Joining the legal profession is difficult in any country. If you want to be a lawyer, the amount of difficulty increases.
The profession requires that you have a four year degree and then take additional schooling to learn every aspect of the law. If you plan to specialize in a particular type of law, you might have to have continuing education still, and after all of this, you must pass a government sponsored test to gain your license.
If you hope to practice law in the UK, the classes and the government exam is of the highest difficulty and many do not make it. So lawyers in the UK are some of the most well trained in the world.
After your schooling and exam you will need to find a job. The goal is to join a reputable law firm in order to gain a reputation and generate good money so you can pay off your school bills. If you can accomplish this and spend a few years proving you are great at what you do, you might have a chance to be an in-house lawyer.
In-house lawyers are employed at large corporations and work within their legal departments. They insure that every legal aspect of the company is in prime condition and that they are protected from and prepared for any legal possibility.
In-house lawyers have the best legal jobs because they get paid well, they have lots of resources to work with, and their job allows them to only focus on one entity; the corporation for which they work.
The majority of lawyers would love to find an in-house legal job. So, if a lawyer is fortunate enough to get an interview for a job as an in-house lawyer, it is imperative that he or she perform well. Here are some areas a lawyer should focus on for the interview.
Perfect Your Interview Skills
The best way to insure that you have a good interview is to practice the interview before you go. Get a friend to play the role of the interviewer and ask the questions that will most likely be asked of you. There are websites today that have all the likely questions, so finding them is easy.
Practice not just your answers but also your tone, delivery and demeanor. Do not rush things and give the interviewer time to ask follow ups or to comment on your answers. When you are finished practicing you should be able to answer all of the questions fluidly.
Do Research on the Firm Interviewing You
Interviewers love to see that candidates have researched their company. It shows your respect and interest. So take some time and learn all you can about the firm. Who are the founding partners? How many lawyers do they have and what are their focus areas? Where are their offices? What big cases have they won in the past and recently? Make it a point to be an expert on the firm and it will score you points with the interviewer.
Make Your Stories Clear and Positive
Interviews typically will go through the formalities and then you will be asked questions about yourself, your career, aspirations, strengths and weaknesses and why you want to work for the firm. You will be expected to give sometimes lengthy answers, because the firm will want to hear how you communicate.
When you tell stories that answer a question make sure that your stories are coherent and end with a positive outcome. Interviewers love to hear how problems got solved and your positive part in it. So rehearse stories that shine a good light on you and events of your past.
Find some time before the interview to relax a bit and realize that if you were not the right person for the job, they would not be interviewing you. Good luck!