I have an interview tomorrow

[brierebecca 0]

And I'm totally freaking out about it. Any advice? It's my only interview so far, in a city where my school has no contacts. It was the only firm which responded to my resume canvassing attempt. I feel like it's my only shot.

Brie

"Ive seen you hump air, hump the floor of the plane, and hump legs. You now have a new nickname: "Black Humper of Death"--yardhippie

[lisamariewillbe 1]

Its not your only shot. Nothing will be your only shot unless you want it to. You will do great at the interview. Your smart, warm and caring. My advice, be prepared, be confident, and regardless of what happens tomorrow learn something. Let us know how it goes and good luck.

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[NWFlyer 2]

Quote

Its not your only shot. Nothing will be your only shot unless you want it to.

Yep, what she said. Go into this interview relaxed and with an open mind, and make sure you check them out as much as they're checking you out.

And keep networking!

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[ntacfreefly 0]

I am going to fart on your pillow before you get to our place tonight.

Stop worrying, it'll only show in the interview. Be confident without being arrogant or cocky and let the cards fall where they may.

To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders. ~ Lao-Tzu

It's all good, they're my brothers ~ Mariann Kramer

[lisamariewillbe 1]

Quote

I am going to fart on your pillow before you get to our place tonight

Now you warned her so she can trade pillows with Travis.

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[Flying_Penguin 0]

Just like jumping, the before is the scarry -once your there no worries, at worst you get better at the process, and I bet you have great shot,

where did you do Law school?

Blue Skies

[brierebecca 0]

Quote

where did you do Law school?

FSU. Thanks for the words of encouragement guys. I'm trying not to worry about it, but it's hard.

Brie

"Ive seen you hump air, hump the floor of the plane, and hump legs. You now have a new nickname: "Black Humper of Death"--yardhippie

[freeflir29 0]

Just make sure you find out as much about the company as possible. Know everything you can about the job you are interviewing for. And...........RELAX.

[DavidST 0]

wear a suit be relaxed be confident and be ready to answer question about Goals and Strengths and weaknesses.

I always find it useful to have a few questions of my own like

"What would i be doing on a day to day basis"
Or
"how do you see my role 6 months from now"

Stuff like that gets them thinking of you in the position.

As a general rule, the better it felt when you said it, the more trouble it's going to get you into.

[sickandtwisted 0]

Where's the interview (what city)?

Good Luck!

Skymama stalker #69!!!!

[brierebecca 0]

Quote

Where's the interview (what city)?

Chattanooga. We'll be at SA on Saturday, I'll let you know how it went.

Brie

"Ive seen you hump air, hump the floor of the plane, and hump legs. You now have a new nickname: "Black Humper of Death"--yardhippie

[jshatzkin 0]

And remember you are interviewing them as well! You are deciding if they are a fit for you. Don't go in there thinking this will be your only shot at a job. And yes, find out as much as possible about the company, their mission statement, core values, population served etc...
They will probably ask why you wanted to become a lawyer. Good luck,..you'll rock da house!

Jen

[Andy9o8 0]

Quote

Occupation: disgruntled law student

Don't listen to these other people. It absolutely IS your only shot. You screw this up, then just like Bluto in Animal House, that'll be 7 years of college right down the drain. Your career will wither before it ever starts. You will become destitute, and eventually homeless. Your teeth will fall out. Your family will laugh and throw things at you, and eventually try to sell you. You'll wind up living in a cardboard box, or a tent on a drop zone.

So good luck, girl. It's now or never. Ever.

[littleskycrab 0]

I've been working with Attorneys for 15 years, sometimes the interviews can be a little scary, but you know what? You'll be just fine. One pointer about interviews with Attys - stick to the question asked and limit personal details. Try not to volunteer info. and make sure to ask ALOT of questions. In my experience, they tend to hide things that are less than flattering to the firm. ie: "everyone here gets along great", then you join the firm, only to find out that "certain" people get along & the rest is a bunch of drama. Oh, take notes during this interview, you'll want to refer back to them before choosing if you want to take the job. It will also limit the amount of "crap" that they feed you . This advice is based only on my experience.

This will not be your only offer. You are a intelligent, beautiful and confident woman! Here's wishing you the best of luck. You'll do great!

Next time a sunrise steals your breath or a meadow of flowers leaves you speechless, remain that way. Say nothing and listen as heaven whispers, "Do you like it? I did it just for you."

[Jewels 0]

I have SO been there, but don't worry. You want this to be truly right and not just an offer. My first job out of law school was with a firm that gave me an offer I wasn't crazy about, and I took it just to get a foot in the door. I did get experience, but I didn't enjoy much of my time there.

