INTERVIEWING at a glance

HOW DO I PREPARE FOR AN INTERVIEW?

• Research the employer and the interviewers. The Career Services Office Resource Library has law firm directories, files, and other information. Westlaw and Lexis-Nexis also have directories of information on law firms, corporations, individual attorneys, and judges.
  
• Martindale Hubbell and the National Directory of Legal Employers contain law firm profiles for many law firms around the country. Both of these directories include lists of major clients.
  
• Don't forget to check the Internet. Many large law firms have home pages as do most corporations. There are also sites such as Hoover's Online (http://www.hoovers.com) which will give you financial information about public corporations.
  
• Talk to your networking contacts. Ask them for referrals to other people who may have information about the employer or the interviewer. Ask them for any advice on the firm or corporate culture.
  
• Prepare yourself with examples of key achievements or times you demonstrated sought after qualities. Anticipate difficult questions, and prepare your answers.
  
• Prepare questions to ask during the interview. Think about what you are asking and what you hope to learn with the answer. The questions you ask should show that you have researched the firm or organization.
  
• Make an appointment with a career advisor at the Career Services Office to go over your interview preparation and style if you have questions or want a critique of your interview style.

WHAT SHOULD I DO DURING THE INTERVIEW?

• Identify with the employer. Use the information you learned about the organization to show you understand the employer's needs and can help solve their problems.
  
• Communicate a strong desire to work for the employer.
  
• Provide specific examples of past success or situations you handled well.
  
• Use upbeat words and phrases to create a positive atmosphere during the interview. Use active verbs and speak in a confident tone.
  
• Echo the language used in the employer's own information.
  
• Ask focused questions. Use the first person when asking your questions. It forces the interviewers to visualize you as an employee.
  
• Find out their time frame for making a decision.

WHAT SHOULD I DO AFTER THE INTERVIEW?

• Make some notes about the interview particularly the names of all the people you met and anything new that you learned about the employer.
  
• Write thank you letters to your interviewer(s) within 24 hours of the interview. Express your continued interest in the position and the firm. Refer to information you learned at the interview. Address any issues raised during the interview.
  
• If you haven't heard anything after a few weeks, follow up with a phone call or another letter.
  
• Keep the employer updated with any changes in your status such as graduation, bar passage or a new achievement (e.g., an invitation to join law review).