Career Clinic: Interview tips desperately needed!

Take a serious look at your appearance - do you actually look the part? Invest in a proper suit and ask a reliable friend to give you an honest opinion. Are you over-preparing? You need to prepare yet not sound like you are giving overly-rehearsed, bog-standard answers. Are you sounding desperate? All firms want to know that you are in demand with other firms so they can be reassured they are chasing the right candidates, so don't admit you have no offers - say you are still waiting to hear. Don't say you have applied to 35 firms or you will look like you don't know where you want to work, only name their immediate competitors and confidently tell them you are in the middle of the busy interview process and are going to make your mind up when you have heard from all of the firms. You don't need whizz-bang tricks but confidence will get you a long way.

associate, mid tier -12 Nov 2007 | 14:38

Applications for training contracts are competitive and applying to a large number of firms might seem the best option as a result. However, it is very difficult to target 35 applications properly. Looking back, do you think that you researched each of those 35 thoroughly and tailored your CV accordingly? A scattergun approach will show in your CV. Did the 7 firms where you got interviews really interest you or did they seem the same? You need to find firms that interest you (and not just for reaasons of salary or reputation): interest and relevant knowledge will show through at interview and will secure you a training contract.Separately, why not ask the firms that turned you down for feedback: at least a couple should be willing to give you some hints for the future.Good luck!

mid-level assistant, UK Top 30 firm -12 Nov 2007 | 15:02

I won't repeat everything that's already said and all that's about to be said, you know all those obvious things about interview techniques. What I will say is this. I used to interview quite a few candidates and when you are faced with so many able candidates, you've got to have something else, something the interviewer is going to remember you by. It could be an interesting hobby or you have done or achieved something already that is commendable or it is out of the norm. You don't want to come across as being such a maverick that you are not going to fit in at the firm or that you might be a danger in front of clients if unsupervised but, by and large, the chaps and chapesses that had something by which we remembered them after the interview tended to be invited back for second interviews (all other things being equal). If you are clever but bland, the interviewer is saying to him or herself, tacitly if not expressly, why would I want to have this bland person on my team? You will be spending the best part of 12 hours a day at work, spending more time with your work colleagues than your husband/wife/partner at home. Remember that. All the best in your search.

May -12 Nov 2007 | 16:08

Reading the question, one thing springs out - your comment that you want to be a "City solicitor". Why? If it's because you have found a particular subject area on your course (e.g.business law, company law) stimulating and want to pursue it, or if you have language skills and want the chance to work in an international environment, well and good - keep trying (and get top grades in those papers). But if it's because you want to be a City high-flyer with a salary to match and haven't really thought beyond that - well, res ipsa loquitur!

Former City lawyer -12 Nov 2007 | 16:19

It would seem that if you have applied to 35 firms that you may not know what you want out of your career. This may be coming out in your application and at your interviews.

Anonymous -12 Nov 2007 | 16:42

Summer vacation schemes are normally a step towards the recruitment process of permanent hires, and more often than not people on the summer vacation scheme will be offered a training contract. You should perhaps ask yourself why you didn't get an offer after the summer placement. Also, you managed to get a summer placement, which I assume must have involved an interview process - how come you got through that? Your story doesn't seem to make much sense, and you seem to be in some sort of denial. If you are not prepared to tell us the whole truth, the advice people who are going to post on this thread will not be much help to you.

Banker -12 Nov 2007 | 17:16

I think that there have been some constructive comments on here - particularly those regarding obtaining feedback from your seven interviews. This is very important in helping you to improve. I would also add to this by saying get some practice interviews with your careers service. As you say you go to a top uni the careers advisers are likely to very good and have knowledge of these kind of interviews (not to say that careers advisors at other unis do not).I particularly wanted to comment on the number of firms that you have applied to. This is not necessarily a bad thing. I agree that you should not give this figure in interviews for the reasons already mentioned.There is some truth to the idea that with so many applications you are not tergeting one specific type of firm eg.solely mid-size commercial firms. Having recently secured my TC I know that you have to cast your net wide in what is a very competitive market. As a prospective trainee you need a TC and the reality is that there is often more than one category of firm you could see yourself working for. So the prudent applicant applies to more than one category of firm, meaning that more applications must be made. Also some inevitably will be CV and Covering letters which are easier to produce. Lastly, keep going and applying. You would have heard this many times, but I secured my TC at a top City firm after completeing my degree, the LPC and a year paralegalling so it is not the end of the road yet.

