Interview tips

How to answer interview questions

What is the most common interview question?  "Tell me about yourself".

Think about a direct, interesting, succinct answer which should be business-like and ideally work related unless you are instructed otherwise.  This is not a life history; do not stray into family, personal views or hobbies.  This is a question designed to ascertain your personal qualities.

Be prepared to answer a variety of interview questions about yourself and also about the legal profession (some examples are provided below).  Rehearse your answers with a friend and ask for honest feedback about the content of your answers and body language.

Be ready to discuss both short and long term career goals as well as reasons you left previous jobs.  Remember your responses have to be honest but be mindful of negative comments about work colleagues, managers or the company itself.

Concentrate on the employer’s needs.  If you have specific experience that meets the requirements of the job description, make this very clear to the interviewer, as this will be a firm reason of why they should hire you.

When describing your past responsibilities and accomplishments, aim for clarity, honesty and provide answers that demonstrate your skills by giving relevant examples. 

Be specific in your answers. Avoid rambling or going off on a tangent.

Ask for clarification if you are unsure of the question.

Your end goal is to have an engaging discussion, so if you are talking about past successes, the more you can clearly describe the experience, the people involved, the challenge and the solutions, the more you’ll stand out in the interviewer’s mind.

Do mention the types of meetings you get involved with, if you attend court, and give examples of difficult or interesting cases you have been involved with. 

SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Here is a list of some typical interview questions you should expect when being interviewed for a job in a law firm. 

• Why did you choose the legal profession?
• Why do you want this job?
• When did you qualify as a solicitor?
• Do you have any findings or orders against you?
• What do you know about our company?
• Why do you want to work for us?
• What can we offer you that your current legal practice cannot?
• Are you on interview at other Solicitors at this moment?
• What do you do on a day to day basis?
• What was your greatest success and how did you achieve it?
• What has been your biggest failure?
• How do you handle criticism?
• How do you work with others?
• What are your strengths/weaknesses?
• Give me an example of when you took the initiative to solve a problem?
• What motivates you or what are your career goals?
• How do you get on with your last manager/colleagues?
• What proactive steps have you taken to make your workplace more efficient and productive? Specifically describe a policy, project or system you created or initiated.
• Describe a high-pressure situation you had to handle at work. Tell me what happened, who was involved and what you did in terms of problem solving.
• Some situations require us to express ideas or opinions in a very tactful and careful way. Tell me about a time when you were successful in this type of situation?

What are competency based interviews?

The style of ‘competency based’ interview will challenge you on your answers and so expect more questions from the interviewer asking you to provide examples or explain the situation and could you have handled the particular situation differently to change the outcome.  It is common to also ask what you learned from the experience.