It’s time for the critical interview. You’ve gone through the initial steps of the legal recruitment process and contacted an attorney headhunter to help you find an open position that matches your corporate experience. Now, you must prepare yourself for an interview, and sometimes, this can be a daunting prospect. The experts at Kinney Recruiting have put together the following tips for those approaching an interview for a legal position.
Do your research
You should take a long look into the background of the firm and its major partners. Chances are, you’ll be interviewing with at least one of the top dogs, and knowing supplementary information can set you above the competition.
Daniel Roark, legal recruiter with Kinney Recruiting, expands on this thought:
“With the proliferation of data online available to candidates regarding firms’ major clients and core practice areas, an expectation exists that candidates will begin the interview process with a thorough recognition of these data points. It is essential to conduct extensive research before going into any interview. However, knowing only the total number of attorneys at the firm and where your interviewer went to law school is not enough. As experienced legal recruiters, we compliment such hard data with in-depth analysis on current market position, internal culture, and relevant intangibles.”
Be prepared for curveballs
Think through the probable questions you will encounter in an interview and how you will answer them. This excercise can be invaluable in allowing you to answer confidently and accurately during the actual interview. It is also a great idea to review your own past cases and work product to help refresh them in your mind.
According to Forbes, one of the most commonly asked questions during an interview regarding career advancement is “Why do you want to leave your current job?” This can be a difficult question to answer, especially if you want to remain objective in tone. The best way to handle this is to highlight a few positive aspects of your job first, and then move on to the reasons influencing your departure. Remember to remain honest, but there is no need to be abrasive – for example, if you have a problem with your current boss, you could say company management could be improved rather than citing a specific individual.
