So, the big law firm I had my eye on, decided not to offer me a second interview, which would have been a reception dinner and a chance to further sell myself to the firm partners and associates. I have to say that I am very disappointed. I actually got the voicemail message, blinked, and then cried. It was of no consolation that they thought "I was very well qualified, and would like to flag my application for review in the future for an articling position" - I suspect they've uttered these words to nearly every applicant they've turned down.

Why did I want to work at this particular big law firm? In addition to the "soft" factors, like the wonderful people who I met, and the various and diverse practice areas, the pay and benefits would have been nice. Here is a small comparison of Big law firm and the two smaller firms I am still in the running for:

	Big Firm	Small Firm
Summer Salary	$850-880/wk	$700-750/wk
Articling Salary	$880-910/wk	$750-800/wk
YR1 Associate	$67,000/yr	$45,000-55,000/yr
YR2 Associate	$75,000/yr	$55,000-65,000/yr
YR3 Associate	$90,000/yr	$65,000-80,000/yr

However, just as I told my housemate yesterday when she found out she didn't get the country she wanted for her 3rd year exchange, everything happens for a reason, even if you can't see or understand the reason right this moment.

8 of the 15 firms I applied to never even responded to my application. In fact, I just found out this is typical of smaller law firms, who get hundreds of applicants, yet don't have the resources to screen, evaluate, and actually respond to unsuccessful lawyers-to-be.

I have 2 more interviews tomorrow, so I can't really let myself get caught up in the past. What's done is done. There is still more to power through.