Trainee interviews: prepare yourself for success
Trainee interviews: prepare yourself for success
Wisewould Mahony recently interviewed candidates for its 2023 Trainee Program.
I had the pleasure of interviewing several candidates as a part of this process. Each candidate was of a high calibre. They left no stone unturned in pursuit of exceptional grades, extra-curricular activities and work experience.
Unfortunately, despite the huge effort that went into obtaining the highest grades, undertaking extra-curriculars and having relevant work experience, not all candidates were fully prepared for the interview process.
Below are some suggestions for a successful interview.
1. Know what is in your CV / cover letter
Your cover letter and your CV are your starting point. They are what got you the interview.
The person interviewing you will read these documents and identify aspects of your education, work experience and/or interests they want to know more about. As such, when you get to the interview, you need to be able to expand upon what you have written.
To practice expanding on this information, have a friend or a family member read your CV and cover letter and ask you questions about the information you have included.
2. Know your strengths
At some point, we’ve all been asked to name our three biggest strengths.
I’m sure we’ve all heard the standard responses too: hard-working, loyal, team player, attention to detail, perfectionist.
While there is nothing wrong with the standard responses, they tend to be easiest ones to get you into trouble. For example, errors in your CV or cover letter would call into question your attention to detail and being a perfectionist. Similarly, a CV demonstrating you regularly change jobs may call into question loyalty.
Take the time to identify what your strengths really are and understand how they might benefit your prospective employer.
3. Know your weaknesses
A question not often asked is to identify our weaknesses.
We’re all guilty of focussing so hard on putting our best foot forward that we forget about those areas which should command the most attention – the areas requiring improvement.
A well-rounded applicant will be able to identify their strengths and weaknesses.
4. Understand what getting the job means for you and what it means for the firm hiring you
When graduates apply for a role as a trainee, the focus is generally on what the program will offer them. Invariably, this will include rotation through several departments to help successful applicants identify an area of practice they are interested in, provision of oversight by a senior lawyer and a reasonable wage.
What can be missed is that in offering a Trainee Program, the firm is making an investment in the successful applicant.
Before the interview, take some time to think about what a firm might consider a good investment. Be aware that your responses to certain questions may or may not align with the investment the firm seeks to make.
If you have any further queries please contact Bernard Glass 03 9612 7281.
