Job interviews generate anxiety for some candidates. To help alleviate the pressure, Young Conaway shares these pre-interview pointers and best practices based upon years of conducting interviews of law students:
1. Prepare, Prepare, Prepare
Sometimes job interviews are like cooking pancakes - the first one might not be your best. If this is your first interview, try to eliminate the unknown factors before your meeting:
• Research the firm’s website including its news, attorney bios, bulletins and practice areas. Expand your inquiries to the trade and business press, blogs and social media to gain a sense of the firm’s public presence. Reach out to classmates, friends and family who have experience with the firm.
• Debrief law school friends who have gone through the interview process. Find an interview workshop on campus if possible.
• Anticipate possible questions and practice your answers. Practicing them aloud in front of a mirror will increase the likelihood that your responses will come out as you intend.
2. Show Your Inquiring Mind
The questions you ask reveal as much about you as the answers you give during an interview. Always have a few questions in reserve to use during any lulls in the interview.
3. Make Every Moment Matter
Act appropriately and courteously at all times with the people you meet at the firm. Also, remember the story of the receptionist whose position near the visitor’s lavatory made her privy to candidates’ hygiene habits. She reported back to the boss those interviewees who failed to wash their hands after using the facilities.
4. Present Well
Start with the basics of presenting yourself professionally:
• Wear clean and pressed business attire. If you’re uncertain about the dress code, ask for guidance from career services office.
• Be prompt.
• Use appropriate language.
• Shake hands firmly, maintain eye contact and sit with good posture.
Presenting yourself well also requires that you “sell” yourself and demonstrate your distinguishing traits and skills. Just as law firms differentiate themselves from competitors, so should job candidates. Explain clearly why you are interested in the firm and why the firm should be interested in you. Show enthusiasm in the right measure.
5. Be Yourself
When successful job candidates tell the story of landing their jobs, inevitably they speak of the moments that their true personality and character came to the forefront. Preparing for your interview will help you gain confidence and relax enough to be yourself during the interview.
6. Follow Up
Send personal thank-you notes to the people involved in the interview process. If questions arise after the interview, be sure to ask them. Learn the firm’s preferred form of follow-up contact. Find the right balance between expressing ongoing interest and becoming a pest to decision makers and gatekeepers.
Be sure to check back frequently for additional articles and tips which will make your next interview a success!