Volume XVI, Issue IV
December 2002
Ace The Interview:
The Editor's Column
by Charmaine L. Clark, Managing Editor
So, you've decided to change jobs and you've landed an interview at a firm you're really excited about. Then you realize you have to get through an interview. Haven't interviewed in a while? Don't panic. Things haven't changed a lot since you interviewed for your first job.
Interviews are supposed to help employers identify the best candidate for the job through a series of questions. They want to know if you have the skills, experience, qualifications and personality to fit into their office and get the job done. But if you don't have a lot of distinctive legal experience under your belt yet, interviewers quickly run out of questions about your previous jobs. So, during the initial interview, they will often resort to asking every candidate the same set of questions.
There are some general categories of interview questions you should be prepared for in an initial interview. Erika Lim, Director of Career Services at the Seattle University Law School, has classified the first two types of questions as 'from left field questions' and 'blue sky questions.' Other categories are uncomfortable questions and questions about your application materials.
You want to know what?
'From left field questions are those questions that leave you scratching your head and doubting the sanity of your interviewer. They go something like this: 'If you could be any animal (plant, vegetable, rock or mineral, etc), what would you be and why?' The bad news is that there is no way you can prepare for the infinite variations on this question. The good news is that your interviewer isn't actually interested in your answer. You are being judged primarily on the way you react and handle an off-beat question.
Don't shoot the interviewer a look that says 'you are so nuts' or do anything else to express that you think the question is ridiculous. The appropriate response is to keep your composure while you formulate your answer. Lim recommends that you 'take a deep breath, think about the question, and answer the best you can.'
I had no idea that someone would actually ask me that.
You remember these questions. 'Blue sky questions' are the really boring questions that give you the opportunity to ramble on and on in response. You probably heard these open ended questions so many times when you first interviewed that you had to fight the urge to sigh and roll your eyes in response.
There are five blue sky questions Lim is so confident new graduates will be asked that she has offered to buy lunch for any Seattle University graduate who isn't asked one of these groups of questions during an interview: (1) Why did you go to law school? (2) Why do you want to work for us? (3) Where do you see yourself in five (ten, fifteen or twenty) years? (4) Tell me your strongest (or weakest) characteristic? (5) What is your greatest achievement and why do you consider it your greatest achievement? Or, what is your greatest failure and what did you learn from it'
You will hear these questions. Every book or pamphlet on interviewing warns you about them. They don't go away just because you have some experience. You really have no one to blame but yourself for the awkward silence if you are caught off guard by one of them. Prepare yourself by scripting your responses to these questions and practicing answering them in a conversational manner. Lim advises candidates to 'be prepared to speak as easily as if you were describing the movie you saw last night.' No matter how tired you are of these questions, don't make the mistake of acting bored when you answer them.
Defending your life.
These questions will put you on the defensive if you're surprised. Your interviewer will ask you to explain something you'd probably rather not talk about. You may be asked why your grades in law school weren't better, why you want to leave your current job, or why you were terminated. If you were laid off, you may be challenged on the truthfulness of your explanation for the lay off.
Some interviewers want to hear your answer. Others just want to evaluate how you respond to uncomfortable questions. Keep a pleasant expression on your face, take a deep breath and explain yourself. Practice your answer so that it doesn't sound defensive. Don't bad mouth anyone in your answer - no matter how much they deserve it. And be sure to explain what lessons you learned from the situation and how the way you responded shows that set backs wont destroy your self confidence.
Know yourself.
Anything you put in your resume or cover letter is fair game. Remember to reread your application materials, especially if you've tailored your materials to fit the job you applied for. Be prepared to talk about everything in your resume and cover letter from your awards to your hobbies.
Above all, be very careful when you compose your resume and cover letter. Resume fudging tends to increase when the job market gets tighter. No one can blame you for wanting to stand out above the pack. But, if you are ever tempted to lie or exaggerate about your experience or qualifications, think about how embarrassed you'll be if you get caught.
Use your resources.
Don't forget to use the resources available to you to help improve your interview skills. The WSBA Web site has several links to sites containing job listings and interview preparation materials ( www.wsba.org/ ). The WSBA's Law Office Management Assistance Program offers 'Lawyer to Lawyer', which is helping newer lawyers to learn the basics of "lawyering" from more experienced legal practitioners and to bridge the gap between law school and practice (www.wsba.org/lawyers/services/lomap.htm). You may also want to contact your local bar association and the specialty bar associations you belong to for interview tips.
You may think that you're too old to use the Career Services or Career Placement Office of your law school. But they are also available for mock interviews, to review your resume and cover letter, and for any refresher you may need. You probably spend a lot of money on law school. Don't be shy about using the resources that you've already paid for. Your law school still has an interest in making you the most competitive candidate that you can be. Let them help.
Back to table of contents >>
