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Top Ten Job Interview Tips for Attorneys and Graduating Law Students
Whether you’re graduating from law school or looking to make a major change in an already-established career, preparing for an interview can be nerve-racking. We’ve all been in the hot seat at some point. So, what is it that interviewers are looking for anyway? What’s the best way to put your best foot forward and stand out from the crowd?
We asked our distinguished faculty for their best pieces of advice for attorneys and law students trying to land that dream job. Check out the top ten answers below - and let us know what interview techniques you’ve found to be most successful in the comments.
I. Understand the firm’s culture.
The operative term in the question is "your" firm. Recruiters always tell candidates to do their homework, i.e., research the firm, so they can ask good questions of the interviewer; but doing one's homework also serves another purpose. If you understand the firm's culture, you can determine whether you and the firm are a good fit.
- Max Elliot, The Law Offices of Max Elliott LTD
II. Be honest.
Be yourself and be honest. If you oversell or come across as too polished and the true nature of the candidate comes out while already employed, it will be even worse. We will terminate if it is not a good fit personality wise, and if you were dishonest and overselling your abilities we will not be able to trust you as an attorney at our firm.
- Jonathan Goodgold, Maitlin Maitlin & Goodgold LLC
III. Provide specific examples.
Be confident, and highlight in concrete terms what you have to offer. Using examples of ways in which you have tackled tough problems or achieved difficult goals is very helpful to enable the interviewer to get a sense of how you work, think, and perform under pressure.
- Lisa M. Coyle, Robins Kaplan LLP
IV. Connect with your interviewers.
Research the people with whom you will be interviewing and find some commonalities that you can connect through. That kind of preparation demonstrates a strong interest in the firm and also highlights the candidate's research and comprehension skills.
- Kristen E. Prinz, The Prinz Law Firm
V. Be flexible.
Be flexible--don't say "I'm only interested in doing X." Want proof? Ask the interviewer "Are you doing what you envisioned when you went to law school?" When (not if) the answer is "no," ask the interviewer "What changed?"
- Susan Ross, Norton Rose Fulbright
VI. Use an interview coach.
Use an interview coach: the best ones focus on what you say and how you say it and will also guide you regarding dressing for success.
-Amy Goldsmith, Tarter Krinsky & Drogin LLP
VII. Research, research, research.
Research the firm in advance and make sure to connect your skill sets and experience to what you learned about the firm.
-Kimberly C. Lau, Warshaw Burstein LLP
VIII. Advocate for yourself.
Some interviewers are deliberately adversarial. Advocate for yourself! That’s what they’re looking for.
-Bonnie Schinagle, Schinagle Law
IV. Clean up your social media accounts.
Make sure you don't have anything embarrassing on your social media because it likely will be checked.
-Howard Suskin, Jenner & Block
V. Relax!
Take a deep breath, relax, and tell your story.
-Lawrence Eppley, Sheppard Mullin
Landed the job? Congratulations. Now remember this helpful tip from Mark Goldstein at Reed Smith LLP: never forget the importance of self-care. “The best piece of advice I can offer is to take care of yourself. Your career will be a marathon, not a sprint -- as trite as that saying is, it is in fact true -- and the attorneys who take care of their health -- and by that I mean both physical AND mental health -- will be best-positioned to thrive throughout their professional lives.” We couldn’t agree more!
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