Articles From the Team
Interview tips for law graduates
Its always daunting moving from university to your first graduate role in the legal world, so I thought it might be helpful to pop some tips down for you to consider which might give you some guidance when applying for a role and going to interview.
Research
Ensure you research the firm/role ahead of an interview. It’s highly likely you will be asked “what do you know about the firm and why are you interested in joining us?” So ensuring you research ahead can really allow you prepare for questions like this and really make you think about why you’re applying. Online is a great starting point, look at their website, view the team you are interviewing for and delve into the type of work they handle. View the interviewers’ profiles on LinkedIn; this will give you an insight into their career and experience. It’s also worth having a look at the firms latest news and articles so you have an idea of any recent changes to the firm/team news and updates.
Preparation
Study the job specification and really try and gain an understanding of the role you are applying for. If you know anyone in a similar role it’s always good to try and speak with them to get an idea of what the role involves. The interviewers will want to know how you feel about the firm and the role so knowing the duties inside out and how your skills will be transferable. Ahead of the interview you should ensure that you know the format of the interview, what it will entail and what you should prepare for. Some firms do include a testing element, so you should find this out before to allow you to prepare.
Arrive on time
It’s important that you are punctual and arrive on time for a interview. With many interviews now taking place over video conference it’s equally as important that you have tested your equipment ahead of the interview to ensure you are logged on in time. For office based interviews we always suggest if you don’t know the area too well or are unsure of parking surrounding the offices you should do a trial run before your interview so you know exactly where it is and can find it easy on the day of your interview.
Your CV
The majority of the interview will be a discussion around you and your ambitions. Firms will understand that to date you are unlikely to have little if any legal experience, however it’s still very important to take time preparing your CV to include any relevant experience you do have i.e. work placements. They are trying to establish transferable skills you may have.
Ask questions
There will be opportunity throughout or at the end of an interview to ask any questions you may have for interviewers. Ensure you have prepared questions that you want to know ahead of the meeting. It’s important to ask relevant questions based on the firm or the role that haven’t already been covered throughout the meeting. This will reflect well on you and shows you have listened and have a genuine interest in the firm/role on offer. Never ask about salary at interview.