Trainee -12 Nov 2007 | 18:40

One other thing you should do is find out as much about the interviewing firm as possible. I have recently spent hours interviewing for an assistant and it amazes me how many make no attempt to find out anything other than the most basic information about the firm where they want to work. Also, you need to relax. A relaxed interview usually comes across as a confident one. A nervous, anxious person is not going to interview well at all.

In-house lawyer -13 Nov 2007 | 09:46

Tedious though it may sound, consider taking a year out. Travel, learn a language or take an MA (but don't be tempted to fund your own CPE/LPC). Reapply when you have something more interesting to say.If your academics are strong enough, consider the bar.

Ex-MC Lawyer -13 Nov 2007 | 10:43

In situations such as this, it is often the case that candidates become overly concerned with either dreaming up some exceptional unique selling point or over stating their qualifications somehow in a bid to seem like the best thing since bread came sliced. Do not be tempted to do this in any way at all. Concentrate on the basics that all candidates need to demonstrate if they want to get a job. Firstly, do your research on both the firm and the people who will be interviewing you, be prepared to demonstarte this research and show some genuine interest in the work, the people and the firm - it will go a long way and believe it or not many of your rivals won't have bothered to. Secondly, make the effort to look sharp and focus on the basics - eye contact, a firm hand shake and maybe even a sense of humour. Show them you're a human being. Finally, have some interesting questions to ask them, again it just shows you have actually thought about the role for a bit and that you have a brain as well. If you try and wing it be sure they will figure you out straight away. These people are busy so don't waste the time they have given you. If you have 7 interviews lined up you clearly have something to offer so don't let yourself down.

headhunter101 -13 Nov 2007 | 13:45

In my experience of interviewing very capable and well qualified candidates for training contracts, I was often amazed to find myself getting quite bored. Listening to rote answers, standard replies and hearing your own website being repeated back at you all morning gets quite dull. The advice above to relax and let your personality come through is absolutely key. Good advice I have heard about the interview process is that it's partly about choosing someone you would be prepared to share your office with for 6 months. It's also worth bearing in mind that they are recruiting people who will be in direct contact with valued clients, so you need to show a bit of personality and spark, but also professional composure and self assurance.

Anonymous -13 Nov 2007 | 17:23

A partner in a law firm who knows me well referred my cv to their HR department and I am due to be interviewed next week. Will I get a better chance for the fact that the Partner sent my cv to his HR?

Links boy -14 Nov 2007 | 12:13

I have interviewed potential trainees for a number of years and I would recommend the following :Rule number 1 - be honest and be yourself. If the firm interviewing you do not want you as you are then you are better off not going there. Besides, you may think you are convincing when you profess an active interest in 15th century Italian literature but you are not: a good interviewer will see right through you;Rule 2 - anticipate obvious questions and prepare answers; Rule 3 - read about the firm you are going to see. The number of candidates who express an interest in a type of law not practised at the firm where they interview is surprising; Rule 4 - read the newspapers and business sections carefully in the weeks leading up to the interview and formulate your views on the current stories; Rule 5 - Listen carefully and take time to think before you respond; Rule 6 - be well turned-out and upbeat.Good luck. It can be a hard road but stick at it.

Partner, City law firm -14 Nov 2007 | 15:02

Have you asked for feedback on your interview performance? Most firms should be happy to provide this and your feedback may provide some clues to help you prepare for future interviews. You also need to ensure you have plenty of good examples to demonstrate the type of skills firms will be looking for - it's not enough to have a strong application - you need to be able to provide evidence that you are the right person for the job at interview. Before each interview you should do lots of research into what each firm is looking for and the type of questions that might come up. Grad Rec websites are a great source of this kind of information and they usually have some useful hints and tips on there too. Good luck!

Graduate Recruiter, City Law Firm -14 Nov 2007 | 18:22