Articles From the Team

Questions to expect in an interview

Interviews are a funny thing – they are supposed to be a two-way process and a really good way for both sides to get to know each other. Ultimately, if all goes well you will be spending a large amount of time with each other – so it’s not just about making sure that the skill-set is right, it’s also about getting the personalities matched as well.

That being said, there are always going to be certain questions to that you can expect to come your way in an interview. As recruitment consultants we do our best to get a good understanding of what these may be so that we can provide you some guidance as to what to expect. There will also be times that your CV and experience may not be a direct match, but by working with us we can come up with a response that highlights the strengths that you do have – and how this is still very relevant to the role that you are interviewing for.

So, questions that I would always expect to come your way:

1) Why are you interested in this firm? The key here is not to be too generic – you should have had a review of the firm’s website, know about a couple of high profile matters that the team has worked on and ideally be able to reference the background of the interviewers (maybe that had trained, qualified and made Partner with the firm and this evidences the growth and progression that you’re after) 2) Where else are you interviewing? This isn’t the firm trying to catch you out – they will want to know if there is going to be an element of time pressure in your search. Best advice here – it’s good to be honest and keep everyone involved on the same page. 3) Do your current firm know that you’re looking? This is a strange one in that sometimes people do let their employer know – it may be that their current role just doesn’t fit with their personal needs anymore. If it is that your situation has changed and your current employer can’t accommodate that – think about how you have responded to this. Have you had a grown up, mature conversation or are you making your unhappiness clear by being a negative force in the office? If the latter – how do you think a future employer would view this? 4) Why did you choose this practice area? For junior candidates it’s key to be able to explain why (for example) real estate over corporate. For mid-leve to senior candidates – think about your career path to date and what you still want to achieve. How do you find the clients? 5) And the absolute guarantee – do you have any questions? It’s a fine line on this one – you want to show you’ve done your research but don’t ask them for information that is clearly on their website. This is not the time to ask about salary, it’s the time to ask about culture, the team, what sports groups do the firm have, do they embrace agile working…..think of this as the time to find out all of the additional benefits of the role. A very wise colleague once said that you should walk out of an interview knowing how you would feel if they offered you the job – this is the time to make sure you have all of the information to hand!

Here at BCL Legal we will work hard to make sure you feel fully prepared for any interview that you have through us. So if you’re considering your next move please do get in touch. My specialism is real estate and maritime recruitment across London – but I can put you in touch with my colleagues if there is another area that is of interest.

For more information contact BCL Legal or email us at info@bcllegal.com.