Interview Preparation Employment Services

Effective Interviewing Techniques for Legal Job Opportunities

Your legal resume should indicate to a potential employer that you’re qualified for the job, and your interview is an opportunity to demonstrate why you're the best candidate. Preparing for your interview helps you more effectively convince the employer to offer you the desired position. Utilize the strategies below to make your interview successful and help secure a job offer.

Prepare for your interview through research. Find out everything you can about your interviewer, the company and the industry. Understand who their customers and competitors are and the products and services they provide. Review what’s in your resume so you can quickly relate your experience to their organization. Go to the interview with astute questions to show you’re well-prepared.

The preferred standard of dress for legal interviews is traditional business attire. Law firms and corporate legal departments are typically judged by the general appearance of staff. Present a professional image by wearing attire that is neat, clean and pressed.

Items deemed inappropriate include excessive jewelry and accessories, visible tattoos, body piercings and clothes that are too revealing. Be courteous to those with sensitive smell by limiting perfume, cologne and smoking. Remember – first impressions are the most lasting.

Displaying good manners is crucial to interviewing success and gives you an edge over other candidates.

• Be courteous of the time the employer has made for you by being punctual
• Be respectful to everyone you interact with – they may play a big role in hiring decisions
• Show detail-orientation by taking time to complete requested paperwork
• Turn off your cell phone and offer your undivided attention
• Refrain from distracting behavior like chewing gum or candy
• Self-serving questions about pay and benefits are inappropriate to ask during first interviews

Interview to get an offer. Bring insightful questions, pen and paper for note-taking to demonstrate your interest in the position. Find ways to interject in a conversational way to show how your skills are relevant to the job and answer every question with specific examples of past successes. Emphasize legal and transferable skills, as both play important roles in your qualifications.

Maintain a positive attitude and stay energetic and engaged through good eye contact, firm handshakes and smiling. And be prepared to demonstrate your skills. You might be asked to take proficiency tests on the spot for Microsoft Word, legal spelling and vocabulary and more.

Show your appreciation and connect personally with your interviewer through a post-interview thank-you note. Use this note to reiterate interest in the position, readdress your qualifications and communicate ideas not touched on during the interview. Handwrite or type and send thank-you notes within 24 hours via e-mail or for a more personal touch, via snail mail. Follow up with the interviewer after sending the note.

Prepare for your interview by knowing your answers to some of the most commonly asked interviewing questions.

• What interests you in this law firm / organization?
• Why did you leave your last job?
• What sets you apart from your peers?
• What are your strengths?
• What are your weaknesses?
• What goals have you set for yourself?
• In what areas of your profession do you excel?
• Describe a project or situation that best describes your analytical skills.
• Share any cost-savings initiatives you have generated.
• Describe your communications skills.
• Tell me about your most and least successful position.
• What's important to you in your next position?

Join us on Walk-in Wednesday to benefit from face-to-face interviewing advice and other employment services from our expert legal recruiters.