January 16, 2009

Interviewing: Part I

Over the next week, we will provide a three-part series on interview tips to help you prepare for and ace your next interviews.

Prepare Well
Know yourself. What skills and experiences do you have that are valuable and relevant to the employer?
Know the employer. Research the employer's focus/mission/reputation/history/successes.
Know the job. What does the employer want/need?

Practice Your Answers
After researching the employer and position, identify 2-4 things about yourself that will be relevant to the interviewer. Practice the inevitably asked questions of "Tell Me About Yourself/Why Law School/Why DePaul Law/Favorite Class" so that they include references to those 2-4 things. Don't memorize your answers as they may be posed to you in various forms but if all of your answers include part of those 2-4 things, a clearer picture of you should form in the interviewer's mind.

Prepare Questions for the Interviewer
You should also prepare questions for the interviewer that cannot be easily answered through general research. You want to learn about the employer so that your decision about accepting an offer is well-founded; the employer knows that you did your research; and provides you the opportunity to engage the interviewer in a conversation where you might be able to again emphasize your relevant skills and experiences.

Look for future posts and plan to attend one of the LCS programs titled Interviews Dos and Don'ts. Check out the dates and RSVP your spot on Symplicity today.

Welcome to the Law Career Services Blawg!

Welcome to the Law Career Services blawg! We will use this forum as a place to keep you informed of events, programs, and general advice. Please feel free to share topic suggestions or provide any feedback to any of the advisers!