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Impress at training contract interviews: are you a robust person?

Kirsten Maslen

13 Mar 2017

Every aspiring lawyer has to navigate a number of interviews, which present an opportunity to impress hiring partners and show them why you’d be a great fit for the firm. In this series, we look at some of the most common interview questions that applicants will face, and our expert team from Herbert Smith Freehills demonstrate what makes a good or bad answer – and why.

This week, we look at a characteristic that law firms will need from their trainees: robustness. The demands and pressure involved in stepping up from full-time study to a training contract are considerable, and employers want to be reassured that candidates are robust enough cope. This answer failed to convince.

Although it gave some insight into the candidate, it didn’t really respond to the question directly – what would her emotional response be to a high-pressure situation, and can she give an example to bolster her claim to be robust enough? It’s important to make sure that your answer directly addresses the issues being raised, rather than simply flagging issues you’re keen to talk about.

Next week, we tackle the last question in the current series: are you a follower or a leader? Come back next week to hear more, and don’t forget to share your interview tips, pitfalls and experiences at @TRLegalUKI.

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