Preparation for Trainee Interviews

M.Myers

How does one prepare for their first interview with a law firm? I'm just finished college and have never had a formal interview before. Do most people just prepare answers to interview questions they find online or how do you go about preparing?

Does anyone know of any good companies who specialise in helping graduates prepare for interview?

Thanks!

johnfás

Personally I never did a huge degree of preparation. It is important to know your own CV and be able to justify various decisions which you made regarding what you studied etc as well as being able to state clearly what you have learned from your experiences thus far.

Beyond that you should gain an individual knowledge of the practice areas of each firm you apply for and also have an awareness the major issues of the day - whether legal, commercial or criminal - depending on what sort of firm you are applying to.

I know several people who went to the Communications Clinic and found it very worthwhile but I never did anything like that myself.

Avatargh

M.Myers wrote: »

Do most people just prepare answers to interview questions they find online

Isn't that about the worst possible thing that you could do? If you're thinking like that, I assume you'd be flustered by anything slightly different to what you'd prepared and the interviewer would see that a mile off.

Why not just

(a) understand the role you are applying
(b) understand the work of the firm by
-research into the cases it has been in,
-the matters it publishes on its websites,
-the writings and publications of its staff,
-its associations with other interest groups and so on
(c) understand whats at the cutting edge of whatever area of law you think the firm is well known for and what you are interested in
(d) be natural

Just don't "learn" anything off by heart in the way you see on Dragon's Den!

evercloserunion

Knowing your CV/application form inside out and having good awareness of current affairs are the two main things in my experience. I used to "study" for interviews simply by looking through the papers.