5 Tips for Improving Your Law Firm Interviews
From law school, through to the early years of being an associate, to transitioning to a new position, attorneys in California (and across the country) have built a confused, conflicted mythos surrounding law firm interviews. Candidates re-entering the recruitment process are just as likely to hear a piece of interview advice championed as they are to hear it denigrated.
So, what should you believe?
Ultimately, there is no absolute truth to recruiting. Those in charge of hiring decisions may be quite different from one another (as you move from firm to firm). As such, any advice must be taken generally, but by working with a skilled legal recruiter who has insider access to various firms in the state of California — such as the recruiters at Garb Jaffe & Associates — you will be well-equipped to successfully navigate the recruitment and interview process in a manner that more specifically tracks the preferences of the decision-makers at a given firm.
The following is a non-exhaustive list of tips for improving your law firm interview. If you take these tips into consideration, you will generally improve your prospects at a large number of different firms (bearing in mind, of course, that certain firms may find other demonstrated aspects desirable in a candidate).
Show Specific Interest in the Firm
A successful candidate always shows a demonstrated and specific interest in a firm. Despite the fact that many Biglaw firms are quite similar, on the surface, the decision-makers in charge of hiring want to see candidates who are capable of digging deeper and understanding the unique positives of working with their firm, and who are capable of linking their strengths with those of the firm. Though it’s possible to do this research on your own, you can do better by working with a legal recruiter. Skilled legal recruiters have connections to current employees and former employees of target firms, and are therefore able to provide you with insider information that can help you build a stronger and more convincing case.
Be Comfortable With Taking Control
In keeping with the idea that successful candidates show a demonstrated and specific interest in a firm, you should be comfortable with taking control of the interview (when there is a natural lull in the conversation, or when prompted by the interviewer) and asking questions of your interviewer. Well-crafted questions — when asked enthusiastically — can show the interviewer that you have an authentic interest in the firm, and will make your interview that much more memorable to the interviewer.
Maintain a Professional Barrier
Though a certain subset of firms appreciate attorneys who are capable of showing off their casual and non-traditional side during the interview process, most firms are still rather serious about maintaining a professional barrier. Though you should not be “boring,” try to maintain an air of professionalism where it counts. For example, try not to present any off-putting opinions or preliminary concerns about your career at the target firm, such as concerns about work-life balance. Though those are entirely reasonable concerns, it can hurt the interviewer’s perception of you. If you have concerns about work-life balance, you can glean more information after you are provided with a job offer (or by consulting with a legal recruiter who is “in the know” with regard to firm culture).
Be Prepared to Discuss Resumé Items
If you put something on your resumé — even a basic recreational activity or interest — make sure that you are knowledgeable enough to have a discussion about it that does not seem forced. An item may catch an interviewer’s eye, and they may want to talk about. If your response does not seem sufficiently knowledgeable or relevant (for example, if you write about your interest in horseback riding, but you mention that you have only ridden horses a few times in your life), then it may come off as inauthentic and may hurt your candidacy.
Speak Positively About Past Experiences
In most cases, there are a multitude of reasons justifying why an attorney might want to leave their existing position and seek out a new one. Though some of these reasons may be entirely negative (for example, if you simply did not like your colleagues or the office culture), try to avoid discussing these negative reasons. Show a respect for your previous work experiences, and recognize the value they had in shaping your career. In other words: look for positive reasons for why you’d like to transition to a new position (and specifically, to a new position with the target firm) rather than negative reasons for why you had to leave.
—
If you are an attorney interested in a new position with a Biglaw firm or in-house department in California, contact one of our experienced legal recruiters here at Garb Jaffe & Associates. Our recruiters are not only well-connected to prestigious law firms and in-house departments throughout the state, but will work with you and guide you from day one of client engagement to ensure that you are prepared for the hiring process. We have a long track record of success in securing great positions for our candidates — let us help you, too!
To schedule a consultation with one of our Los Angeles legal recruiters today, call in at (310) 207-0727. We’d love to hear from you.