The Interviewing Process: A Survival Guide for Recent Law School Graduates By Scott Silverstein
Graduating from law school is certainly a job in itself. Now it's time to take the next step: landing that dream position! The interviewing process can be an extremely daunting task; while being able to sell yourself to a particular firm is, of course, the primary goal, there is a plethora of guidelines every recent law school graduate should follow.
Your resume and cover letter will be the first impression a hiring authority will have of you. In order to obtain that first interview, these documents need to be flawless, as there is no room for error. Once the interview date has been set, intense preparation should follow. This includes researching the firm’s area of expertise and its well-established track record and gathering as much information as possible about the person you will be interviewing with.
Being prepared with detailed questions to ask the hiring authority is vital to a successful interview. The specificity and detail of these questions should be given a great amount of thought and, in turn, will demonstrate to the firm that you have done your homework.
The day has finally arrived. The interview is only a few hours away. You have completed the needed preparation and are beaming with confidence. Now what?
Dress for success — this cannot be emphasized enough. This will be the first time you will be meeting your potential employer, and you want to make a lasting impression. Everything from your enthusiasm about the opportunity to what you wear on the interview is taken into account and analyzed by the interviewer. Making sure your suit is neatly pressed and your tie is stain-free is just as important as what you say during this time. Other nonverbal communication factors, such as your posture, handshake, and eye contact, are crucial as well. Nervous gestures, although understandable given the situation, need to be curtailed too.
Once the series of questions has begun, your answers need to be well defined and thorough in order to demonstrate how you will be an asset to the firm. Although saying you pay close attention to detail and have a strong work ethic is important, it is recommended that you apply these qualities to experiences you’ve had in the past (e.g., summer internships, clerkships, etc.). This will allow the firm to see how you handle different situations and obstacles when they do arise, which will provide the firm more insight regarding your character and ability to successfully get the job done.
The interview is coming to an end, and you have eloquently articulated why you deserve the position. Although many law firms require multiple interviews before an offer is made, you should always close the interview by asking for the job. This simply reiterates your strong desire to work for the firm while demonstrating a certain level of confidence on your part.
The last step, and one that is commonly overlooked, is sending a thank-you note to the firm for their time and consideration. This simple gesture adds a personal touch and distinguishes you from the other job candidates.
If you follow these guidelines, you will have a good chance of accomplishing a successful interviewing campaign.
Best of luck!
"Show us you are alive! We want to hear your thoughts. Please comment on this article (below)!"
Just fill out our Sign Up Form and we will contact you to set up an appointment to talk to you about your job search. We will interview you in depth over the phone to understand what type of legal employment you are seeking. If you would like, ask us for a resume critique, and we will provide you with suggestions to improve the impact and effectiveness of your resume. In addition, we will provide a market evaluation and give you an assessment of your overall marketability. This critique and market evaluation are absolutely free, and there is no obligation to continue. We are committed to helping you find a job, whether you decide to use our full services or not.
Legal Authority has helped thousands of attorneys and law students find new opportunities and new careers throughout the country. While we can't speak for each and every one of our clients, the growing list of customer testimonials is a proven track record of our success!
The reason is simple. Legal Authority is a convenient, inexpensive and reliable way to help jobseekers apply directly to almost any legal employer in the country. With a database that can not be offered by any other job boards, classified sections of legal newspapers, legal recruiters, on-campus interviewing programs, or job fairs, Legal Authority is able to give its clients the exposure they need to get hired. And it requires very little effort. Legal Authority does all the grunt work for you, from customized cover letters and envelopes to professionally crafted resumes. All you do is sign, seal and deliver. We've been told by our clients that the hardest part of the process was deciding between job offers!
It's hard to guarantee the level of success that you will have in your job search, however, if it's any indication of how people have felt about our service, our growth has come almost entirely from word of mouth in the legal profession. Legal Authority's satisfied and happily employed clients have continuously referred us to their colleagues, friends and family. We hope you let Legal Authority work for you in your career journey.
Sign up for a "Free, No Obligation Resume Critique" and "Free Market Evaluation". Let us tell you how much potential you have!
We're So Confident That Our Services Work We'll Give You $1,000 in Free Services if it Does Not Work
Testimonials
What Our Clients Are Saying
I received my first call only 23 hours after mailing out my letters. From there, I went on 11 interviews and received two firm offers. - Kim W.
Legal Authority gave me a chance to get my name and experience out there. The resume you did for me was such a good representation of my expertise. I had eleven interviews and several job offers. - heather
Two years into my career, I wanted to switch tracks entirely and get into a firm doing "mainstream" litigation or transaction. I had gone to a school that was suffering from some image probl... - C.N.
