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Slaughter and May Training Contract Interview 2018
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<blockquote data-quote="Jaysen" data-source="post: 8094" data-attributes="member: 1"><p><strong>Slaughter and May training contract interview, December 2018.</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><em>Anonymous poster</em></p><p></p><p>Congratulations on your interview!</p><p></p><p>Slaughters is a really difficult interview to prepare for, not because it is difficult in itself, but because it is unpredictable. I personally had a very conversational, not-so-commercial interview, but I have heard of many others who had structured, extremely commercial interviews.</p><p></p><p>A few things I would recommend for the partner interview:</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Be confident.</strong> This is literally the most important piece of advice I can give. The Slaughters interview is very much based on partners getting a feel for your personality and whether you will fit into their firm. 200 of their 220 partners trained at the firm, so 'fit' is quite important that way. Of course, there is more to your personality than just being confident, but by being nervous and uncomfortable you are definitely not demonstrating that 'fit'. I used to go into interviews thinking I had 'gotten lucky', thinking it was a fluke. That really affected the way I interviewed, and generally made my interviewers uncomfortable. Go into your interview knowing you have everything it takes to be there, and that you 100% deserve to get the job (or vac scheme). That will help make your answers more convincing, your demeanour more relaxed and the interview less stressful generally.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Have 4-5 large news stories you have been following.</strong> I usually pick about 3 massive stories (Brexit, US-China trade war etc) and 1-2 smaller stories that I personally find interesting. You are bound to be tested in some way about your commercial awareness, either in your interview or case study, so knowing about the 3 massive stories shows that at least you are aware about popular and current affairs. Having 1-2 smaller stories is helpful just in case they ask you about something you've been following, and you can talk about a less cliche topic and one that is genuinely interesting to you.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Know your CV inside out. </strong>This sounds really obvious, but you need to know everything you have written on your application form, and thought about all the possible questions that might be asked based on that information. For example, if I wrote I was working at a fintech startup, they might ask me what my role was, why did I choose the startup vs a law firm, what did the startup do, etc. If you've highlighted a specific task you did, eg 'drafted opinion on securitisation', be prepared for questions like 'what is securitisation'. The last thing you want is to look like you've exaggerated on your application form.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Prepare questions to ask after the interview! </strong>My conversation with the partners after the interview went on for quite some time, and I got the feeling they were testing both my interest in the firm and also my ability to hold a conversation. Read some of their latest publications, have a look through what the press has been saying about them and come up with 2-3 prepared questions. The rest will flow naturally.</li> </ul><p>On the 15-minute article, it is always an opinion piece either from The Times, FT or Guardian. The topic is highly unpredictable, but it will never be anything too technical. Just have a grasp of what the article is about, have a viewpoint, and be ready to defend it.</p><p></p><p>The case study isn't very difficult. You're given 60 minutes - really plenty of time, as the case study itself is only a few pages long. You have the option to type or handwrite - definitely choose to type, unless you're really fast at writing!</p><p></p><p>The HR interview is really casual, but still assessed, so maintain your professionalism and answer the questions. I was asked about how I thought I did in the interview, and a couple of motivational questions.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Jaysen, post: 8094, member: 1"] [B]Slaughter and May training contract interview, December 2018. [/B] [I]Anonymous poster[/I] Congratulations on your interview! Slaughters is a really difficult interview to prepare for, not because it is difficult in itself, but because it is unpredictable. I personally had a very conversational, not-so-commercial interview, but I have heard of many others who had structured, extremely commercial interviews. A few things I would recommend for the partner interview: [LIST] [*][B]Be confident.[/B] This is literally the most important piece of advice I can give. The Slaughters interview is very much based on partners getting a feel for your personality and whether you will fit into their firm. 200 of their 220 partners trained at the firm, so 'fit' is quite important that way. Of course, there is more to your personality than just being confident, but by being nervous and uncomfortable you are definitely not demonstrating that 'fit'. I used to go into interviews thinking I had 'gotten lucky', thinking it was a fluke. That really affected the way I interviewed, and generally made my interviewers uncomfortable. Go into your interview knowing you have everything it takes to be there, and that you 100% deserve to get the job (or vac scheme). That will help make your answers more convincing, your demeanour more relaxed and the interview less stressful generally. [*][B]Have 4-5 large news stories you have been following.[/B] I usually pick about 3 massive stories (Brexit, US-China trade war etc) and 1-2 smaller stories that I personally find interesting. You are bound to be tested in some way about your commercial awareness, either in your interview or case study, so knowing about the 3 massive stories shows that at least you are aware about popular and current affairs. Having 1-2 smaller stories is helpful just in case they ask you about something you've been following, and you can talk about a less cliche topic and one that is genuinely interesting to you. [*][B]Know your CV inside out. [/B]This sounds really obvious, but you need to know everything you have written on your application form, and thought about all the possible questions that might be asked based on that information. For example, if I wrote I was working at a fintech startup, they might ask me what my role was, why did I choose the startup vs a law firm, what did the startup do, etc. If you've highlighted a specific task you did, eg 'drafted opinion on securitisation', be prepared for questions like 'what is securitisation'. The last thing you want is to look like you've exaggerated on your application form. [*][B]Prepare questions to ask after the interview! [/B]My conversation with the partners after the interview went on for quite some time, and I got the feeling they were testing both my interest in the firm and also my ability to hold a conversation. Read some of their latest publications, have a look through what the press has been saying about them and come up with 2-3 prepared questions. The rest will flow naturally. [/LIST] On the 15-minute article, it is always an opinion piece either from The Times, FT or Guardian. The topic is highly unpredictable, but it will never be anything too technical. Just have a grasp of what the article is about, have a viewpoint, and be ready to defend it. The case study isn't very difficult. You're given 60 minutes - really plenty of time, as the case study itself is only a few pages long. You have the option to type or handwrite - definitely choose to type, unless you're really fast at writing! The HR interview is really casual, but still assessed, so maintain your professionalism and answer the questions. I was asked about how I thought I did in the interview, and a couple of motivational questions. [/QUOTE]
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