Legal Interview Question 8 (with answer) - Why do you want to leave your current firm?
There is no answer to this question that will result in a positive response - there has to be a negative unfortunately!
The aim with all job interviews is to ensure that everything that is said is positive. If you say something negative, this always gives the interviewer something to come back on. Unfortunately this question does not leave much scope for avoiding this - a response like "I have come as far as I feel the firm can take me" is about as wishy washy an answer you can give and avoid the negative effects of a lot of other responses.
Saying something like "because my senior partner is the most irritating man I have ever met" will not go down well, nor will "I want to leave to avoid the harrassment of the secretaries". Very hard to avoid anything really, but think about it from the firm you are joining - the partners interviewing will immediately look into the future and imagine you going to another firm and complaining about them...!
Jonathan Fagan, MD of Ten-Percent Legal Recruitment - no.1 online UK legal recruitment agency - save time, skip the legal job boards and let us do the work - register online at www.ten-percent.co.uk/register.htm
There is no answer to this question that will result in a positive response - there has to be a negative unfortunately!
The aim with all job interviews is to ensure that everything that is said is positive. If you say something negative, this always gives the interviewer something to come back on. Unfortunately this question does not leave much scope for avoiding this - a response like "I have come as far as I feel the firm can take me" is about as wishy washy an answer you can give and avoid the negative effects of a lot of other responses.
Saying something like "because my senior partner is the most irritating man I have ever met" will not go down well, nor will "I want to leave to avoid the harrassment of the secretaries". Very hard to avoid anything really, but think about it from the firm you are joining - the partners interviewing will immediately look into the future and imagine you going to another firm and complaining about them...!
Jonathan Fagan, MD of Ten-Percent Legal Recruitment - no.1 online UK legal recruitment agency - save time, skip the legal job boards and let us do the work - register online at www.ten-percent.co.uk/register.htm
Comments
I have written a few articles in this area so was drawn to have a look at your 'interview questions series' when I spotted it on Louise's blog links page. Great idea, by the way, I may have to borrow it and break my articles up into a series of blogs.
Anyway, back to the reason for the comment:
I think that there is an almost right answer which is to say that you are not really looking and happy where you are but this job caught your attention and you were compelled to apply, esp since this is a company you have always considered would be great to work for... Clearly you cannot say this is you have been applying anywhere and everywhere for months (since it is likely this will be known) but it does emphasis the pull factor (attracted by the opportunity) rather than the push factor (what to leave where you are).