SUMMARY:
Discover the key strategies for acing your legal employment interview with insightful questions. This guide emphasizes the importance of proactively engaging in the interview process by posing relevant queries to your potential legal employer. From understanding the reasons behind an open position to evaluating the management style of the manager you'll be reporting to, these questions provide crucial insights into the law firm's values and organizational dynamics. Learn how to express enthusiasm, showcase your compatibility, and leave a lasting impression by delving into topics such as organizational goals, work environment, and characteristics of successful employees. This comprehensive guide equips you with the tools to make informed decisions about accepting a legal job offer while demonstrating your commitment and interest in the role. Elevate your interview game and optimize your chances of landing the ideal legal position with these invaluable insights.
QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN THIS ARTICLE
1. Why is it important to always ask questions during a legal employment interview?
Asking questions demonstrates your interest in the job and the law firm. Employers prefer candidates who show genuine curiosity, indicating a strong desire to contribute to the organization.
2. How can understanding the reasons behind an open legal position benefit the candidate?
Knowing why a position is open provides valuable insights. If due to growth or promotion, it signals positive organizational aspects. If due to termination, it allows the candidate to address concerns and showcase their suitability for the role.
3. What role does understanding the management style of the manager you report to play in a legal job?
The management style of the person you report to significantly influences your work experience. Knowing this in advance helps ensure compatibility, making the working relationship more productive and pleasant.
4. How does asking about goals for the first 30, 60, and 90 days contribute to evaluating a law firm's organization?
Well-defined goals indicate a well-organized law firm, while vague or undefined goals may suggest potential challenges. This question helps candidates assess whether the law firm has clear expectations and structured roles.
5. Why is it crucial to inquire about the characteristics of the most successful employees within a legal organization?
Understanding the traits valued by the legal employer provides insight into the law firm’s culture. Tailoring your responses to align with these characteristics increases the likelihood of being perceived as a strong fit for the organization.
Generally, at the end of an interview, the interviewer will ask something along the lines of, “Do you have any questions for us?” It is very important that you always ask questions in an interview when given the opportunity. Incredibly, the most common answer to this is “no” and (not so incredibly) this is the answer most likely to prevent you from being hired. The “no” answer is passive and does not demonstrate any interest or imagination.
You should always have questions prepared prior to the interview because your questions, like your answers, are something that will determine whether you get the job.
When legal employers ask questions in an interview it shows:
You are interested in the job and the hiring organization. If someone is not interested, they generally do not ask questions. Legal employers want to hire attorneys who are interested in the job. If you really want the job, you are likely to have questions that you want answered.
You are prepared.Legal employers love it when attorneys seem prepared for interviews. Being prepared shows interviewers that you are likely to be prepared for meetings and other tasks if you work for them. This will make you stand out in the interview. You should never go into an interview and think you can “wing it” (even if you can). The more prepared you are, the better off you will be.
You are interested in establishing further rapport. When you ask questions, you are giving the interviewer the opportunity to talk about themselves. This is very important. While a good interviewer will give the opposite impression, most interviewers (and people) are far more interested in talking about themselves than listening to your answers. If the interviewer likes your questions and enjoys giving answers to them, it will help you establish rapport and get the job.
I also want to be clear that your objective in every interview is to get the job. Thus, when an employer answers your questions, it is important that you make certain the interviewer understands that their answers and description of the law firm match your strengths. I am not recommending you do not tell the truth; however, you need to find commonality between you and the law firm.
If you are asking questions properly, you will get the interviewer talking and enjoying the conversation. While the six questions below are important to ask, you should also feel free to include anything that properly serves to further demonstrate your interest in the job.
Here are some good questions to ask in a legal employment interview: See Related Articles:
This is an important question to ask because it can give you a lot of information and may be very relevant to helping you decide whether (or how much) you want to work for the law firm. The position could be open for the following reasons:
Someone got promoted.
Someone left.
Someone got fired.
The law firm is growing rapidly and needs more attorneys.
If someone left, or got fired, you should try and understand the reasons why. For example, the legal employer’s expectations for the person may be unrealistic. The pay may not be commensurate with this role. Alternatively, the law firm may just be a lousy place to work.
If someone has left or been fired, it also makes sense to try and figure out how many attorneys have had the same job in the recent past. There could be a problem with the job that makes it difficult to do well.
If someone left, or got fired, it is also a good idea to try and find out how long the person was in the job before you. If someone spent several years there, this is generally a good sign and means that (all things considered) they were able to get along with others and do well there.
If someone is getting promoted, or the law firm is growing, this is an excellent sign. Law firms that are growing and promoting attorneys tend to have good things going on, their revenues are increasing and they are doing something right. These are good law firms to be part of.
INTERVIEW ADVICE: If the position is open because the law firm is growing, or someone has been promoted, express your enthusiasm for working for a law firm that has opportunity for advancement.
INTERVIEW ADVICE: If the position is open because someone was fired, or has left, make sure you let the interviewer know that the issues the other employee had are not something that you too would have. This is an opportunity to express how you are different, more competent, more loyal and a better fit for the job.
2. Who Would I Be Reporting to and What Are They Like?
The manager (or managers) you report to is a very important calculation for any legal job. Being a manager is something that not everyone is good at. In contrast, some attorneys are exceptional managers.
