Interview Hints and Tips
The Interview
- The purpose of the interview is for you to sell yourself, whilst the employer is trying to judge your suitability to perform the role required and whether you will fit into the culture of the organisation.
Preparation before the interview
- Make sure you know the dress code of the organisation; if it is not clear from the invitation to interview correspondence, ring and ask.
- Make sure you know your journey - how long will it take? Check whether there are any expected delays if travelling by public transport or road works, if travelling by car. It is never impressive to be late.
- Thoroughly review your application/CV. Remember what you said, be comfortable with what you have written and be prepared to answer questions about it.
- Think about the types of questions you may be asked - if you were interviewing, what would you want to know? Make sure that whatever you decide to talk about in the interview, you know well and can talk clearly and intelligently about it.
- Research the firm (the Legal 500 and other directories are an excellent source of information for this), particularly find out the following (where appropriate):
o The type of the work they do both in general terms and specifically in relation to your practice area.
o Relevant changes in legislation which may impact their work.
o Recent deals/matters they have been involved with and the outcome.
o The profiles of the partners or members of chambers who will interview you. Ask HR, if you don't know.
o Recent press articles about the organisation.
o Their website for their location, vision, values, stance on diversity, community action, pro-bono work etc.
o What the selection process will entail – interview/psychometric test/case study/assessment centre etc.
- Be prepared to talk about why you are particularly interested in a career in the law. How have you come to make the decision?
- Gain as much exposure as you can to the people who work in the firm. You can do this by attending drinks receptions, presentations, workshops or any other events that organisations run either at your university or in their offices. Your careers service may even be able to put you in touch with relevant alumni.
- Attend mock interview sessions run either by potential employers or your careers service.
- Try to settle your nerves before the interview/assessment day.
- Interviews are a two-way process; you are there to find out about the employer as well. Therefore, think about what you would like to find out about the firm/organisation - most interviewers give you a chance to ask questions (generally at the end of the interview).
- Have some questions of your own to ask:
o What plans do they have to develop their practice area?
o What type of work do they see you doing?
o Which partners/member of chambers would you be working with?
o What type of personal and professional development will they provide?
o What are the prospects for partnership/tenancy?
o What is their approach to associates doing business development?
o How are their salary/benefits packages structured?
Your presentation for the interview
- First impressions are vital – be on time, allow plenty of time to travel and do not arrive flustered.
- Have contact numbers to hand in case you are running late.
-
Be smart and well-dressed – avoid too much jewellery/make-up etc.
-
Rehearse your answers to potentially difficult questions.
-
Have a copy of your CV to hand.
-
Have receipts ready if they have agreed to refund travel costs.
During the interview
- When you meet the interviewer(s), shake hands firmly and directly and maintain eye contact. Remember their names.
- Make eye contact when first meeting interviewer and answering/asking questions.
- Speak clearly and concisely, keeping your answers short and sticking to the point.
- Make sure you listen to and answer the question - try not to go off on a tangent.
- Try not to fidget.
- Think about the way you are sitting; try not to cross your arms as this looks defensive and not relaxed/confident. At the same time, try not to slouch, or look too laid back.
- Use your voice well – vary pitch and tone, sound enthusiastic and confident.
- Keep answers positive, try not to say anything negative.
- Take your time to answer questions. If you are unsure as to what the interviewer is asking of you, ask for clarification.
- If you do not know the answer to a question, be honest and say so. Tell the interviewer how you would go about finding the answer, if appropriate.
- When asked to provide examples to demonstrate your capabilities, use the best examples you have, but do not use the same example for every question. Some thought should have been given to what examples you might use prior to the interview.
- Use a balance of academic, work experience and extra-curricular activities in your examples.
- Portray yourself honestly, but in the best light possible.
- Be polite and NEVER tell lies.
- Maintain a positive attitude.
-
Don’t offer referees at interview but be prepared to name them if requested. Clarify if they will be contacting them so you can team them up.
