Post a CommentGetting the Job: Winning Interview Techniques
By Liz Clearman
2/28/2008 "Tell me something about yourself." That dreaded interview question haunts many of us long after our law school days are over and is a phrase we have all heard at some point during our careers. For attorneys making or considering career changes, launching into an anecdote about your personal endeavors and life ambitions may be right around the corner. If you are experiencing the trials and tribulations of the job hunt, consider the recommendations below to ensure a successful interview.
Research Required
Your first step in preparing for the interview should be to thoroughly research the employer with which you are interviewing. Information about the firm or organization is often readily accessible on its website, on www.martindale.com or www.nalpdirectory.com, or even on Google. Details to look for include the firm/organization's client list, recent cases or events in the news, departments or divisions in the firm/organization (when applicable), hiring trends, alumni from your alma mater (either undergraduate or law school) who work for the employer, and company growth. This is not an exhaustive list, but will help you hone your research when you are thinking about what to bring with you to the interview.
Sue Ayers, an attorney with Baker Botts L.L.P. in Austin, states that she has a rating system for questions that interviewees ask her based on how extensive the candidate's knowledge of the firm/organization is. She uses the answers to help her make hiring decisions. What gets the lowest rating? Not having any questions prepared for the interviewer. Although this is an unlikely occurrence, it does happen, so make sure you are not one of those who enter interviewing territory unprepared. A barely acceptable question is asking what type of law the firm practices or which departments the firm has in its office, as that information is easily ascertained via the Internet. A good question would be, "I noticed you have the following departments (be specific here) in your Houston office. Who are some representative clients [or matters] of those departments?" n1
n1 Email from Sue Dillon Ayers, attorney, Baker Botts L.L.P., to Rhonda Beassie, assistant dean of career development, University of Houston Law Center (Oct. 2, 2006) (on file with author).
To make an even better impression, according to Ayers, take your research a step beyond the company's website to the newspapers and/or Internet. Inquiring about an issue prevalent in the media and its possible effect on a particular department in the firm will win you even more points. Lastly, an example of a question the candidate can ask to get the highest ranking might involve something like this: "I see that trial lawyers in your office recently won a large intellectual property trial in federal court in San Antonio. Every large media outlet in the country reported it. Did you work on that case or get to see any of the two-month-long trial?" n2 Such a question shows that you went above and beyond in your research of the firm and are truly interested in and committed to the type of law the firm or organization practices.
n2 Id.
Practice and Preparation Make Perfect
Attorneys looking to be hired laterally may be out of practice as far as interview techniques go. Although basic interviewing is likely the same, the legal market is constantly changing, potentially meaning a tougher interview than you anticipated. Consider calling your alma mater to ask if it offers mock interview services for alumni. In my office, mock interviewing is highly encouraged for our students and graduates, and we do our best to make sure the "interview" we stage for the participant is as authentic as possible. Usually, one or two of the career services staff will interview the "candidate" at a designated time in a private room, asking questions an attorney is likely to face in a real-life interview. If a mock interview is impractical for you, consider hiring a career or life coach to help you brush up on your interviewing skills.
Another solid method of preparing for your interview is to review possible questions an interviewer might ask. Even though the list is endless, here are a few of the most common inquiries by legal employers:
. How have your prior positions helped prepare you for a legal career?
. What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
. What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction?
. Why did you decide to interview with us?
. Why did you choose law as a career?
. Describe a difficult problem that you have had to deal with and how you have handled it. n3
n3 Yale Law School, Questions Employers Often Ask (2006), www.law.yale.edu/documents/pdf/CDO_Public/cdo-06questionsemployer-sask_questionstoaskemployers.pdf.
When the day of the interview arrives, keep the following suggestions in mind. Be on time -- as in, be in the parking lot at least 30 minutes before the interview is scheduled. Punctuality is vital to the success of your interview and will reflect poorly on you if you cannot make it to the interview site in a timely manner. Leave your attitude of entitlement at home. Although you may be successful at your current position, going into an interview with the approach that you have the job offer in the bag will backfire. Stay humble! Along those lines, be polite to everyone you meet at the firm/organization. This includes but is not limited to secretaries, receptionists, mail people, recruiters, and other staff. You never know whom the hiring attorneys might ask for opinions. Remember -- the interview begins the second you walk into the door and does not end until you step outside of the building. Stay positive about everything on your resume, even your law school grades, as they might still be a relevant factor. Downplaying your accomplishments or qualifying what you are about to say makes you look unsure and self-deprecating when you want to seem self-assured.
Be enthusiastic about what you say without seeming overly excited or fake. You want to impress the interviewers as being genuinely fascinated by their practice and their firm/organization -- an interested interviewee will come across as more interesting to an employer. Listen to what the interviewers ask -- do not interrupt -- and be sure to answer their questions directly. Try to avoid controversial topics such as religion and politics, and attempt to have a conversation with the interviewers as opposed to simply responding to questions, which will help build rapport. If an interviewer mentions something he or she has in common with you, inquire further about the topic to draw him or her into a conversation. Lastly, have an anecdote in mind for most entries on your resume. The interviewer may ask you about something specific you did five years ago; be prepared to talk about anything that you have listed.
An interview does not have to be a nerve-wracking experience. Preparation is the key -- researching the firm/organization, having questions ready for the interviewers, knowing your resume inside out, and displaying common manners will serve you well in any interview. The hunt for a new job or career is daunting whether you are a new graduate or a seasoned professional, but when it comes to the interview, everyone is on an equal playing field. Return to Career GuidanceBack to top
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