JD Match Offers Tips to Law Students to Survive On-Campus Interviewing …

New York, NY (PRWEB) August 08, 2011

To prepare 2L and 3L law students for on-campus interviewing taking place now at law schools nationwide, JD Match is offering a series of tips on interviewing guidelines by Janet Stanton, CEO of JD Match:

Take each interview seriously. Be dead serious about each and every interview, as they are golden opportunities. Even if an interview is with a firm ranked lower on your preferred list, you may be pleasantly surprised with the opportunities. Prepare for each interview at every law firm as if it was your first choice so you don’t lose out; none should be wasted because you didn’t do your homework or decided to wing it.

Make them all love you. On average, firms call back only about 25 percent of students they conduct screening interviews with. Do all you can to ensure the maximum number of callbacks. Research firms rigorously. Follow as many of the suggestions below as you can. Rehearse out loud and in front of a mirror. Remember the sports phrase – “train hard, fight easy.” For OCI, it’s more like “train hard, fight hard.”

Prepare and rehearse your story in nuggets rather than as a single narrative. This way you’ll be able to use the most germane points when answering specific questions. You should prepare nuggets that cover key areas of your resume, law school experience, writing sample, achievements and even outside interests. Each nugget should be no more than one to two minutes long.

Speak in “newspaper” style. When you share information about yourself, speak about the most important points first. Use short nuggets as your story.

Be attentive. Don’t be so focused on what you want to say that you ignore signals from the interviewer. Gauge the attention of your interviewers and determine if you’re speaking too much! Maintain eye contact and pick up visual cues.

“Tell me about yourself.” Ugh. Many interviewers use this tough, broad question as a screening test, so expect it to come up. Memorize a two-minute summary from childhood to the present day. Deliver it with spontaneity. Be conversational and casual, yet professional, about what you share.

Pat yourself on the back, but not with arrogance! Your achievements should be work- or academic-related and relevant to the firm. If this isn’t readily obvious, connect the dots succinctly. Use recent achievements wherever possible and reference specific, tangible results. Numbers (dollars, percent growth, etc.) work wonders.

Strengths and weaknesses. Strengths are easy; just make sure they are relevant for each firm. For weaknesses, do not mention strengths carried to a fault, i.e., “sometimes I’ve been told I’m a workaholic.” Consider instead mentioning a (non-fatal) weakness and what you’re doing to overcome it.

Anticipate predictable questions. Prepare answers to these predictable questions in advance of any interview:

•     Why do you want to be a lawyer?
• Why are you going to law school?
• What specifically about our firm is attractive to you?
• Tell me about one of the biggest challenges you’ve had to overcome.
• What do in your spare time? Hopefully not mosh pit concerts, or obsessively updating Facebook

Check your attitude; adopt a “Goldilocks” approach. Confident; neither diffident nor arrogant; affable: neither cheerless nor laughable; focused but not scary intense. People want to be around people they like, and lawyers are no different.This applies to highly credentialed candidates, as well. Don’t reek entitlement; it’s just not attractive.

Attire is really obvious, but often overlooked. This is not the time to express your inner Goth. Get two conservative suits, the best quality you can afford. Men should wear white shirts, dark, subtle ties, and shine your dark shoes. Ladies can wear tasteful jewelry and a little clear nail polish wouldn’t hurt. Get a haircut!

The devil is in the details. Arrive early and review the cheat sheet as well as the pertinent questions you prepared for each firm. Give your self a once-over. Breathe. Knock on the door at the exact time your interview is scheduled to start. When you enter, offer a firm though not crushing handshake, and smile.

Don’t go empty handed! Bring several copies of your resume, law school transcript, writing sample and professional/academic references (your Mom doesn’t count). Have a friend proofread all, and spring for quality paper. Little things do make a difference. As you leave, request a business card.

Don’t forget to send a thank you note. It needn’t be lengthy; two or three paragraphs suffice. Discuss some thoughts about what came up at the interview, but no “hard sell.” Handwritten is nice, if you write legibly.

###

For the original version on PRWeb visit: www.prweb.com/releases/prwebJD-Match-Tips-Series/law-student-interview-tip/prweb8700200.htm

Share and Enjoy

Domino’s floppy-eared Noid is returning for a week after a 23-year absence

Loading…

Comments

Share and Enjoy