LLB

Firstly, making it to the interview stage is a serious achievement and one you should already be proud of. 

1) Prepare answers for the following obvious questions. 

Why do you want to become a lawyer?

Why did you apply to this firm?

What are your strengths? 

What is your biggest weakness?

What makes you stand out from the other applicants?

Could you expand upon your answer to question 1,2,3 etc in the application? 

The good thing about traineeship interviews is that most firms will ask exactly the same questions. This means if you don’t get the first traineeship you interview for, you will be much better prepared for the next interview. 

2) Do a mock interview. Most university career services will provide this or you could ask a friend to ask you some questions. 

3) Do your research. Make sure you know which areas of law the firm specialises in and mention these during the interview. If you know who will be your interviewers, check online to see what they specialise in. 

4) Arrive on time. Don’t arrive too early or late. Arrive around 10 minutes before the starting time. Be pleasant and professional to everyone you meet at the office. You are being assessed from the moment you arrive. It is worth making a trip to the office the day before so that you know exactly where it is.

5) Always accept water if offered. You may not need it at the time but you don’t want your voice to sound dry during the interview. Taking a sip of water during the interview will allow you time to think before answering the question.

6) Shake hands before and after the interview while maintaining eye contact. This helps to create a good first impression and it is something that is easy to forget in the pressure of an interview. 

7) Take a printed copy of your application with you. Some interviewers will simply ask you to talk them through your application. Your application is also a good prompt if you are thinking of things to mention.

8) You can take a moment to think about a question before answering. If you are unsure of what is being ask, restate what you have understood of the question and allow the interviewer to correct you if you have misunderstood it. 

9) If the interviewer asks 'do you have anything else you would like to add?’ after answering a question, this is a hint that you haven’t said enough and that you should think of something else to say. I learnt that ‘no’ was not the correct response to this the hard way.

10) At the end of the interview, you will normally be asked if you have any questions. It is always a good idea to have a few questions prepared. This shows that you are genuinely interested in the job. Make sure you don't ask a question which you could have found the answer to online. I asked the same three questions in all of my interviews:

How is support provided? How often will I meet my mentor and is this a formal or informal relationship?

Is CPD provided in-house or through external events?

I read on your website there is an opportunity to have a secondment to the public sector, could you tell me a little more about this, please?

11) Follow up your interview with a personalised email to your interviewers, stating that you enjoyed meeting them and if they have any further questions you’d be happy to answer them. This makes you look professional and helps you to stand out from the crowd. 

Good luck in your interviews! If you have any questions, or would like to add your own tips to this blog, tweet me at @andrewlogue.

1) Get organised - make a spreadsheet during the summer before fourth year listing all the firms that offer traineeships in your area and the closing dates of their application process. Then select the firms you would like to apply for. It is better to send five strong well-written applications that fifteen rushed ones. So pick carefully!

2) Newsletters - Join the email newsletters for your selected firms and make sure you follow them on Twitter. This will allow you to gain valuable knowledge about the firms which you can later use in your applications and interviews. If they are hosting any public events, attending will show that you are committed and you will be able to demonstrate that you have an active interest in their area of law. These events are also a great opportunity to network.

3) Write well - When firms are reading your application, they will not only look at what your answers to the questions are but they will also look at how you have answered the questions. They are looking for applicants who can write clearly and make a good impression within the word limit. Writing in paragraphs and using punctuation well is essential.

4) Use your careers service - Ask your careers service at university to look over your application. They have a useful perspective as they don’t know you and their first impression of you will be from your application.

5) Use every answer to sell yourself - Even questions like ‘what do you do in your free time?’ are opportunities to mention group work (e.g. I play in a sports team) and dedication (e.g. I attend a Spanish class every week). They are also an opportunity to show your personality and make the person evaluating the application think that you would be a good person to work with. If you are allowed to write a 250 word job description in your employment history, use every word available to mention relevant projects you were involved in or specific responsibilities that you had.

6) Key skills - Check the firm's website for key skills they look for in a trainee or core corporate values and make sure that you mention these in the application, even if you are not asked about them directly.

7) Don’t get disheartened - The hardest part of getting a traineeship is staying motivated. Make sure that each application you send is better than the last and don’t listen to your friends who have ‘got an interview for everything they have applied for’. 

8) Non-legal experience is just as important as legal experience. It can show leadership, commitment and other key skills. You simply need to write about it in a relevant and positive way.

9) If you know someone at the firm, ask them to look over your application or to give you some tips about what the firm values. Look through the firm’s website and see if you know anyone.

10) Check your spam/junk folder everyday. You will mostly likely be notified by email if you have been selected for an interview. That is an email you don’t want to miss!

Useful articles

Trainee Recruitment: Standing Out From the Crowd - Elspeth Dalgleish

What skills do law firms look for when recruiting graduates for trainee solicitor jobs? - Target Jobs 

What is 'commercial awareness'? And why should you be aware of it? - Rob Marrs

Competencies – what Brodies look for from a trainee - John Morgan