The next hour or so could change your career dramatically...............don't blow it!
It is important to remember that an interview, in theory at least, is not a cruel pre-employment hurdle designed to make you nervous, waste time or to be used as a tactic to find out about the firm you are currently working for by interrogating you (commonly referred to as a fishing exercise).
An interview is a tool to enable the interviewer(s) to ascertain your personality and personal qualities, to gain a sense of how you will fit with the existing team of people working for the firm. It also enables them to ascertain your motivations for applying for their vacancy and likely ability to perform the role well. This is key point to remember. Most permanent vacancies will carry with them the expectation that the candidate appointed will be in that role for the foreseeable future and this is something easy to mess up at interview.
Warning bells may ring in the ear of the interviewer if they hear you using expressions like "foot in the door", "plan to get some experience under my belt", "first rung on the ladder" or express views like "not sure where I want to be in the next two to five years", "plan to travel the world in a few years time", "plan to become a **** eventually". Whilst these are all innocent statements and often also blatantly true, they can give the interviewer the uneasy feeling that any time invested in you, whether that be a matter of months or years, may prove to be a wasted investment for the company.
This is also a key problem for LPC candidates who do not have a training contract and therefore need to get work in the form of Paralegal, either as an interim measure or as a permanent alternative to gaining a training contract externally. Any LPC graduate must give this careful consideration and decide how to best deal with this line of questioning in anticipation of interview. The interviewer will be unlikely to offer a paralegal role to someone who says they are actively applying for training contract roles now or in the short term future - 1 - 2 years.
Presented with the choice between a candidate who is very positive about their career path and what they want to do, namely being in the role which they are applying for, (unless by fortune and hard work the firm decides to promote them), and one who has said they see the role as a good opportunity to get their foot on the ladder, I bet your bottom dollar that the first candidate will receive the job offer every time.
Another mistake commonly made is for a candidate to attend interview for a role, let's say as a Commercial Property Solicitor, for instance, but when asked what they really like to do, they spend several minutes talking about how much they like residential property work. Or, they can come up with no reason as to why they enjoy Commercial Property and/or are interested in working at the firm they are being interviewed by.
Employers seek someone who is keen to do the job they have and to work for them. They don't like to hear that they are one of numerous firms the candidate would work for (albeit true!) or that the candidate has no real passion for their vacancy. This is true both because there is lots of competition and therefore plenty of candidates who will give the right impression and because they need reassurance that the chosen candidate will be committed and do a good job in their appointed post.
It is almost as much a case of listening, as talking at interview; using appropriate body language and seeking to gauge what the interviewer is looking for. Sometimes a firm will be delighted to hear of your ambition to make partnership within two years flat, but for a firm which may have an issue with offering partnership in that time frame it could well frighten them off - even if it turns out that they would be so impressed with you after two years with them that they offer partnership to keep you!
Never make the interviewer feel that their job is at risk if they employ you - such as in the case where you are applying for a role to assist them but at interview come across as so ambitious that they risk being usurped in a blink on you joining!
Whatever the interview, no matter how informal and unless specifically requested to attend in casual attire we would strongly recommend you go "suited and booted". If you don't have a suit you should still be able to find professional wear, such as black trousers/skirt and white shirt/blouse. Even casual dress should include a smart shirt/blouse and tidy trousers/skirt.
Remember - first impressions always count and your attire suggests the effort you have put into getting ready for interview. Call us prudish or old fashioned but we think bare midrifts are best kept to evenings and weekends or a social environment - whatever the job you are interviewing for.
Prepare for interview.
Avoid cancelling your interview and rearranging at all costs, since this infers you do not treat the interview as a priority.
Take with you a notebook, pen, any telephone numbers you may need, such as the number of the person you are meeting, any map or directions to your meeting venue and details of the post you are being interviewed for; plus at least one fresh, clean copy of your CV.
It always impresses an interviewer to see that a candidate has prepared carefully for the interview and has made notes of what they wish to draw to the attention of the interviewer about their suitability or what they know of the firm, its clients and location - if the plan is relocation on the part of the candidate.
Arrive on time - give yourself plenty of time for all eventualities, including getting out of the office later than planned, rain, traffic, accidents and other holdups. If you are running late, don't arrive late and make excuses - ring ahead or arrange for someone to do so on your behalf, with an estimate of how late you expect to be.
If you are not shown into the room by your interviewer or introduced by someone else, always knock on the door to indicate your arrival.
As you are received for interview, make good eye contact, smile and look welcoming and at ease (even if your legs feel like jelly and you have had to run from the train station to get there on time). Give a firm but not oppressive handshake - interviewers tend to hate the limp wrist or finger tip shake but equally enjoy all their fingers in tact! Spit your gum out before you get to the meeting place, make sure you are well groomed, including hair, nails and shoes.
Be conscious of your body language during your meeting. If you have the choice of where to sit, avoid sitting opposite the window, where you may be exposed to bright sun light, or distracted by what is going on outside.
Avoid sitting between people, so you don't have to play a game of tennis with your head; looking to and fro, from person to person. Try to avoid sitting with a desk between you and the interviewer (though often this layout is predesigned).