When the interviewers start telling you about the manager you will be reporting to, you can [hopefully] get a sense of whether they are someone you could work for. For example:
Some bosses are micromanagers and will tell you how to do every single thing. Some attorneys like this management style because it is predictable while others find it smothering.
Some bosses are completely hands-off and just expect you to be motivated and do the work. Some attorneys like this management style while others need more direction.
Some bosses have zero management experience and will make lots of mistakes. Some attorneys like this while others prefer an experienced lawyer.
Some bosses have tons of management experience. Some attorneys like this while others prefer a lawyer more receptive to new methods and ideas.
You need to have a very good understanding of the management style the manager has who you will be reporting to. The person you work for can either make your life and job very pleasant, or they can make it like hell. You need to make absolutely sure that you are comfortable with the person you are working for.
Throughout the years, I have seen numerous legal careers both advanced and destroyed by someone who had the fortune or misfortune to report to a given individual. You need to make sure that you are going to work for someone you feel comfortable with.
INTERVIEW ADVICE: If the interviewer does tell you about a person you believe you would do well working for, it is important that you make sure the interviewer understands this. Make sure you express why you may be a good match for working with that supervisor.
3. What Goals Would You Have for Me during the First 30, 60 and 90 Days?
This will generally explain the expectations of the law firm you are going to be joining and how well-organized they are.
A well-run firm is going to be able to answer this question and give you milestones. When they give you the answer to this question, their objectives will be reasonable and achievable. Their answer will also give you an indication of whether you feel this is a position you can excel in.
A poorly run firm may not be able to provide you with a definitive answer to this question. If the position and its responsibilities are not well-defined, this means that you may find yourself in trouble down the road. If your position is not well-defined, and others’ positions are also not well-defined, the odds are pretty good that the law firm may end up experiencing problems down the road. In order to succeed and grow, most law firms need to be well managed and have clearly defined jobs for their employees.
Notwithstanding, some law firms do not have clearly defined roles for attorneys because they operate in a multi-tasking environment and expect their employees to be self-motivated and get all the work done, regardless of what it is. If this is the case, the most important thing you can do is make sure that you are comfortable with the work and the environment. As long as you are comfortable with this type of situation, you may be in good shape.
INTERVIEW ADVICE: If the law firm has clearly defined tasks and roles, tell the interviewer that you enjoy working for a firm with such structure. In many cases, the person interviewing you will have been involved in defining various roles in the firm and will appreciate your comment.
INTERVIEW ADVICE: If the law firm has less defined roles for its employees, it is important for you to stress the fact that you are willing to jump in and do whatever needs to be done. See Related Articles:
The answer to this question will generally tell you a lot about the law firm, its values and how the employees feel about the organization. I love listening to employers’ answers to this question because they reveal so much about the business.
Some interviewers will tell you that they work really hard in the job but it is worth it because the work is rewarding. One time, I was interviewing with a big law firm in New York, and the interviewer gave me this answer.
“How hard do you work?” I asked.
“Hard” he said.
“How hard?” I asked.
“I have not had a day off in at least four months,” he told me.
These answers can tell you a lot about what it is like working for the law firm. When I heard this, I decided this was not the place I wanted to work.
Other interviewers will smile when hearing this question and tell you about how much they like their colleagues, how everyone works together and the firm does not feel like a competitive place to work. If you enjoy this type of camaraderie, then this is the answer you want to hear.
INTERVIEW ADVICE: Regardless of the answer, it is important that you make the interviewer feel like they are understood. If the interviewer tells you everyone likes to go out for a beer after work, you should act like you enjoy developing friendships in the office. You should make the interviewer feel like you identify with them.
5. What Are the Characteristics of Your Most Successful Employees?
The answer to this question will provide you with a valuable perspective on what it is like working in the firm. I have seen interviewers give very interesting answers to this question:
It is important to network with a lot of attorneys outside of work.
Hard work is rewarded here, and you need to show commitment.
If you stick it out here, you will be successful.
You need to bring in a lot of business to be successful.
If you ask this question to enough interviewers, you are going to start to see a trend. The law firm may value the ability to network, hard work may be the most commendable trait, or business generation may matter most. Regardless of what their answer is, you need to make sure it is something you are comfortable with.
The more important message this sends to the interviewer, though, is that you are interested in being one of the organization’s strongest performers.
This is the most important question you can ask at the end of the interview. When you ask this question, it shows the interviewer that you are still interested in the job. It also gives you the opportunity to express that you are excited and feel you would be a good fit.
The best interviewees always ask this question with a tone that suggests they are ready to start the job right away. When you ask this question, it forces the interviewer to think about you as if you have already been hired.
In addition, you will be able to determine their level of enthusiasm toward you. The interviewer may say you seem like a “terrific fit”, and they will get back to you shortly. Other legal employers will be vague, say they are still interviewing, and you will hear from them once they make a decision.
INTERVIEW ADVICE: When you end an interview, always act confident. Show the interviewer you feel like you can do the job well. Make sure they feel like you are grateful for the interview and hope to get the position. See Related Articles:
When you are looking for a new position, it is important that you learn as much as you can about the law firm as possible. These six questions will give you the information you need to determine whether you should accept an offer from the legal employer. In addition, these answers will show the interviewer you are committed as a candidate and interested in doing the job.
Finally, when an interviewer asks if you have any questions, a useful strategy is to tell them you have written down some questions, and then open a folio with your inquiries (even if you only ask these six questions). It makes the interviewer believe that you really have taken the time to think about the interview and working there.
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