How to prepare for a Legal job interview

How to prepare for a Legal job interview
How to prepare for a Legal job interview

posted 16 Aug 23

David Holden

Securing an interview is an achievement in itself, but the key to success is preparation. Ensuring you are ready for your next legal interview will demonstrate to a potential employer your passion, enthusiasm, and ability to take on the role you have applied to.  

 

Reaching the interview stage is perhaps one of the most challenging hurdles to overcome when you’re in the market for a new legal job. You may complete many job application forms and CV submissions until you finally get the perfect job interview. 

 

With the excitement and nerves that come with reaching the interview stage, it is normal to feel daunted. We asked our Search Legal Director, David Holden, to share his top tips on preparing for a legal interview to help you achieve success.

 

Six tips to prepare for a Legal interview

1. Research the firm

The same applies when preparing for any job interview, but our advice is to familiarise yourself with not only the role, but also the company.

Why do you want to work there, what appeals about their profile, and what specifically stands out about the team you are interviewing for? 

Researching your potential employer will highlight what makes you a good fit for the job during your interview, but also express enthusiasm about how the job will be of value to your legal career. You can learn a lot about a company from an array of sources online, including its website, LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter.

2. Be open about why you are looking to leave your current company

During an interview, employers will not only want to see your enthusiasm about the role you are applying to, but also what motivates you to make a career change.

This question can be challenging to answer for a lot of legal candidates. Try not to list why you dislike your current job and maintain a positive response to help sell yourself. Prepare for this question in advance, including detailed reasons you want to progress in your career to help them understand.  

3. Know your CV

Ensure you provide detailed examples of work you have listed in your CV. Practice what you are going to say to ensure that your answers demonstrate a good, positive and proactive attitude to working in the legal sector. 

Remember to take ownership of your achievements and involvement, and use the STAR technique when answering to highlight what YOU can do.  

4. Be yourself

Preparing for and attending an interview brings pressure to show the best version of yourself and create the best first impression for potential employers. However, what should be the main focus is just being yourself!

More often than not, experience is a given during a legal interview. Employers will be more interested in how you present yourself and interact and communicate, as this will highlight a lot about you and give insight into the service their clients will receive.

5. Get your passion across

For legal candidates, employers want to use interviews as an opportunity for you to demonstrate a genuine passion and awareness for the legal industry, as well as showcase your ability and skills.

If they can evidently see you love the area of law you work in, it can be significant when evaluating and selecting successful candidates for the role and make you stand out from the crowd. ​

6. Remember it’s a two-way process

Always prepare questions to ask! Questions to the interviewer demonstrate you are serious about the role and want to leave the interview knowing if it's an opportunity you would like to progress. The only way to do this is to interview them by asking questions that are important to you.  

Avoid asking questions about salary at this stage of the job interview process. Wait until you have been offered a job before negotiating the salary and benefits.  

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Let Search help you prepare for your next Legal interview

With the right interview techniques in place, preparing for a job interview is so much simpler and you’ll be accepting your next Legal role in no time. Download a free copy of our Career Toolkit for more advice on preparing for interview, including how to follow-up after interview, and even advice on evaluating job offers. Plus, browse the current Legal roles we have available. Â