Asking questions during interviews and internships

In this newsletter, I offer some insights into which questions to ask (and not to ask!) partners, junior lawyers and graduate recruiters. But first, I wanted to let you know about an upcoming free webinar and an update to Commercial Law Academy.

1. Current affairs wrap up

We're conscious that many of you have exams in May and June, so this time round we're going to double up and cover key current affairs (from a business, markets and legal perspective) from both May and June in a free webinar taking place on 3 July 2023.

You can register for free here.

2. Free glossary of key business, finance and legal terms

We've just DOUBLED the number of key business, finance and legal definitions in our?free definitions glossary?(there are now 70+ definitions in total, plus links to resources to further support your learning).

Now onto the main content...

Why is it important to ask questions?

It’s easy to forget this, but interviews are two way conversations between yourself and your interviewers. Similarly, internships are opportunities not just for a firm to get to know you, but for you to get to know the firm in greater depth.

With this in mind, always show up armed with questions!

Failing to ask questions if given the opportunity might demonstrate a lack of interest in learning more about the firm, and therefore reflect negatively on your motivation and interest (on that note, interns are often tested on the knowledge they've developed throughout their internship during end-of-vac scheme interviews). It will also mean you've wasted a unique opportunity to gain further insights into the firm and its culture.

What not to ask!

Avoid questions that you could easily find the answers to online. From personal experience representing firms at a range of career fairs and employability events and also sitting in on interviews, I know this can be boring and even frustrating for the professionals present.

Tailor your questions to the individuals you meet

Instead, tailor your questions to the role and seniority of those you are speaking to.

Partners

If you’re talking to a partner, don’t start asking them about application deadlines or the mechanics of training contract seat selection. Take advantage of their knowledge and experience!

Perhaps ask about their career: what has kept them at the firm for so long, how has their role changed over time, what is their favourite thing about the job, what are their career highlights, what is the biggest challenge they have faced etc.

If the person then starts talking about their career, think of follow-up questions. For example, if they say they moved between firms or departments, you could ask why they chose to do so, and what differences they noticed in the subsequent role.?

Junior lawyers

Conversely, there’s no point asking a trainee what has kept them in the role for so long. Perhaps ask junior employees about why they chose the firm, what they have found particularly challenging, what they have really enjoyed, or how their role in practice compares to what they had imagined before joining.

Graduate recruiters

Similarly, don't waste graduate recruiters’ time by asking questions that you could find out following a quick Google, as this won’t show much initiative. Instead, you could ask about the work that you might encounter on a vacation scheme, or the nature of the training throughout the graduate scheme.

Listen carefully

As a more general tip, listen carefully to everything your interviews (or lawyers who you network with during an internship) say, as this might help you to think of additional questions to ask at the end.

In each of my interviews, the interviewers introduced themselves, briefly summarised their career paths to date, and provided an insight into their specialisms. I then tried to remember this information so that I could use it to form targeted questions to ask at the end of the interview.

For example, if your interviewer tells you at the start that they were at the firm when it merged with another law firm a decade ago, asking them at the end how this merger affected them as a junior associate in the banking team could show a thoughtful and personal interest in those sat in front of you.

In addition, in an internship context, asking questions about the firm's clients and the work it carries out - including asking about the context of any work you are set - can help to strongly convey your interest in the role. Which is absolutely key.

As a reminder, we have an unparalleled range of expert resources to help you prepare for every aspect of assessment centres, including...

1.?Commercial awareness:?14?interview case studies, dozens of current affairs wrap ups, a legal tech masterclass, an M&A deep dive, and a partner-led course on the business of law firms.

2.?General interviews:?dozens of firm profiles, detailed advice on how to answer career and firm motivation questions, practical examples of how to discuss competencies (including non-law related experiences), and insights into how to structure your answers.

3.?Preparation and insights:?dozens of assessment centre insights, comprehensive advice on group and negotiation exercises, ice breakers and presentations, and expert guidance on networking and how to manage nerves and present effectively.