Interviewed with three different partners, everything happened within one week. They seemed like they were trying to fill the role as soon as possible. Pretty standard amount of interviews for the position, though.
I applied online. The process took 5 days. I interviewed at Barst & Mukamal (New York, NY) in Jul 2022
Interview
I applied online and was reached out by Erika Kirkland, the HR Director. I had a 30-minute introductory call with Erika that focused on getting to know me as a person, the job, and about the firm. It was such a splendid conversation and didn't feel like a traditional ridged interview. I went on to a second interview with John Wing, who was one of the Corporate Paralegal Managers. That interview also went as well as the first and John answered all of my questions and was very engaging. These interactions made me feel that the work environment would be an ideal place to work; both professionally and personally. They had a good sense of work/life balance. Unfortunately, I didn't get to interview with a partner or an offer because someone who was in the interview process before me ended up getting hired so my interview process ended.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Tell me about yourself. Why do you want to work in international immigration? What is the connection that you have to immigration or why does it make sense for you? How would you rate your persuasive writing skills? Do you have experience working with people? Office experience? What is your experience drafting professional correspondences? What is your experience reviewing applications (attention to detail)? How do you take rejection (sometimes your petition gets denied)?
I applied online. The process took 5 months. I interviewed at Barst & Mukamal (New York, NY) in Jan 2022
Interview
The partners are pleasant and appear interested in hiring attorneys that will help the practice grow. I initially applied for an Associate position at the start of the year. While that opportunity did not work out, they reached out to me again in May to offer me another Associate position.
Although I tentatively accepted the position, we were unable to agree to the terms of employment. Upon my inquiry for an August start date and the possibility of receiving relocation assistance, the firm's HR became very passive aggressive in tone and that eventually culminated in a phone meeting in which the offer was unilaterally rescinded and a member of their team hung up on me as I attempted to speak.
Good intentions notwithstanding, the practice of this firm is being let down (if not outright sabotaged) by the conduct of some of its staff, particularly if they are the first point of contact in the recruitment of outside talent.
During the interview process, the Partners were adamant that they wanted to hire excellent, passionate attorneys that would grow with the firm. That won't happen as long as the lack of professionalism is still evident within their employee ranks. In my case, the partnership exacerbated things by pretending that my incident wasn't worthy of an apology. It is this lack of accountability and professional courtesy, not the lost job offer, that I take away from my experience with Barst.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Questions about my background and reasons for relocating to the East Coast.