We’re in the height of graduation season and law students across the country are looking for their first paralegal role to kick start their legal careers. I’m working with a large number of recent graduates who have managed to secure interviews for paralegal roles but feel overwhelmed at the prospect. This is especially true for law graduates with no previous legal experience as many have not been interviewed in such a professional capacity before. In this hugely competitive market, the key to perfecting your interview is all in the preparation! All interviews can be different, and it is impossible to know exactly what questions will come up. I have put together some useful pointers that should help guide your preparation and in turn, help you successfully secure your first paralegal role.
Research the law firm and the interviewers
One question that you’re almost guaranteed to be asked in your interview is ‘what do you know about the firm?’ or ‘why do you want to work here?’. Therefore, it’s important that you research the firm thoroughly. The firm’s website is a good starting point, but you should also gather information from other sources. For example, look at their directory rankings, read legal articles and relevant news updates to really get ‘behind the scenes’ and impress your interviewers. It’s a good idea to follow the firm on LinkedIn as they’re likely to post updates on the firm there. You might know people who work at the firm, so talk to them to find out about news within the firm. It’s a good idea to also find out who will be conducting your interview and look them up. You can usually find Partners’ profiles on firms’ websites, and this can give you insight into the type of work they carry out. You can also look them up on LinkedIn to learn about their career and experience.
Really get to grips with what the role involves and what skills are needed for the role
It’s really important that you know exactly what the role entails and what skills are needed for the position. You should read the job specification through plenty of times. Also, if you know someone who has a similar role, you should talk to them and try to get a real understanding of what the role involves on a day-to-day basis. An interviewer will be looking to establish whether you have the skills necessary to carry out the job and these are usually listed on the job specification. You should give specific examples that demonstrate your skills and strengths that are required for the role in order to persuade the firm that you meet their needs. Obviously as a law graduate you won’t have the exact skills for the role yet, as you won’t have relevant legal experience, but you can focus on your transferable skills. Transferable skills can be picked up during your life, your studies, previous non-legal jobs, etc.
Know the interview format
You should make sure you know the format of your interview before attending. Interview formats can be very different; for example, you may have to undertake a psychometric test, or you may have to carry out a role play (more common for legal advisor type roles). Some interviews test you on points of law specific to the job role (e.g. with a case study) so obviously this would require different preparation. You may also be asked to complete a test before or after your interview. It is essential that you put 100% effort into these tests and really try your best - we’ve had several candidates who have slipped up on this as they did not treat it as part of their interview.
Ensure you know your CV very well
You must be prepared to be questioned on anything on your CV so make sure you know it inside out. You must be prepared to expand on anything which you have listed on it. Make sure you are prepared to talk about any matters/projects and your particular responsibilities/ duties etc.
Consider how you’d answer the more common interview questions
Obviously, it isn’t wise to try and prepare answers to reiterate word by word in your interview. However, it is a good idea to consider how you’d answer some of the more typical interview questions. These may include: “tell me about yourself”, “what do you think your strengths/ weaknesses are?” You may also be asked “why do you want this [paralegal] role?” It’s important not to emphasise that the paralegal role is just a “stop gap” until you secure a training contract. Remember, firms want to see a passion and commitment for that particular role!
Be punctual
We generally advise candidates to arrive about 5-10 minutes before the interview. You shouldn’t arrive too early either as this could be an inconvenience for the firm. It is essential you know exactly where the office is, so you don’t get delayed looking for it. Make sure you confirm the exact address beforehand as some firms have two offices, so it’s important to know which one you need to be at! It’s also a good idea to take a contact number in case of any unexpected delays.
Ask questions
At the end of most interviews, you will be asked: “have you got any questions?” Never say “no” as this will make it look like you are not interested. We advise candidates to prepare questions that you might want to ask in order to show a genuine interest in the firm. However, make sure you don’t ask something that has already been covered in the interview. Interviewers have commented in the past that they are as impressed with the questions a candidate asks as the answers they have given, which clearly highlights their importance.
Don’t think that just because other candidates have more experience, you won’t get the job
A lot of law graduates I speak to doubt themselves when interviewing for a paralegal role because they are up against candidates with relevant experience. This need not be the case. The law firm has already looked at your CV and will be aware you don’t have prior paralegal experience, yet they still want to interview you. You can only offer them what you have. The fact they want to interview you shows they could see potential in you. On many occasions I’ve recruited for paralegal roles and have had an experienced candidate and a law graduate at interview stage for the same role. Occasionally, those without experience land the job because they were better prepared and showed more enthusiasm.
Your interview is an opportunity to set yourself apart from the crowd and really sell yourself. So ensure you do your preparation and leave a lasting positive impression!
The paralegal market is very busy currently! I’m working with a large number of law firms looking for law graduates to fill their paralegal roles, so if you would like more information on the current job market, or, if you would like some help with interview preparation for a paralegal role, please contact Emily Lonsdale on 07747440499 or emilylonsdale@chadwicknott.co.uk.
