@Amma Usman I wondered if you could possibly give me advice for an upcoming interview 😊 I am just preparing some competency examples and have some that I’d like to use but they are not recent, and also not related to law. I have worked in the legal industry for the last 3 years so could think of other relevant scenarios but would prefer to speak about some that happened at university / within part-time jobs I had at uni (retail, etc) for certain competencies. Do you think would be detrimental?
Honestly, I don’t think it’s detrimental at all. Just because an experience isn’t recent or directly related to law doesn’t mean it isn’t valuable. If it taught you something meaningful, challenged you, or helped you grow in a way that’s relevant to the competency, then it’s still a valid part of your story.
Yes, law firms might want to see what you’ve been up to more recently to get a sense of your current skillset and mindset, but that doesn’t mean older experiences suddenly lose their worth. If your examples from university or part-time jobs are stronger or show you in your best light, then absolutely use them. What matters most is the quality of your reflection - how well you explain what you did, what you learned, and how it shaped you.
So I’d say don’t disregard past experiences just because they’re a few years old. Instead, make them work for you. Be intentional about what each one is showing and try to strike a balance by mixing in at least one or two recent examples so they get a sense of what you’ve been doing more currently. But the past is still a very real and valuable part of your journey, and it can absolutely speak to the kind of professional you are today.
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