Vivia Chen is a Senior Columnist at The American Lawyer and is Chief Blogger at The Careerist
The on-campus interview season is about to start, and you are probably feeling very anxious.
What will those firms ask you? What should you ask them? Will they figure out that you are a total fraud and have absolutely no useful skill to offer?
No worries. We’ve got you covered.
We’ve combed through our stockpile of Careerist’s tips and picked the best ones. Here’s everything you need to know about mastering the interview:
Best overall advice:
“How to Nail the On-Campus Interview“—Guest blogger Grover Cleveland, the author of Swimming Lessons for Baby Sharks, offers advice about demeanor, questions to ask, message points, and other essentials. “How to Ace the Callback“—Assuming you pass the preliminaries, Cleveland has additional tips on how to close the deal on a summer or first-year associate job.
Best advice for those who like to be uber-prepared:
“Screening Recruits the Goldman Way“—The super elite investment bank gives aspiring masters of the universe specific tips on how to prepare for its grueling interviews. If law students prepare the Goldman way, they can probably ace any interview.
Best advice on handling “behavioral” or “competence” interviews:
Sadly, some firms are trying to conduct more “substantive” interviews—ones that test whether you have the right psychological make-up or skill set to be a lawyer. If you’re face with these types of interviews, you must know how they work: “McKenna Long’s Recruiting Couch“—Q&A with the firm’s head of recruiting about the behavior interview. (Related post: “The Careerist goes on the Couch“—A first hand account of what it’s like to take the psych test.) “Getting Tough and Testy“—Pepper Hamilton now conducts interactive interviews where you’re expected to defend your writing sample and analyze a hypothetical fact pattern. (Related post: Q&A with Pepper’s hiring partner).
Best advice for those who have nothing to lose (e.g., your grades are lousy):
“Interview Tips that You Won’t Get from Your Careering Counseling Office“—Unconventional ways to make an impression and sell yourself as the right candidate (even when you’re not).
