Went well? First interview

[aliiiisonxooox]

Hi guys,

I am seeking a TC and got three interviews finally so I’m happy about that. I’ve never done an interview before except for your normal retail job. Never did one for a law firm. This law firm I’ve done the interview at today is quite big, top 5 in Ireland. The interview lasted 10 mins less than it should have, they said it would be 50 mins but I was finished 40 mins in, is this smth I should worry about? And I just have a couple of questions.

They asked me if I’m interviewing for other firms and I said yes. Not sure whether that was a good choice?

They asked me about my cv, competency questions and cover letter. They were impressed with the fact that I solo travel from a young age and asked me a bit about that, about my degrees, work experience, just basic stuff. Then they’d asked me what did I do when I underwent through a difficult task? They told me to relate back to work, so I used STAR and said I found it really difficult in my job that it was prone to having conflicts with other members as I was leading a department, and said how I overcame this difficult situation- by hearing the other perspective of the member, by communicating effectively etc.

They also asked me what would I do if a client tasked me with a very important job but their signal went off and I had to finish the work in 5 hours but I discovered a mistake in one of the documents. I said I’d alert the team I am working with about this, maybe reach out to a Senior partner and communicate this and in the end try to rectify the mistake as the client is the most important person.

I just feel like I messed up when at the end they asked me how do other people in real life describe me and I said funny. It was the last Q and I was so nervous at the end for unknown reasons and I said funny and then I realised I messed up and just said I work really hard and I always try to communicate and work with people and people always tell me I communicate effectively etc.. I’m not sure lol. Does this sound awful?? It went really well overall though I feel.

I tried to try tell them that the most important thing is to put the client first. Explain legal concepts that might not be clear in a simple way so the client understands. To manage your time well under pressure and all the techniques I have for that. And lastly, to prioritise tasks effectively and to collaborate within a team.

From a very worried person, thanks all!!

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

Hi guys,

I am seeking a TC and got three interviews finally so I’m happy about that. I’ve never done an interview before except for your normal retail job. Never did one for a law firm. This law firm I’ve done the interview at today is quite big, top 5 in Ireland. The interview lasted 10 mins less than it should have, they said it would be 50 mins but I was finished 40 mins in, is this smth I should worry about? And I just have a couple of questions.

They asked me if I’m interviewing for other firms and I said yes. Not sure whether that was a good choice?

They asked me about my cv, competency questions and cover letter. They were impressed with the fact that I solo travel from a young age and asked me a bit about that, about my degrees, work experience, just basic stuff. Then they’d asked me what did I do when I underwent through a difficult task? They told me to relate back to work, so I used STAR and said I found it really difficult in my job that it was prone to having conflicts with other members as I was leading a department, and said how I overcame this difficult situation- by hearing the other perspective of the member, by communicating effectively etc.

They also asked me what would I do if a client tasked me with a very important job but their signal went off and I had to finish the work in 5 hours but I discovered a mistake in one of the documents. I said I’d alert the team I am working with about this, maybe reach out to a Senior partner and communicate this and in the end try to rectify the mistake as the client is the most important person.

I just feel like I messed up when at the end they asked me how do other people in real life describe me and I said funny. It was the last Q and I was so nervous at the end for unknown reasons and I said funny and then I realised I messed up and just said I work really hard and I always try to communicate and work with people and people always tell me I communicate effectively etc.. I’m not sure lol. Does this sound awful?? It went really well overall though I feel.

I tried to try tell them that the most important thing is to put the client first. Explain legal concepts that might not be clear in a simple way so the client understands. To manage your time well under pressure and all the techniques I have for that. And lastly, to prioritise tasks effectively and to collaborate within a team.

From a very worried person, thanks all!!

Hello!

First off, congratulations on landing three interviews - that's an amazing achievement! It sounds like you did really well in this one, so try not to overthink it too much.

I wouldn't worry too much about the interview ending early! Firms will likely leave a little extra room than expected anyway, just so that they can account for any delays and ensure everything is running on schedule. If it helps, in my DTC interview that landed me my training contract, my interview was scheduled for an hour and I had finished it within 30 minutes! I totally understand where you are coming from as I then panicked as well, but it all worked out in the end - I'm sure 10 minutes won't be viewed negatively

In terms of stating that you're interviewing elsewhere, this is absolutely fine (and usually expected!). The graduate recruitment team know how competitive the process is and will be expecting that most candidates are exploring various firms, so answering truthfully was the best thing to do.

From what you've written, your answers to the competency and scenario questions sound thoughtful and well-structured. You used STAR, showed self-awareness, and highlighted communication and teamwork - exactly the skills they are looking for in a trainee. I think you also showed good judgment about handling client issues too, particularly highlighting that the client is the most important person.

Try not to worry about saying "funny" - an interview is also an opportunity for them to get to know you as a person, and it humanises you! A lot of candidates will freeze up or sound robotic at that point, so a touch of personality may be a refreshing change. It's important to remember that whilst they're checking that you have the skills and knowledge to be a trainee, they also want to hire someone that will be nice to work with! Following up with the additional, professional traits such as hardworking and good communication helped to balance out your answer, which rounded your answer off nicely.

Overall, it sounds like you came across as personable, professional, and thoughtful - which I would say is a great first impression! It's totally normal to overthink interviews, but everything you've described suggests you handled it really well. No interview will be 100% perfect, and they don't expect it to be.

Try to focus on the clear positives, and keep that confidence going into your next interviews. You're doing really well - best of luck with the remaining interviews!

 

[aliiiisonxooox]

Hello!

First off, congratulations on landing three interviews - that's an amazing achievement! It sounds like you did really well in this one, so try not to overthink it too much.

I wouldn't worry too much about the interview ending early! Firms will likely leave a little extra room than expected anyway, just so that they can account for any delays and ensure everything is running on schedule. If it helps, in my DTC interview that landed me my training contract, my interview was scheduled for an hour and I had finished it within 30 minutes! I totally understand where you are coming from as I then panicked as well, but it all worked out in the end - I'm sure 10 minutes won't be viewed negatively

In terms of stating that you're interviewing elsewhere, this is absolutely fine (and usually expected!). The graduate recruitment team know how competitive the process is and will be expecting that most candidates are exploring various firms, so answering truthfully was the best thing to do.

From what you've written, your answers to the competency and scenario questions sound thoughtful and well-structured. You used STAR, showed self-awareness, and highlighted communication and teamwork - exactly the skills they are looking for in a trainee. I think you also showed good judgment about handling client issues too, particularly highlighting that the client is the most important person.

Try not to worry about saying "funny" - an interview is also an opportunity for them to get to know you as a person, and it humanises you! A lot of candidates will freeze up or sound robotic at that point, so a touch of personality may be a refreshing change. It's important to remember that whilst they're checking that you have the skills and knowledge to be a trainee, they also want to hire someone that will be nice to work with! Following up with the additional, professional traits such as hardworking and good communication helped to balance out your answer, which rounded your answer off nicely.

Overall, it sounds like you came across as personable, professional, and thoughtful - which I would say is a great first impression! It's totally normal to overthink interviews, but everything you've described suggests you handled it really well. No interview will be 100% perfect, and they don't expect it to be.

Try to focus on the clear positives, and keep that confidence going into your next interviews. You're doing really well - best of luck with the remaining interviews!

Thank you so much! This was so helpful. It was my first interview ever for a traineeship, so I guess everything is a learning experience anyway and I’m sure regardless I’ll benefit from it. Thank you!