-
Always ask the interviewer(s) questions - prepare your own questions and ask about next steps in the process and when you can expect to hear from them.
After the interview
- Review how you got on. Think about what you did well and what could be improved.
- Reflect on the questions the interviewer(s) asked and the examples you used in response.
- Think about what you liked and disliked about the organisation you visited.
- Make learning notes for your next interview.
- If you are unsuccessful, do ask for a feedback to learn from any mistakes made.
Commercial Awareness – Hints and Tips
If you are applying to the large and medium sized law firms and commercial institutions, commercial awareness is a key skill that any future legal employer will expect you to demonstrate during the application process. These organisations will consider it an essential competency (skill) in any of their future trainees and will assess this throughout the entire recruitment process both on the application form, in your case study and during your interview.
What is commercial awareness?
Commercial awareness is the ability to view situations from a commercial or business perspective. It requires the candidate to take a step back and look at a situation from different angles, asking themselves "who are the key stakeholders in this situation?", "what would they be concerned about?", "what questions would they ask?". Stakeholders include customers/clients, employees, directors/owners of companies, shareholders/ investors and professional advisors (e.g. lawyers, accountants). See our Interviews Hints and Tips as to how you can demonstrate and improve your commercial awareness and how employers test your commercial awareness. Commercial awareness does not test your knowledge of the law.
How do you demonstrate it?
This can be done through a variety of methods:
1)Work experience
Highlight any past work experience you have had that may have enhanced your commercial awareness. For example, have you ever worked within a shop/service environment? You can use your experiences here to demonstrate your awareness of customer needs and expectations.
Were you ever given the task of improving a current service or product? Did you add value to it? If so, how did you go about it, what factors did you have to take into consideration? Consider your employment history and examine the experiences you have had to pull out relevant examples.
2) Roles and responsibilities
Did you have a key role in any society committees at school or university? Were you given a financial role? A market analysis, sales role? Any of these can be good indicators to your assessors that you have had to think about different perspectives in the market place.
Have you ever raised money for a charity, secured sponsorship for an event? What process did you go through to secure the funds?
3) Case study (see below)
How can you improve your commercial awareness?
Read newspapers, listen to the news – research any current top stories, be aware of what is going on in the business world around you. If a current topic is brought up that has been in the headlines for the past few weeks, it will look a lot better if you can join in the discussion!
Research your prospective employers’ current activities, it is imperative that you show an interest in them, look on their website to find out the latest activities – research one or two that are of particular interest to you, find out what stage they are at, what the implications are for both sides. Try to think outside of the facts and figures included on a website to consider the legal implications of the situation.
How do employers test commercial awareness?
Application form – They look for any indications of commercial awareness during your academic and work history. They may also specifically focus one of their competency questions on this topic:
"Identify a current commercial issue which has attracted your attention recently, why do you consider it to be significant, who are the key stakeholders and what are the implications to those concerned?"
Choose an example that you have a genuine interest in, state why you feel it is a significant issue and make sure you focus on the implications for all parties involved. Choose your example carefully, remember that it will be quite clear if you do not have a real depth and understanding of the topic, particularly if it is picked up in greater detail at interview.
Interview – You will be tested on your commercial awareness during the interview process, both when talking through the case study and when asking questions around your academic history, work experience and your answers to the competency questions.
Make sure you are up to date with any recent changes or developments that may have occurred since completing the form.
Case study – You will be given a case study exercise to prepare before your interview. The case study will be a business case and you will be expected to prepare answers to a few questions. During the interview, you will be tested on your understanding of the commercial factors within the exercise and they will probe to assess the depth of your understanding and analysis.
Preparation:
If you are going for an interview with a law firm or chambers, it is advisable to research the following:
POTENTIAL QUESTIONS
DIFFERENT ORGANISATIONS WILL ALL HAVE THEIR DIFFERENT SELECTION CRITERIA AND DIFFERENT METHODS OF ASSESSING THEM. HERE ARE A FEW EXAMPLES OF THE CRITERIA AND TYPE OF QUESTIONS YOU MAY BE ASKED.