Ensure that you sit "openly", ie., without your arms braced in front of your body, legs crossed in front of you, hand over your face, creating a barrier between you and those interviewing. This will send the wrong signals. Leaning forwards in your seat shows your interest, using your hands shows confidence and ease, nodding and smiling shows both interest and attention. Don't forget that eye contact - again, showing you are interested and not attentive.
Try to bring into the conversation all the strong points about you which link with the role you are applying for - for instance, if the role includes business development draw upon examples of where you have been successful in this respect in the past or why you are enthusiastic about getting involved in it now.
Think about whether you might be coming across as too quiet or conversely (and often just as bad) too confident. If you do seem over confident or even cocky the interviewer may just take the opportunity to test your technical ability, so with confidence you might just need your thinking cap.
Common questions to anticipate relate to your academic qualifications, career history (dates, reasons for leaving etc), and technical ability (what work you have been exposed to, caseload, size of deals, types of clients etc) where you see yourself in 'x' years' time, what you consider to be your strengths/weaknesses or similarly, where you have had success/failure in your career or personal life previously and how you dealt with the situation, what book/record you last bought (quirky questions are used to see how you react and find out about your personality).
Don't see this as an opportunity to slag off your current employer, or divulge "trade secrets" - firstly you never know who your interviewer knows, or is married to, and secondly, what does this say about how you can be trusted with confidentiality and discretion when it comes to working for them and their clients?! Resist the urge at all costs.
Do your homework before hand, if you don't understand the angle of the question you are being asked then don't be frightened to seek clarification rather than diving in, since you may misinterpret what they are seeking to get from you and give the wrong impression. If you don't know the answer to a question be honest but do your best at offering up an answer - say you are asked for the time limit on filing a defence to a PI claim and you are nervous and your mind goes blank, or you simply don't know - think about it; no one knows everything but if you can indicate that you know where to look for the answer (CPR) then you are demonstrating that you are able to use your own initiative and are honest.
If asked about salary, try to be fairly non-committal, since too high and you may not get an offer, to low and you may reduce the opportunity or put pay altogether for negotiation. Do give some idea of your current package or banter about the phrases 'market rate' and 'flexible'.
Take the opportunity to ask questions. Although you might see this as a good time to ask about benefits and office hours, whether you could take three weeks' off in December etc, don't! This is not the time - get the interviewer hooked on your good points and don't make them feel that you are looking to see what you can get out of them.
Instead, ask questions about the firm's plans for the future, who was in the role before you and why they left (if relevant), if there can be a handover, what IT training is provided if you are expected to use a new system, what sort of induction is given, what events the firm is involved in, what the interviewer is looking for in the candidates they are interviewing, when they would want the person to start, how many they are interviewing and if they have any concerns or queries regarding your suitability (which will give you an opportunity to address concerns right there), when you can expect to hear from them and no doubt you can think of lots of other suitable questions.
If you are being expected to bring a following, be equipped with some stats but equally ensure you get some hard and fast stats in return, such as how the practice is split, discipline-wise, what the equity structure is with the firm, what work is there for you and what the expectation is for you, short and long term, as an integral member of the partnership/department.
At the end of the interview think of your interviewer as a client. Stand and shake hands, smile and thank the interviewer(s) for their time and the opportunity to come for interview. If you are keen, say so and indicate that you look forward to hearing from them.
Remember, an interview isn't a one sided process. It is also an opportunity for you to discover whether a firm is right for you. If you are unsure and the firm is keen on you, don't be frightened to ask for the opportunity to meet again, or to meet others you will potentially work with. It may be suggested that you meet for lunch, or go out for a drink with the partners or team members. Gut feeling is often the better of indications as to whether a job is right for you but an informed decision is better still.
Do not be under the illusion that because you are a senior candiate, used to dealing with clients and technically very able, that you will fly through an interview and be handed the job. Some of the most experienced candidates I have come across have made a crucial but simple error at interview - the most common being that they have not got across their desire for the role/location.
My final tip is always be prepared for the unexpected. I was once invited to an informal interview with one/possibly two people and when I arrived I was shown to a board room where around a dozen senior members of the firm sat, expectantly! If you are ever prevented with such a situation, remain calm (screaming in terror never helps anyone) and try to answer questions in an organised way, addressing your answer to the questioner but ensuring you engage in eye contact with the others present, during your response.... and smile. :)
Good luck!
Caroline
If you don't want to rely entirely on luck and are looking for a legal post, for intermediary services, advice on legal careers, particularly legal vacancies/firms, arranging of interviews, negotiation etc., contact us to register.
Carpe Diem Legal is a specialist legal recruitment consultancy. The partners, Deborah Saw and Caroline Evans are always pleased to hear from candidates who are seeking advice on a legal career move generally or for tailored assistance. For general advice on interview technique, CV preparation or registration do contact Amy Fisher, amy@carpediemlegal.co.uk, who will be pleased to send you our information sheets.
Click on http://www.carpediemlegal.co.uk/vacancies.html to see our latest vacancies and to register. Don't forget to bookmark us http://www.carpediemlegal.co.uk/index.html
We have produced an advice sheet on good interview technique, which is available to our candidates upon request and issued to all candidates who gain interview through us.
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