interviews and assessment centres - the law society · interviews and assessment centres • career...

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Claire BowenCareers Adviser &Legal Recruitment Specialist

Interviews and Assessment Centres

• Career Change – 2005

• MSc Career Guidance

• Careers Wales

• Career & Recruitment Services

• Prosperous Legal Recruitment

• Types of Interview –

Telephone, Assessment, Panel?

• Understand you and Understand the role

• Answering Tough Interview Questions, STAR

Preparing for Interview

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Where and How to Research?

Employees

• What does the organisation do / make / sell?• Who are their customers• Who are their competitors• What exactly will the job involve• What sort of person does the employer want?

Performing at Interview

• Listening Skills• Dress Code• Smile• Body Language

Tips for Men - Safest Bet!•Clean Shaven•Short and Smart Haircut•Wear a belt•Dark, plain or simple tie

Tips for Women – Safest Bet!•Little / Natural Make up•No revealing clothes•Skirt should be knee length•Appropriate Shoes

Preparing for the law assessment centre

•Popular for vac schemes and training contracts

•Practical way to see a candidate perform

•Not necessary to feel pressured into the group leader role

•Normally 3 types of assessed exercise – Practical, Role Play,Discussion-based

•Consider the skills and qualities you will be assessed on

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Performing at a Law Assessment Centre

Assessors will be looking for:

•Team Work•Problem-solving•Ability to work to deadlines and under pressure•Decisiveness and critical thinking•Commercial Awareness

Thank you for listening

Any Questions?

Kathy JenkinsAssistant family law solicitor, CameronJones Hussell & Howe

President, Swansea & District JuniorLawyers Division 2016/2017

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How I Achieved myTraining Contract

• Swansea University Law Degree September 2008 - September 2011

• Swansea University LPC Course September 2011 – June 2012

• 4 months searching and applying for a Paralegal Job

• Working hard as a Paralegal 22 October 2012 - 02 April 2014

• Asking for a Training Contact

• Trainee 02 April 2014 - 16 February 2016

My Normal Day as aTraineeUpdating files

Legal Research

Meeting with clients and other parties

Generally Case Managing and communicatingwith parties and clients

Drafting Statements/Applications/otherdocuments

Attending Meetings/Court

Drafting and Processing Court Orders

Managing files (compliance, client care)

Advocacy

File Reviews

IT

Being supervised!

My Worst Day as a TraineeRunners Up:

•Office days (Chronologies/Timerecording/filing/processing/ensuring your files arecompliant)•Difficult Cases•Difficult Clients•Demanding Clients•Audit Days•Days Dealing with the Legal Aid Agency and its portal•Stressful days needing a great deal of work•Advocacy

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My Best Day as a Trainee

Runners Up:

•Winning a Case•Being a Detective/Discovering something•Being Praised/Recommended•A happy and grateful client/family•Achieving Something

Kathy Jenkins

Assistant Family Law Solicitor at Cameron Jones Hussell & HowePresident of the Swansea & District Junior Lawyers Division

[email protected] 1-3 Grove Place, Port Talbot, SA13 1HX01639 885261

Clive ThomasManaging partner, Watkins and GunnSolicitors

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How I got here

– Studied law at Aberystwyth University 1985-88

– Chester Law School in 1989 for my Finals

– Then started articles (Training Contract) in Cardiff in1989

– Qualified in 1991

Watkins and Gunn Solicitors

– Joined1991

– Traditional route –• Assistant Solicitor

• Associate

• Salaried Partner

• Equity Partner

• Managing Partner

– Now a 5 Partner high street firm withoffices - Cardiff, Newport and Pontypool

– Award winning, 6 Law Soc Quality Marks& recommended in Legal 500 andChambers

Staying Relevant

• What do you know aboutit?

– You qualified before I wasborn

– And you still call a TrainingContract “Articles”

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Staying Relevant

• What do I know about it?

– Trainee recruitment is part ofmy role at W&G and I am themain Training Principal

– My daughter Laura is a paralegal in Manchester…lookingfor a Training Contract

Will anywhere do?

• I’m desperate to qualify.Does it matter where Itrain?

– Understandable – but yes I’mafraid so!

– You are committing up to twoyears of your life and career

– It’s the final part of yourtraining and what makes youthe lawyer you willbecome…it matters

Finding the RightFirm/Organisation for you

• Top Tips !

