Prior to the interview, take the time to research in detail the company that you are meeting with as well as each attorney on your interview schedule. Understand the firm/company’s business, clients and strategies. Review the attorneys’ bios as well as papers and transactions. Have multiple copies of your resume, transcript, deal sheet/transaction summary and references ready to share with the interviewers. Have a few questions prepared in advance of the interview.

We have broken the interview up into three parts. You must remember...
the objective of the interview is to get an offer. Some people try to determine on the interview if the position is right for them. This approach tends to come across as though you are disinterested in the position or that you may not be ready to make a career change. Enthusiasm counts - Sell Yourself!

Part I:

Your primary objective is to understand what they need from you. Take the time (at the beginning of the interview) to determine what specific skills are required for the position... and be sure to describe your skills and experiences that show how you are qualified for the position that you are interviewing for.

In order to be successful, you want to extract as much information as possible from the interviewer, and address issues they consider important. In the beginning of the interview, it is best if you ask the interviewer, “Can you share with me some information about the position that I am interviewing for and/or the type of work that I will be responsible for if I get the opportunity to work for (with) you?”

The interviewer will answer your questions... and tell you everything you'll need to sell yourself. At this point, the key is to listen and carefully evaluate the response. Although uncovering the details of the position is extremely important, there is one element that is often overlooked... personality. It is frequently more important than any other single factor. Interviewing is selling, and the candidate that interviews (sells) best gets the offer. Period. Many candidates have received offers when they were under qualified because their attitude and personality meshed with the hiring manager.

Part II:

As soon as you understand what makes the interviewer tick, you are ready to proceed to the second stage... describing your professional background. Remember: you want this description to address the areas he/she already indicated interest in - because you asked. When you talk about your experiences, talk in terms of what you did (not just what your firm/group did) and be specific about your contributions to your employer. This may include specific cases or deals that where your contributions made a significant difference to the outcome, the client or the firm.

Part III:

The third stage is the most difficult because you must ask a direct question:
"Based on our meeting, do you feel I would be successful here?"

The reason this question seems difficult to ask is that it invites criticism. Your natural instinct will be to avoid rather than encourage criticism. It is critical to ask this question, because if the interviewer has any lingering concerns, miscommunicated an issue or missed addressing something of interest, you will never know until you probe for it. When you ask the question, he or she will probably respond with: "I feel you are strong in most areas, but I'm really concerned about..." You now have an excellent opening to address these concerns, targeting specific areas for clarification.

If his/her concern is valid, draw parallels to demonstrate your ability to adapt to their needs. Never attempt to exaggerate experiences - it is better to reply by admitting that you don't have "that" specific experience, but have gained experience in areas of a similar nature or of equal complexity (use examples), and feel comfortable in coming up to speed quickly. Managers agree that no single individual will have every attribute they seek, and they default to the candidate who they believe can make the transition successfully with the shortest learning curve.

Everything up to this point is straight forward and uncomplicated. Determine what attributes will make you successful. Explain your background emphasizing the skills he told you he needed. Finally, at the conclusion of the interview, ask him if he feels you would be successful.

Now the real secret...

You can do everything right up to this point... and destroy your efforts if you mishandle the subject of money. The key to this is simple: You don't want to become attached to a specific amount, because once you do it can't be retracted. It's analogous to the judge instructing the jury to "strike that last remark".

If you volunteer a number that is low, you will talk yourself out of some money. If you select a number that is high (or out of their salary guidelines), you will not receive an offer.

The last thing you want to do is provide them with a range, because you will be aiming at the top and they will migrate straight to the bottom. Instead, encourage them to prepare the best offer they possibly can. To accomplish this, you articulate the following:

"I am extremely interested in the opportunity. I believe I would be successful here. Please extend the best offer you feel comfortable with, and I will give it serious consideration." Be prepared to use this during salary negotiations.

Other key points to remember:

- Be confident/enthusiastic at all times (never drop your guard).
- Maintain eye contact, smile and show expression.
- Speak briefly, answering questions directly and positively... don't ramble or digress.
- Don't be opinionated. Repeat. Don't be opinionated.
- Listen, listen, listen... understand his/her thoughts completely before responding.
- Dress in a conservative manner (white shirt, business suit)... even if you know they don't require it.
- Don't ever slam your current or previous employer... even if they deserve it!
- Show interest in the position, ask relevant questions. Probe.
- Don't dwell on peripheral issues like vacation and benefits... once an offer is generated, it is time to address these issues.

Check out more interview Do's & Don'ts

Warning

Some managers assume an adversarial role during the interviewing process - to identify the uncommitted or squeamish, people with low self confidence - or individuals who will never be significant contributors on a standalone basis. Questions like: "Does it intimidate you to know that we have had 8 attorneys come and go in the past five years?", "You seem to be working in a low pressure environment... with not much personal accountability. Do you think you could really fit in here?" or "You don't seem to have the depth of experience we need, wouldn't you agree?" These are worst cases... but be prepared to have someone become deliberately adversarial.

Managers put people on the spot because they want to determine if they have convictions, can be easily intimidated, and to test their willingness to defend their past decisions and accomplishments. They believe that this type of interview identifies the best and the brightest. They are asking to be convinced that you are the person who will positively impact their immediate and future plans.

Have a spouse or friend interview you (with a list of anticipated questions), and critique your responses for content, sincerity and overall presentation. Instruct them to provide both positive and negative feedback, so that you can fine tune your presentation. Ask them to watch for uncomfortable body language.

An objective that you must never lose sight of... you are there to get the offer.

Even if the description doesn't sound that appealing, you should sell yourself thoroughly, because total scope and responsibilities can (and usually do) change after you have convinced them that you're the benchmark candidate.

Important

Before you leave, find out what the next step is in their hiring cycle. When can you expect to hear from them? Do they need anything from you? Make it clear that you are interested in the opportunity. Never assume that they think you are. A manager is not going to use his time preparing an offer if he thinks it will be declined. You don't get another chance - reconfirm your interest and availability.

Small talk can be very important as part of the bonding process, but even use this time to uncover additional intelligence or provide one last fact - that will help them make an informed decision to extend an offer.

You can't retract anything you do or say in the interview... it is absolutely cast in stone. You want them to remember significant positive information that will result in an offer.