Articles From the Team

Interview do's and don'ts

As a recruiter, one of the best bits about my job is making a call to someone telling them they’ve been offered a job they really want. On the other hand, one of the worst parts is telling someone who really wants a job they’ve been for that they haven’t got it. More often than not, this is due to coming across as unprepared / uninterested at interview.

I completely appreciate the difficulties of juggling day to day work / family responsibilities with trying to find time to prepare for and attend interviews. But this is exactly why you need to make every single interview count. Failing to prepare for an interview is simply a waste of your time. And will also leave a lasting impression on the firm you meet.

There are some basic (and they are so simple BUT they really do make a difference) do’s and don’ts to bear in mind when attending an interview:

Do

Dress smart – many offices adopt a more casual dress code on a day to day basis - this isn’t appropriate for interview

Greet the interviewer with a firm handshake – without breaking their hand

Know who the firm is and why you want to work with them – try to dig a bit deeper than the basic information on the website – have they been in the business news recently? Moved offices? Secured any new major clients? Who are you meeting? What do they do?

Be prepared to talk confidently about what you do in your role, don’t presume the interviewer will just know what you do – make yourself sound valuable to the team you’re in!

Sell yourself – what are your strengths, particular achievements, areas of responsibility and what your career aspirations are going forward

Ask questions! If you are genuinely interested in the firm / role you should have at least a couple of questions to help you know more about the team you will be working with / the clients they work with / future plans for the firm

Don’t

Arrive late!

Leave your phone on, check your watch or look bored!

Criticize a previous employer – be constructive in your reasons for leaving. You should be moving on to progress your career – focus on the positive not the negative

Be vague – if you can’t give a detailed and interesting explanation about what you do in your role, how will a potential employer see this?

Talk too much – keep your content relevant and related to the role you are interviewing for

I recruit within residential property across the North West and as with many practice areas, the conveyancing market is very candidate driven. This however, doesn’t mean you can become complacent and presume firms are desperate to hire. A firm is looking to recruit the best people in the market, which means you have to stand out from the crowd.

For a confidential conversation regarding the market / interviews or current available opportunities, please contact me, Nicola O'Hanlon on 0161 819 7465.