Behavioral Interviews are Becoming a New Trend

According to Desiree Lebar, recruiting specialist at Warren Recruiting, behavior based interviewing is becoming more common. Often employers will consider a candidate's past performance as being the best predictor of future performance. So, rather than the typical interview questions on your background and experience, you will you need to be prepared to discuss detailed examples of your work experiences.

The best way to prepare is to think of examples where you have successfully used the skills you've acquired. Take the time to compile a list of responses to both types of questions. Itemize your skills, values, and interests as well as your strengths and weaknesses. Focus on and highlight what you can do to benefit the firm rather than just what you are interested in. Also prepare a list of questions you want to ask the interviewer. Remember, when you’ve gotten the opportunity to meet with a firm and participate in an interview, that means the firm already believes the experience reflected in your resume qualifies you for the position. Now, it’s your job to elaborate on your experience and convince them why you are the best candidate for them!

Have more questions? Ask Desiree Lebar.

It’s all about First Impressions

The interview process can be very scary and nerve racking at times, but making a good first impression can go a long way to a smooth and solid job offer. After submitting your resume and talking to a recruiter about all the jobs out there, you finally have the chance to meet a hiring manager face to face for an interview. I can’t tell you how many times, I have had hiring managers come back to me and tell me that only reason they aren’t moving forward is that candidate wasn’t professional and made a bad first impression.

When planning your time schedule for a first interview, always leave a buffer of 15-30 minutes for anything that could go wrong (i.e. street closures, accidents, flat tires, dead battery, long lines, no parking spaces, you just get lost). Next, always assume that you will meet a few people that you weren’t aware of prior to the interview and be prepared. Have multiple clean copies of your resume for them to know a little about you. The most important thing you can do, is make sure you are dressed professionally! Have on a clean, dark suit with a crisp white shirt and solid tie with brown or black socks and well polished shoes, gentlemen. Ladies, I recommend a dark pants or skirt suit for you. I know this seems silly, but I actually had an individual not get a job because he wore his “lucky” bright red cowboy boots to meet the board of directors. Hiring manager look at everything! Finally, make sure you have done a little research on the company. You want to ask smart and insightful questions about this organization as well as let them know that you are invested in this process by knowing a little about them.

I know how stressful first interviews can be and if you follow these tips, you’ll make a great first impression and it might just be a bit easier. At the end of the day, you only can control so much in the hiring process, but making a good first impression is all on you!

For More information about interviewing or new opportunities, contact Warren Recruiting.

Interviewing Tips from Desiree

Often at the end of an interview, the interviewer will ask you if you have any questions for them. I have stumbled in this situation myself because there were times when I genuinely didn’t have any questions that had not already been addressed and answered or that I had not already learned during my pre-interview research of the firm. However, I have learned that it is always best to ask a question; it shows you are engaged in the process and interested in the firm.

The question doesn’t have to be tricky or elaborate, in fact, it’s better to keep it simple and general; you don’t want to stump the interviewer or cause them to have to go look something up. Some good questions can be as simple as “What do you like about working for this firm?” or “What do you find most challenging about this position?”. Your inquiry will leave the interviewer with a sense that you have a genuine interest in them and in the firm and that’s always a great note to end an interview on.

Want other tips on interviewing? Email Desiree

Interviewing with small firms

As the number of larger firms laying off associates increases, the focus on small firms grows. The folks over at Above the Law had some great ideas:

I work for a small law firm in a major metropolitan area that is in the enviable position of hiring right now. We are getting a flood of Big Law resumes. I get to hear all of you pedigreed, ambitious, driven, hard-working and talented attorneys crash and burn without even knowing you're doing it. Here is my advice on how to actually get the job, especially if it's with a smaller, scrappier law firm than you're used to. In no particular order:

1. Nobody Cares. Your resume speaks for itself, and the attorneys who are interviewing you are well aware that you come from BigLaw stock, have an Ivy League degree, fancy clerkships or once worked for Famous Attorney. Keep in mind that right now, you're sitting across the table from attorneys who once did not get the job with BigLaw, probably because of you. They have not forgotten this, and Schadenfreude is still alive and well. Bragging about your BigLaw experience will make them loathe you. If they ask you about BigLaw, answer the questions but don't go on and on about how much you loved that high salary and perks that kept you tethered to your desk. Your interviewers absolutely do not want to hear it. Conversely, avoid denigrating your BigLaw experience because...

2. Nobody Likes A Whiner. Don't bitch about how you're secretly grateful you're out of that hellhole because you hated the BigLaw experience and the high salary and perks that kept you tethered to your desk. Your interviewers might believe you, but if you're denigrating your prior firm, you're most likely going to also bad-mouth ours. Keep in mind that your interviewers might once have had, or still have, BigLaw connections. Their spouses might still work for BigLaw. Their parents, siblings or children might work for BigLaw. This law firm might have once poached a chunk of attorneys from BigLaw. You never know.

Some notes about fitting in, after the jump.

3. Figure Out How To Fit In. This is the single biggest reason why the BigLaw candidates are getting rejected. We're looking for attorneys who will fit in seamlessly with our firm culture, which is vastly different from BigLaw. If you're used to working in teams, you won't be doing that here, because you will be running your own cases and won't have anyone else to rely upon. When this was told to one candidate, rather than praise this method and explain how well he'll be able to do that, he said simply, "I've never done that before." That may be true, but that's not what we want to hear. If you've never done that before, be honest about it, but follow up with an explanation of how you plan to remedy that quickly and do that over and over again, brilliantly and while adding value to the firm. Adaptability is key.

4. Dress Appropriately. All of you know how to dress for a job interview, but leave your fancy cuff links, expensive embossed portfolio, diamond jewelry (even the tasteful studs), and logoed accessories at home. Wearing them will remind your interviewers how high your salary was at BigLaw, which may be more than they're currently making right now, and they will hate you.

5. Show Respect for Your Elders. One of the hiring attorneys at my firm is an extremely senior partner, and he looks his age. What the candidates do not know is that despite his doddering exterior, he is brilliant and scrutinizing. He did not get this task because he's nearing retirement and needs something to do. He got it because everybody respects his opinion. During one interview, the candidate apparently mistook him for her grandfather and spoke to him like he had dementia: "Well aren't you sweet!" She will not be back. He may be old, but he deserves the same amount of respect as your peers. Assuming you do in fact respect your peers.