How to prepare for virtual interviews

Much of the advice that applies to in-person interviews also applies to “live” and video interviews. However, this newsletter offers some specific tips to help in the virtual domain. But first...

1. Our biggest (FREE) current affairs event of the year

On 16 January 2024, Jake Schogger (Commercial Law Academy founder) and?Peter Watson?(ex-stock broker, head hunter and founder of?Watson's Daily) will be delivering their FREE annual current affairs wrap up, which will reflect on the key stories from 2023, and discuss key trends to look out for in 2024.

What better way to consolidate the commercial awareness you have built over the past year?

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2. Law firm profiles

We've recently added dozens of?new law firm profiles to our database, plus profiles of in-house teams at organisations including BBC, The Government, Accutrainee, Sky and the CPS.

We've also added a summary of the USPs for the 90+ consistently-structured firm profiles we have for Magic Circle, Silver Circle, US and regional firms (plus in-house teams), each covering a broad range of key differentiators.

Now, on to virtual interviews...

What are virtual interviews?

Increasingly, before attending an in-person interview or assessment centre, candidates are having to attend some form of virtual interview.

This could be a “live” virtual interview, meaning an interview with a human interviewer that takes place using video conferencing software such as Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams or Google Meet. Alternatively, it could be a “video” interview, which involves you having to record your answers to pre-determined questions and submit them through some form of portal.

What do video interviews involve?

During video interviews, you will typically face a series of pre-recorded questions. After each question pops up, you might be allocated a very limited period of time (sometimes only a minute) within which to formulate your answer, compose yourself, and then deliver the answer, so it’s imperative that you’re familiar with all the experiences that you can use as the basis for your answers.

Video interviews can feel very unnatural, artificial and impersonal, as you don’t have the opportunity to gauge and feed off human emotions and reactions. However, try to remember that all candidates are in the same boat and will likely be experiencing the same unease, so you won’t necessarily be at a disadvantage in the grand scheme of things.

As put by Hannah Salton (ex-Magic Circle recruiter, career coach and author of this great careers book): you aren’t expected to perform exactly the same as you would in a “normal” interview environment. The person watching your video back will have been trained specifically in how to assess video interview answers, and will understand the artificial context in which the interview has taken place.

How to prepare for video interviews

If you are invited to a video interview, try to find out in advance which questions will be asked (or at least which competencies will be tested) and how long you will have to answer each.

I wouldn’t recommend writing out “model answers” in advance to read out (as this can come across as robotic and unengaging) and if you’ve spoken to other candidates about their experiences, don’t assume that you’ll be asked the same questions in the same order. Firms might mix it up.

How to prepare for virtual interviews?

We'll now consider some top tips for acing virtual interviews, be that automated video interviews or live interviews.

1. Get to grips with the technology

Before commencing a virtual interview, familiarise yourself with the relevant platform, including reviewing any instructional videos and other guidance if necessary. Connect early in case you experience any technical difficulties and make sure you check that the camera is on and you’re not on mute.

Also try to ensure that you have a strong internet connection by sitting as close to the router as possible and ensuring that you (and any cohabitants) aren’t streaming music or videos at the same time.

In addition, consider using headphones (if they have an in-built microphone), as they might offer a better quality of sound, whilst also helping to block out any potentially distracting external noise. Then during the interview, try to avoid typing, as this might give the interviewer the impression that you are Googling answers. If you want to take notes, use a good old fashioned pen and paper.

2. Great a strong first impression

Dress as you would for a “normal” interview, and not just your top half! In a “live” interview, you never know for sure whether you’ll need to get up for some reason, perhaps to go and grab something in support of one of your answers, or to get a glass of water.

Make sure you are in a quiet, private, well-lit room and that your background is respectable and clutter free. A chaotic background might suggest that you are a little chaotic. Empty rooms might create an echo however, so ideally use a room with a carpet or items that will reduce reverberations.

Furthermore, if there’s even the slightest chance you will need to screen share, make sure your desktop is clear, your background photo is appropriate, and no other documents or programmes are open.

3. Address potential distractions

Where possible, shut out pets and make sure everyone else in the house is aware that you are interviewing so that they don’t disturb you. Disturbances can really disrupt your flow of thought and can also come across as unprofessional.

Also make sure your browsers, email clients and messaging apps are closed, otherwise you (and your interviewers!) might be distracted by notifications, and make sure that your phone is off (not only on silent), just in case your phone is connected to your laptop and a phone call rings through your laptop speakers.

4. Maintain "eye contact"

Finally, don’t forget that the webcam lens is your equivalent of eye contact. Make sure it is roughly at eye level and focus on this as much as possible, as doing so will help you to build a connection with – and therefore engage – your interviewer(s). It’s easy to get distracted by the videos of yourself and your interviewer on the screen, so make a conscious effort not to.

Practical tip

One tip that has worked well for students I have coached involves sticking a post-it note next to your webcam, and drawing an arrow towards the camera lens to constantly remind you to stare at it. If you tend to speak too fast, you could also write “SLOW’ on the post-it note, and if you don’t naturally smile in interview situations, perhaps add a smiley face too. This can all help you to recalibrate when slipping into bad presenting habits during an interview (or virtual meeting, for that matter).

As a reminder, we have an unparalleled range of expert resources designed to help you prepare for every aspect of assessment centres. In particular, our platform helps you to...

1. Try to figure out what might come up: read any recent assessment centre insights provided by previous interviewees at the firm in case these reflect what you'll be up against on the day (we have 80+ assessment centre insights). Don't 100% rely on these however, as firms can change their recruitment processes at any time!

2.?Enhance your understanding of how assessment centres work: complete this course on preparing for assessment centres so that you'll have some idea of what to expect from (and how to approach) ice breakers, group exercises, case studies, e-tray exercises, general interviews, virtual interviews, and so on. We also have this course on negotiation, in case your assessment centre involves a negotiation exercise.

3. Research the firm in greater depth: to help you prepare for firm motivation questions,?read the relevant firm profile (we have dozens!) and watch our video series on how to identify genuine firm USPs and link them back to yourself. You will likely be expected to go into greater depth regarding your motivation for wanting to work for the firm!

4. Confidently discuss your skills, strengths and motivations for wanting to be a commercial lawyer: perhaps start by completing our videos on how to discuss your career motivation, skills, strengths, and both professional and extracurricular experiences.

5. Make sure your commercial awareness is up to scratch: to help with this, we offer advice on how to build 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.

6. Learn how to handle nerves and deliver presentations: if nerves concern you, complete our content on why we experience nerves and how to handle common symptoms of stress. This course will also help if you have to deliver a presentation as part of the assessment process.

As a reminder, Commercial Law Academy offers 22 in-depth courses, covering: insights into legal careers, firm profiles and interview insights, expert advice on writing applications and tackling psychometric tests, dozens of example (verified) successful cover letters and applications, resources to help you prepare for interviews and internships, example interview case studies, practical content to help you understand and confidently discuss commercial concepts and current affairs, plus tips on how to network, negotiate, deliver presentations and write professionally. Check out this animated explainer video for more information.