Assessment Centre

[GabbyPalinskaite]

I have been invited to an assessment centre with Hay & Kilner and was just wondering if anyone has any advice how to research and prepare for these in general and if there is any advice for the firm specifically?

 

[Ram Sabaratnam]

Hiya @GabbyPalinskaite

Congrats on getting to the AC stage! In terms of general prep, I’d start by making sure you’re confident on the usual motivational and competency-based questions that come up frequently during law firm interviews. It’s worth having well-thought-out answers to things like why law, why this firm, and examples of teamwork, dealing with setbacks, or showing initiative. TCLA has a really helpful list of these questions that you can use to guide your preparation. You can find these here.

Related to the above, I’d suggest taking some time to understand the firm’s major practice areas and thinking about why those areas genuinely interest you. Given that they are a strong regional firm, there may be opportunities to work across a range of sectors, so try to find one or two areas you can connect to your own experiences or career goals and be ready to talk about them with enthusiasm. I should also say that many of my friends who've interviewed with regional firms often get asked why they are interested in joining a regional firm, so I'd have a think about this as well.

I’ve done a quick google search but not entirely sure what their assessment centre includes. But to get a sense of what could come up, I’d recommend checking out some of the posts Jacob Miller has written on the forum. He's covered case studies, general interview technique, and negotiation exercises (though I’m not sure that a negotiation will be part of this particular AC). His insights are practical and grounded in real examples, so they’re a great way to build confidence. You can find these here:

• One for case studies
• One for negotiations
• One for general interview preparation.

Best of luck with the assessment centre!

 

[GabbyPalinskaite]

Hiya @GabbyPalinskaite

Congrats on getting to the AC stage! In terms of general prep, I’d start by making sure you’re confident on the usual motivational and competency-based questions that come up frequently during law firm interviews. It’s worth having well-thought-out answers to things like why law, why this firm, and examples of teamwork, dealing with setbacks, or showing initiative. TCLA has a really helpful list of these questions that you can use to guide your preparation. You can find these here.

Related to the above, I’d suggest taking some time to understand the firm’s major practice areas and thinking about why those areas genuinely interest you. Given that they are a strong regional firm, there may be opportunities to work across a range of sectors, so try to find one or two areas you can connect to your own experiences or career goals and be ready to talk about them with enthusiasm. I should also say that many of my friends who've interviewed with regional firms often get asked why they are interested in joining a regional firm, so I'd have a think about this as well.

I’ve done a quick google search but not entirely sure what their assessment centre includes. But to get a sense of what could come up, I’d recommend checking out some of the posts Jacob Miller has written on the forum. He's covered case studies, general interview technique, and negotiation exercises (though I’m not sure that a negotiation will be part of this particular AC). His insights are practical and grounded in real examples, so they’re a great way to build confidence. You can find these here:

• One for case studies
• One for negotiations
• One for general interview preparation.

Best of luck with the assessment centre!

Thank you so much!!