Interviewing for a position in the legal industry can be different than looking for a job in any other sector. While the basic skills remain, such as selling your accomplishments and fitting in with the overall company culture, there is also added pressure on law professionals. You should always be prepared with good questions to ask the interviewer as well. These questions should definitely go beyond “what do you do here?” So what should you be asking when you are interviewing for your next legal job?
- What are the most important qualities someone should bring to this role? You want to know what they want. The most important thing when interviewing for a position within a legal firm is to know whether or not you will be given the tools to succeed. By asking them what they consider are the most important aspects of the job, you can tailor your own accomplishments to fit within their framework.
- What are your short and long-term expectations for this role? You also want to know what the future will hold for the job. While you may not get a promotion within the first month, you do want to know what the expectations are for this job in the long term. Find out what they expect out of this person immediately and what possible advancement opportunities exist within the company and the framework of this specific job.
- What do you like best about working here? This question demonstrates that you care what the company thinks about their employees as well. It is a personal question that will allow the interviewer to share their favorite things with you. The answers to this question will also give you an idea of what it is really like working within this office and what you can expect from the company culture.
- How do I compare to others you’ve interviewed already? It never hurts to measure up your competition. The problem is, in an interview situation you will probably never meet the others who are up for the same job. The best way to find out is to simply ask. This will also tell the interviewer that you’re serious about knowing whether or not you are in consideration.
- What is the next step in your interviewing process? Always end the interview by asking what the next step in the process will be. Rarely will you be offered a job on the spot so you need to find out when they expect to make a decision or if you will be meeting with other people in the firm before an offer is made. When you know this information it will give you a framework for following up.
Are you looking for the next step in your legal career? NRI Staffing is now hiring for legal jobs in DC so contact us today!
