Explaining why you have done work experience at different firms

[Demna87]

Hi everyone!

I was wondering if anyone else has done legal work experience previously at independent/smaller firms and is now applying to international/bigger firms and how you explain this in interviews?

I have done a lot of work experience at a regional firm and find that this makes interviewers question my motivation. In truth, I did the work experience because it was an opportunity to get into law and I wouldn't ever turn that down. But now I struggle to explain how these experiences made me more interested in international work instead, without sounding like I'm dismissive of domestic work as I understand international firms do both.

 

[Jaysen]

Hi everyone!

I was wondering if anyone else has done legal work experience previously at independent/smaller firms and is now applying to international/bigger firms and how you explain this in interviews?

I have done a lot of work experience at a regional firm and find that this makes interviewers question my motivation. In truth, I did the work experience because it was an opportunity to get into law and I wouldn't ever turn that down. But now I struggle to explain how these experiences made me more interested in international work instead, without sounding like I'm dismissive of domestic work as I understand international firms do both.

Have you had any exposure to international work, whether at the firm or otherwise? Alternatively, do you have any other international experiences you can draw on?

You could use one of these experiences to tease out the reasons for why you found international work interesting (e.g. new challenges/diverse people/work variety). The point you're making is not that you don't want to do domestic work, just that you'd prefer a firm that doesn't only do domestic work.

 

[Abstruser]

I too did a lot of regional work, both in England and in my home country, and was applying to really large international firms. I have gotten similar questions, and the way I approach it is to focus on my career aspirations, and how I think an international firm will better service those aspirations. For example, I often talk about how I want to 'future-proof' my career, and how I think that multi-jurisdictional dexterity will be an essential skill for lawyers in the next decade or so. That leads on to a 'nicer' discussion of why I am attracted to an international firm for the opportunities it can provide me, instead of casting my regional experience in a negative light.

Also, as I have brought up in previous interviews, when I worked at smaller, regional firms, I actually got more responsibility than I did in some larger firms I worked in. I had more client contact, more independent projects - although the work itself wasn't glamorous, the learning curve was steep all the same. That narrative has worked very well for me in past interviews. It's all about finding a different perspective!