INTELLECTUAL ABILITY
- Analysis and Judgment, Lateral Thinking, Initiative, Commercial Awareness.
- Gets to the heart of the issue; thinks around the problem; seizes opportunities; bases decisions on sound reasons; understands what the transaction is about; is interested in the commercial aspects.
Potential Questions:
- What has been the most intellectually demanding task that you have undertaken recently? How did you approach it? What was the outcome?
- What has been the most technically challenging aspect of your work recently? How did you apply your expertise to the problem? What happened?
- Tell me about a recent situation where you had to look at the total problem from a strategic perspective?
- Give me an example of a situation where you have thought of a new or creative way of dealing with a problem within work?
- Can you tell me about any business opportunities you have developed recently?
- Describe your role in a recent transaction/piece of work. How much responsibility did you take? How much was your work corrected?
- What is your perception of our position in the marketplace?
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
- Relationship with Clients, Assertiveness and Impact, Communication, Maturity, Teamwork, Developing Business.
- Is able to get on with colleagues and customers; is articulate and concise; exhibits common sense; makes a strong and positive impact with others; works well within a team to get the job done.
Potential Questions:
- Have you ever won any new work for your firm? If so, how did you win it?
- How do you develop relationships with your clients? (focus on one)
- What was the most difficult situation that you have been in with a client? How did you deal with it?
- Give me an example of a situation where you have had to strike a balance between client support and professional detachment.
- Tell me about a staff problem that you helped to resolve. What did you actually do?
- Describe the current working atmosphere in your department.
- Have you ever coached someone on a work matter? How did you set about doing this?
ORGANISATIONAL SKILLS
- Taking Responsibility, Organisation and Planning, Attention to Detail.
- Prioritises tasks; works methodically/has an eye for detail, particularly with large volumes of information; can be relied upon to take responsibility for a task and produce good results.
Potential Questions:
- Have you managed all or part of a project? What were the most important factors in doing this?
- What is the biggest/most important project that you have been responsible for? What did you find most challenging?
- How do you ensure that standards/deadlines are met?
- Tell me about a complex assignment that you have recently undertaken. How did you tackle it?
- How do you keep colleagues aware of the details of your own work?
- How do you monitor the quality of the work for which you are responsible?
ACHIEVEMENT ORIENTATION
- Job Commitment/Drive, Career Motivation.
- Is enthusiastic, wants to perform well, is motivated by the law and business; is ambitious to succeed and for promotion.
Potential Questions:
- How do you judge the success of your work? Give an example.
- What has given you most job satisfaction in recent years?
- What positive steps have you taken in the last 12 months to ensure you improve your performance?
- Give an example of how you tackled one of your clients' most demanding requests.
- What has been the highlight of your career so far?
- What feedback have you received on your performance recently?
- What are your career plans from this point onwards?
- How have your plans changed in any way since entering the profession?
- What areas of your performance would you like to develop further?
- What do you see as the key challenges that lie ahead for you?
- What are your reasons for leaving your current firm/employer? What interests you about us?
GENERAL AWARENESS
- Knowledge of current legal issues and current business affairs.
- Is interested in legal issues and developments; is comfortable with numbers; is interested in and understands commercial affairs.
Potential Questions:
- How do you keep up to date with business issues professionally?
- What are your views on … (relevant business issues/legislation)
- Which major legal/commercial matter has attracted your attention of late and why?
- Where do you see the legal profession in 10 years' time?
ALSO BE PREPARED TO ANSWER THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
- Do you require a work permit?
- Do you need to sit the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Test (QLTT)?
- Will you be relocating to take up this position? If so, when?
- Will your family/partner be relocating with you?
- Do you require assistance with your relocation? If so, what type?
Further Sources of Information