Interview Tips

First of all, congratulations for getting to this stage! It may seem like you still have a large hurdle to jump over, but just remember you have already beaten a lot of people to get to this point. Your application has stood out amongst the other applicants and now this is the time to really make yourself shine.

Please find some tips for your interview below.  Note however that these tips are what I have found useful for my process and I cannot guarantee that this will get you the position or selection for the next stage.

1) READ YOUR APPLICATION - This may seem like an obvious one, but like all law students and graduates, we make hundreds of applications and forget what we have written.  Each application has to be tailored to the specific law firm you are applying to, and you need to remember why you said you wanted to apply there. Make sure you read the application fully a day or two before the interview day so that you are aware of what you said.

2) RESEARCH THE FIRM - This is something you should have done when submitting your application so this shouldn't take too long to do.  Look over the firm's website to see their values. Do they have a niche? Also take a look at the various accreditations that the firm may have.  Looking over their website will help you with the question "why did you pick this firm?".  Look at the firm's involvement with the local community and their work on any big cases they may have acted on.  By doing your research and tailoring your answer to the firm, you are showing a keen interest in the firm and not providing them with an automated answer that could be given in any interview.

3) DRESS CODE - Another obvious one, dress smart.  This way you can't go wrong, even if the firm is a little more relaxed on office attire.  Not only will you look the part, dressing smartly will make you feel more professional and focused on the interview.

4) RESEARCH CURRENT LEGAL AFFAIRS - Some firms will ask you questions about a topic that is relevant in the legal world.  If you are not one for reading legal newspapers or browsing legal news online, now's the time to start.  There's nothing worse than having nothing to say when a question has been directed to you.  Even if you only know a little about the topic, this would be an opportunity to turn it into a discussion with your interviewer. For example, say what you know and give your opinion, then turn it around and say "so how do you feel about this?".

5) DO NOT LIE - There's the saying "everyone lies on their CV", DON'T!  You do not want to ruin your chances of getting that training contract over the fact you lied about playing for the England U15s hockey team when you know absolutely nothing about the sport.  It's not worth the risk, focus on highlighting the experience you do have rather than lying about things you don't.

6) BE YOURSELF - Interviewers have interviewed hundreds/thousands of people before.  If you are not being yourself, 99.9% chance they will know and this will not go down well.  If you think that you have a better chance of getting the job by being a 'know it all', what do you think will happen when you don't know it?

7) BE PREPARED - Take proof of everything you have done with you.  When I attended my training contract interview I took all certificates with me, Degree and A Level included. If you don't have the certificates take your transcripts.  Do also take certificates for any extra curricular activities you may have done. What I found to be most important however is that I took my CV and my covering letter that I applied with into the interview.  This way I could follow and identify what I had said when they asked questions.  Put all of this into a folder to keep things tidy.

8) PRESENTATION - If you are required to do a presentation, practice practice practice. No you cannot wing it, and if you are one of the 0.0001% of people that can, I envy you! It's not worth the risk so run it through a few times, make sure you have focused on the main points that you would like to get across and make sure you don't muddle your words.  Speak clearly and slowly to engage with the interviewing panel.

9) BUSINESS - One thing that a lot of people fall down on in an interview is the business side of a law firm.  Yes, 80% of the interview will be your chance to show your skills and how you can be helpful to the firm, but do remember a law firm is still a business.  Brush up on some marketing ideas and different techniques to help secure new clients.  This could be something that you put forward as a suggestion if you ever come to discuss the topic in interview.  Perhaps you don't like the firm's website and could suggest a way to make the website more accessible.  If you don't like it, SAY IT. Firms are always looking for ways to improve and throwing a few suggestions forward would show that you have taken the time to look at the firm's marketing and advertising techniques.