- Feb 17, 2018
- 4,695
- 8,575
Please state the month/year you interviewed at the firm.
February 2020
Please specify what the interview was for.
Spring/Summer Vacation Scheme
Please give an overview of the day with approximate timings.
10am Arrival, 10-11am Breakfast & Introduction from Training partner, 11am-12:30pm Tour of the office with two NQ Associates & coffee chat with them, 12:30-2pm Lunch, 2-2:45pm Reading and preparation time for commercial article (what some of the interview is based on), 5:20-5:50pm Interview with a Partner & an International Counsel (note that my interview was so late as they randomly allocated time slots, and as they did not have enough people to interview everyone at the same time, the interview sessions ran rather late, and I had a really long gap between preparing the article and the actual interview)
Please provide a summary of each assessment on the day with approximate timings.
The way that the interview goes is really dependent on your interviewers. They did not spend that much time asking me about the commercial article (FT article), I'd say around 10 minutes, without many tough follow up questions but really wanting to know your opinion and then the rest of the time it was a very relaxed chat about why I was interested in the firm, what sort of firms I was looking into. They also asked me personal questions about my mooting competition and whether I'd run another half marathon. It was very much a two-way process for you to see whether you'd be a good fit and whether you'd be a suitable candidate for them.
Please list any interview questions you were asked.
What is a stranded asset? Why are share prices of oil and gas companies falling? Follow up question on how consumers could also impact the falling share price of such companies? How can state-owned companies react differently than public companies? Why Debevoise? What other firms are you applying to? Tell me about yourself? Tell me about your master's degree? Given your international upbringing, would you take the opportunities to move abroad with the firm if you could?
What is your best advice for each aspect of the assessment on the day? Please break this down for each assessment. This can include advice for preparation, as well as tips for the day.
Overall, I found this to be the most relaxed and nicest assessment day that I've been to so far. The emphasis is really for you to get to know the firm and that is reflected in the in-depth tour that you get taken on of the office, where you can speak to a wide variety of people in different departments and you also really get given time to talk to the people who are touring about their own experience etc. The lunch was also similarly laid back. For the interview, I'd say to read the article well and have some notes written down that you can refer to during the interview, but in general to have a very broad commercial awareness (no need super detailed stuff) so kind of know how shareholders may impact/influence the decisions that a company can take etc. But really the interview is a chat and a two-way process not only to see whether you'd be a good fit but whether this is the right place for you. Of all my interviews up till that point, I found this one to be the most conversational and actually about them wanting to get to know you!
Were you successful?
Yes
February 2020
Please specify what the interview was for.
Spring/Summer Vacation Scheme
Please give an overview of the day with approximate timings.
10am Arrival, 10-11am Breakfast & Introduction from Training partner, 11am-12:30pm Tour of the office with two NQ Associates & coffee chat with them, 12:30-2pm Lunch, 2-2:45pm Reading and preparation time for commercial article (what some of the interview is based on), 5:20-5:50pm Interview with a Partner & an International Counsel (note that my interview was so late as they randomly allocated time slots, and as they did not have enough people to interview everyone at the same time, the interview sessions ran rather late, and I had a really long gap between preparing the article and the actual interview)
Please provide a summary of each assessment on the day with approximate timings.
The way that the interview goes is really dependent on your interviewers. They did not spend that much time asking me about the commercial article (FT article), I'd say around 10 minutes, without many tough follow up questions but really wanting to know your opinion and then the rest of the time it was a very relaxed chat about why I was interested in the firm, what sort of firms I was looking into. They also asked me personal questions about my mooting competition and whether I'd run another half marathon. It was very much a two-way process for you to see whether you'd be a good fit and whether you'd be a suitable candidate for them.
Please list any interview questions you were asked.
What is a stranded asset? Why are share prices of oil and gas companies falling? Follow up question on how consumers could also impact the falling share price of such companies? How can state-owned companies react differently than public companies? Why Debevoise? What other firms are you applying to? Tell me about yourself? Tell me about your master's degree? Given your international upbringing, would you take the opportunities to move abroad with the firm if you could?
What is your best advice for each aspect of the assessment on the day? Please break this down for each assessment. This can include advice for preparation, as well as tips for the day.
Overall, I found this to be the most relaxed and nicest assessment day that I've been to so far. The emphasis is really for you to get to know the firm and that is reflected in the in-depth tour that you get taken on of the office, where you can speak to a wide variety of people in different departments and you also really get given time to talk to the people who are touring about their own experience etc. The lunch was also similarly laid back. For the interview, I'd say to read the article well and have some notes written down that you can refer to during the interview, but in general to have a very broad commercial awareness (no need super detailed stuff) so kind of know how shareholders may impact/influence the decisions that a company can take etc. But really the interview is a chat and a two-way process not only to see whether you'd be a good fit but whether this is the right place for you. Of all my interviews up till that point, I found this one to be the most conversational and actually about them wanting to get to know you!
Were you successful?
Yes
