual who extended the offer. The telephone call is important even when rejecting an offer as it leaves the employer with a more positive feeling about you. It is then advisable to follow up the telephone conversation with a letter. Sample thank you letters and job acceptance letters are included in the Writing Cover Letters and Other Job Search-Related Letters handout in CSO.
