Our previous OCI-related announcements have focused on Early Interview Week (EIW) — because it has a slightly earlier deadline and a larger number of employers — but it’s also important to be aware of the Fall Semester Interview Program (FIP).
Please note, the first deadline for applying to employers interviewing through FIP is 5 p.m. on August 4, 2013, and unlke EIW, the FIP process requires you to submit application materials. Read on for additional information and relevant dates.
What, When and Where is FIP?
FIP is Berkeley Law’s on-campus interview program designed to give students an opportunity to pursue summer positions with public interest organizations, government agencies, and small firms.
FIP interviews will take place between August 26, 2013 and October 4, 2013. FIP is divided into 2 phases (FIP Phase 1 and FIP Phase 2) in order to give you a little extra time to submit application materials to employers who are coming during the latter half of the interview period. Interviews will take place at the Haas School of Business Interview Center (a 5 minute walk from Boalt Hall).
Who is Interviewing Students Through FIP
We are currently expecting about 35 employers to participate in FIP. We expect more to sign up over the next few weeks, so please regularly check the FIP sessions pages (via the OCI tab) in b-Line for the most recent list of participating employers. To view FIP employers, go to the OCI tab and select “FIP 2013 Phase 1” (or “FIP 2012 Phase 2”) from the drop down list at the “Session” search filter box.
We’ve also prepared a static list (a pdf prepared on 7-9-13) of the public interest/public sector employers participating in either EIW or FIP as of that date, which you can find in the reports section (bottom of the page) of the EIW/FIP webpage.
How Do I Apply for FIP Interviews?
In contrast to EIW, employers coming to FIP select the students they will interview based on their application materials, rather than interviewing applicants selected by random lottery.
After the application period ends, employers review application materials and invite (via b-Line) students with whom they would like to interview to sign up for a slot. For detailed directions on how to apply, follow the links under the FIP Mechanics Section of the EIW/FIP webpage (click on Jobs and Career Options on the right side bar and then on Interview Programs).
The key dates for FIP are as follows:
July 22 – Application period begins
August 4 — Application deadline for FIP Phase 1
August 12 — Application period for FIP Phase 2 begins
August 20-21 — students must sign up for slots or decline interviews with FIP Phase 1 employers
August 22 — Application deadline for FIP Phase 2
August 30 – September 3 — students must sign up or decline interviews with FIP Phase 2 employers
For all dates and deadlines, you can always consult the EIW/FIP Calendar (link on the EIW/FIP webpage).
What Role Does FIP Play in the 2L Summer Job Search
An effective government, public interest, or small firm job search will need to focus on a range of strategies in addition to FIP. The reality is, despite our extensive outreach efforts, these types of employers do not find on-campus interviewing to be a good recruiting tool for them.
Many government, public interest and small firms choose to post positions on b-Line in lieu of registering for one of our on-campus interview programs. You should also be checking PSJD.org and the “Jobs” tab of b-Line regularly for public interest and government positions. We can also help you develop a targeted email list of employers who are not participating in FIP to contact.
Lastly, again, because we expect more employers to be signing up to participate over the next several weeks, the various Sessions (EIW, FIP Phase 1, and FIP Phase 2) pages of the b-Line’s OCI section remain the most up-to-date source for information about the employers that will be participating in on campus interviewing.
Please don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email or make an appointment to speak to any of the Attorney-Counselors at the CDO for help and guidance navigating your next job search. Alex Lee and Melanie Rowen are our public interest (as well as DA/Public Defender and plaintiff’s side firm) specialists. Eric Stern handles government career advising. Samorn Selim specializes in smaller/mid-size firm careers.