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• Legal practice areas

– Select employers who practise inthe areas that interest you

– If not you may condemn yourself toworking in an area you don’t enjoyor having to retrain on qualification

– Don’t be too hasty - It may bedifferent in practice to theclassroom


• Geography

– Do you want to work abroad?

– Are you a Big City orRegional/Town/country person?

– University influence

– Friend group outside work


• Size

– Practice areas and client bases canclosely linked to size - but don’t befooled!

• International

• Major City

• Medium Sized City

• National

• Regional

• Specialist, Boutique, niche firms

• High Street

• In House

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• Business Model

– Which type of organisation best suitsyour future career?

• Traditional Partnership Model

• LLP

• Company

• New Model – ABS/ Platform

• In House

• Local Authority


• Quality of life

– Work/life balance

– Flexible hours

– Socials and/opportunity to work out

– Stress

– Long hours culture

– Working environment and facilities


• Training

– The structure and quality of legaltraining varies substantially

• Traditional model is for trainees tospend four six-month seats

• less time more seats

• Mixed bag no specific seats

• Niche firm only one area so possoutplacement

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• Culture

– What are they really like?

– Try and get under the bonnet• What is their ethos?

• What are their values and mission?

• Do they match yours?

• What is their attitude towards their staff?

• Is innovation and collaborationencouraged?

• What are their retention rates?


• Technology and the Future

– AI - a business that embracesprocess and technology

– Innovation and creativity – in aturbulent legal market

– Briggs Report - Online courts –reforms modernising justice.

– Strategic plan“Skate where the puck’s going, not

where it’s been.” Wayne Gretzky


• Self- evaluation

– Be honest with yourself - forget CVjargon -

• What do you really like and dislike?

• What environment would you like to work in

now and in the future?

• Which business model do you prefer?

• What is important to you – ie money, career,collaborative working, flexible hours etc

• What are you honestly suited for -consideringyour academic qualifications & personal skillset

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• Summary of Top Tips

– Areas of work

– Geography

– Size

– Business Model

– Quality of life

– Training

– Culture

– Technology

– Self-evaluation


• Do your Homework

– Research online

– Firm Websites

– Chambers and Legal 500

– Speak to Practitioners and other juniorlawyers

– Attend JLD events

– Legal fairs etc

– NB Work experience iskey…watching Suits is not enough!


• Don’t blow it!

– Avoid typos and clichés• We can all “work on our own and as part of a

team”

• Socialising with your friends isn’t a valuablehobby or interest!

– [email protected] isn’t anappropriate address

– Make clear in your covering letter andinterview how much thought you haveput into your application

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Thank you for listening…andgood luck!

Commercial awareness: What is it,why do I need it, how can Idemonstrate I have it (and how canI attain it if I don’t have it already)?

Angharad Jones, trainee solicitor,Hugh James Solicitors

Commercial Awareness

What is it, Why do I need it, How can I demonstrate it and Howcan I attain it if I don’t have it already?

What?

How?

Why?How?

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Commercial Awareness

• What is it?

• Why need it?

• How to demonstrate it?

• How to attain it if I don’t already have it?

• Practical ways to attain it

• The use of Social Media to attain it

• How is it tested in the Training Contract Applicationprocess?

Staying up to dateon daily happeningsand developmentsin the business andcommercial world

What is it?

What is it?

Law

Business

CommerceNational

EconomyLocal

International

Interactionbetween

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Why need it?

Clients expect their lawyers to understandthe influence of external factors

Clients expect their lawyers to makeus of resources at hand

Clients expect their lawyers tounderstand their business

How to demonstrate it?

Vacation SchemesInterviewsAssessment DaysApplication forms

How to attain it?

TV

PublicationsWebsites

Newspapers Books

EmailAlerts

Blogs

ResearchKeep up todate

Podcasts

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Practical Ways to attain it?

Extra Curricular

Pro Bono

Volunteering

Part time jobs

Internships

Work Experience

Firm Open Days

Using Social Media

• Company pages

• Published blogs

• Discussion on developments

LinkedIn

• @ReutersUK

• @LegalWeek

• @BusinessinWales

• @LawSocWales

• @BBCWales

Twitter

How is it tested?

Direct questions

Indirect questions

Presentations

Questions about the firm

Interest in Commercial Awareness

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Top Tips

Tailor CommercialAwareness

Read relevant literature

Be Pro-Active

Research

Any Questions?

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