The Interview
Arrive early and know where you are going
While this goes without saying, people fall at this hurdle all the time. If the firm’s office is spread across different buildings, know which one you’re going to (Google maps will be your best friend). I arrived at least 15 minutes early.
Look the part
I am a big fan of faking it until you make it. Dress smarter than you have ever dressed before, make your shoes shine until you can see your reflection and do some power poses before you go in. I always carried pens, paper, coloured tabs, highlighters (which were a life saver in case study interviews) and a hard copy of my online application.
Be friendly
For anyone who has endured the stress of an assessment centre, I salute you. Assessment centres are a prime example of how stressful situations alter behaviour. All too often interviewees are so consumed by nerves that they forget to act normally and actually be nice! Remember that your interview starts from the moment you walk into the building. The way you talk to reception staff and other interviewees in the waiting area is all part of the test! Don’t let your nerves mask your approachability and social skills.
Listen to your interviewer
Believe it or not, interviews are two way conversations between yourself and your interviewer. They are a great way for the firm to get to know you, as well as for you to know a bit more about the firm and its people. In each of my interviews the interviewer introduced themselves, briefly mentioned their career path so far and which area of law they practise. Remembering this information is a great way to form a really interesting question to ask your interviewer at the end. Asking how the firm’s merger in 2012 affected your interviewer when they were a fourth-seat trainee in banking litigation shows a thoughtful and tailored interest in the person sat in front of you, not a pre-prepared generic question.
Back yourself
Ultimately, interviews are for you to prove that you are capable of being a fantastic addition to a firm. A key piece of advice that I wish I had known at my first interview is that you’re being judged as if you are a real lawyer talking to a client (who is often played by the interviewer). It’s my natural instinct particularly at interview, to admit I am unsure or completely thrown by a question. In real life situations, clients don’t want uncertainty in their legal advice. While others may disagree, I found that being confident in my views and articulating myself well impressed my interviewer, although it is ok to change your mind, as long as you can explain your reasoning well. In my HSF interview I was asked if buying the shares or assets of the company in question was the safest option. I spent most of the interview demonstrating why I though X option was best, only to be told at the end of the interview that option Y was definitely better. Despite this, my interviewer was impressed with how I formulated a convincing argument and I received a vacation scheme offer as a result.
