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You can significantly increase your chances of success by researching both the interview process and techniques and the firm you are to be interviewed by.
You should also know your own application back to front and have thought through answers to possible questions. You should also think which of your attributes you want to get across to the interviewers and rehearse their presentation. You should then endeavour to bring those into the interview somehow at an appropriate time.
Remind yourself of the skills and attributes law firms will be looking for in their future trainees here: http://goo.gl/VdV8o
One of the resources below summarises this perfectly:
“Prepare for competency interviews by thinking about your key skills and experiences: map them onto key competencies and have them fresh in your mind. During the interview you may be questioned directly about a certain skill. Having a mental checklist of examples to draw upon (including work experience, academic and life experiences) will not only demonstrate that you have a vast skills base but also that you have spent time preparing.”
There are hundreds of guides to interviews and interview questions and therefore it is possible to do too much research and not enough preparation.
Some of the best resources are below and if you fully digest these and make notes prior to preparing for interviews then you should be in good shape for the interviews when they come.
In order to research the firm properly you should follow the TCS guide to researching here: http://goo.gl/G6wn1
You should also use Google to do a search for the name of the firm and rather than sifting through all of the search results just click on the ‘News’ tab in the menu at the top of the Google page to bring up recent news results. If the interview is some time in the future then it is worth setting up a Google Alert to email you each time the firm is mentioned on the web. For more information about Google Alerts see here: http://goo.gl/wyV4x
In addition to the research of the firms you should also do some research on the individuals who will be interviewing/assessing you on the day. The firm often tells you this with the other interview information it sends you. If not, you could email/call to find out the format of the interview and who will be conducting it.
Once you know the interviewers names you then should research them using the search engines. You should also see if they have a profile on Linkedin. This information can help you prepare and possibly tailor your answers accordingly.
If you are being interviewed by a commercial firm then you must also ensure you have brushed up on your commercial awareness – for further information see the TCS guide to commercial awareness here: http://goo.gl/JdvZa
Resources/Further Information
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/careers/LawInterview/index.html
http://www.cvmailuk.com/user/resources/content/appguide-interviews.cfm?rcd=1539434
http://www.slideshare.net/sussexcdec/training-contract-applications-interview-skills
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/student/article6994001.ece
http://www.lawcareers.net/information/Features/Detail.aspx?r=1308&PrintVer=true
http://trainingcontractsuccess.co.uk///college-of-law-interview-guide
Interview Questions
http://thecareersgrouplibrary.wordpress.com/2009/02/06/more-tough-interview-questions-examples/
http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/interviews/ivlaw.htm
Body Language
A slightly lighthearted look at the importance of body language at interviews. All the advice given is good advice, however, and should be learnt and followed. This can make or break your chances of succeeding at the interview stage.