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Interview Answers 2

popular legal interview question: "Tell me about a time when you successfully handled a situation?"
This is a question that regularly throws candidates attending legal job interviews - yikes, what on earth do I say to that?! - usually our advice is to think of something before you go for the job interview for this question, and make sure it has no negative overtones. I once attended a Legal 500 firm in Leeds for an interview (they have now merged into something larger if that gives the game away!), and got asked two questions similar to this. I managed to incorporate two deaths from accidents into the answers, which I am not sure went down too well! I think it is a good idea to think of something related to time spent in a law firm if possible, and describe a situation that is going to keep the interviewers attention. I have heard people use the "when I taught TEFL in Japan I needed to organise the classroom and teach to the right age etc..." or "when I went BUNACamping in the USA I had to organise my bunkhouse". Thrilling - I am usually not listening by about the third word! If you had a situation such as the time you were working for a practice, and a client asked what you thought of a barrister as he hated him and wanted to sack him and the firm unless you sorted it out there and then, I would listen to every word you said. This is legally related, interesting, and catches every lawyers' ears!

Jonathan Fagan, MD of Ten-Percent Legal Recruitment - no.1 online legal recruitment agency - save time, skip the legal job boards and let us do the work - register online at http://www.ten-percent.co.uk/register.htm

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