Is it a big firm or a small firm? Know their practice areas, in any event, and see what information you can get about the lawyers ahead of time--www.martindale.com. You'll probably meet with a panel of attorneys or be shuffled from office to office so that you meet with several--and you'll have pretty much the same conversation, over and over. I will say, much to my chagrin, that most attorneys are NOT good interviewers, so if you can bring good conversation to the table and simultaneously convey something about who you are and what you want to do, it should go well!

GOOD LUCK!

TPM Sister #102

[brierebecca 0]

Quote

Is it a big firm or a small firm? Know their practice areas, in any event, and see what information you can get about the lawyers ahead of time--www.martindale.com.

It's a medium-sized firm. They work in the area of law I'm most interested in, which is making me more nervous because I REALLY want the job. I've been all over their website and martindale. They're AV rated, an have a great reputation.

I have a long interview (probably shuffling from office to office), then lunch with three of the partners in the litigation area (where I want to practice).

I have a nice clean suit and I've been practicing answering questions while I'm driving alone in my car. I've gotten some weird looks.

Brie

"Ive seen you hump air, hump the floor of the plane, and hump legs. You now have a new nickname: "Black Humper of Death"--yardhippie

[Jewels 0]

A long interview, complete with lunch, is a very good sign! You'll be terrific, I'm sure.

What's their practice area? Whatever you can do to express the fact that this is your chosen area of law should also be helpful, because it's an interview and EVERYONE is going to swear that that's what they want to do. Sincerity goes a long way. If you can tie in a relevant class that you particularly enjoyed or any other activities to show that you're really interested in their field would be helpful.

Wish I knew some people in TN. I can't help with law firms there, but I do have some friends in Atlanta. If you ever decide to go a little further south, I can try to help expand your network in that direction!

Julie

TPM Sister #102

[Zeppo 0]

As a person who's been on the hiring side, I have some tips that can help. (keep in mind, that I'm in business, and that's how I'll write this. I have no idea what sort of job you are applying for)

A few things about interviews in general. Once they call you in for an interview, they are already impressed with your qualifications. The interview is just a personality assessment, and also a means for the interview to judge how well you understand the position and it's duties.

Pre Interview.

1. Research. Be sure to read up on the company. You need only spend about 30 minutes, but get an idea of what they do, and any recent products they've just released. This will show them that their company is important (as though only a fool wouldn't have heard of them before)

2. Understand the Position. Read through the job description a few times and get a thorough understanding of what is involved. It sounds like you are just out of school so what I recommend is preparing some stories of projects you've done in school that directly relates to the duties that you will be performing at the new job.

3. Dress for success. You should try to look your absolute best, but also try to wear something that makes you feel comfortable. You don't want the feeling of being uncomfortable coming across during the interview.

During the Interview

1. Be CONFIDENT. This cannot be stressed enough. You need to be absolutely confident in yourself and your abilities. Your confidence will be stressed in the manner in which you speak, and even your posture. And of course, a firm handshake is always a good thing.

2. Be Honest. Honesty always goes a long way (unless you stole from you previous employer, were fired, and brought up on charges...you may just want to leave that part out...) Just tell the interviewer like it is, but also always try to make yourself sound like to "good guy".

3. Be sure to site specific things that you have done in the past that will make you a great addition to their team.

4. RELAX. Just like skydiving, you need to relax, but you also need to focus. You can't have you mind racing 100 miles an hour, you have to make sure you are thinking clearly. My boss used to call it being "scatter-brained". When you are speaking, make sure you have a clear linear structure to your sentences. Don't feel the need that you always need to be talking, if you need a moment to think about your answer, then take a moment, it will show your boss that you do take the time to think things through.

5. Strenghts and weaknesses. You can be sure that he will ask about this. Your strengths should be easy to list, be proud of them. Your weaknesses however, can be more difficult to get across. Find a weakness, but also state your methods for overcoming that weakness. For example. If you are not great with computer, but you are taking a part time course to improve. it shows that you are trying to over come your weaknesses. Being able to recognize and have a plan to overcome your weakness if very important for long term employment, as it also helps you grow and develop. (just think back to when you were learning to skydive)

6. Ask questions. Don't be afraid to ask questions either during or after the interview. Key questions to AVOID at this point. How much does it pay? What are the benefits? Ask those types of questions once they are more serious about the offer. (be sure though, to have a keen understanding of what the position is worth, because most employers to ask you what you want to make)

Some example questions.

What sort of growth opportunities exist with the corporation?

Has the company considered expanding their product line? Delving into an entirely different industry?

You can see how these questions are worded. You want to show that you are interested about the future of the company, and how you can become successful within it.

I think I've gone on and on now, so I'll stop here. (I'm not even sure what I've wrote anymore, I've been writing it, as I've been working) Anyone else feel free to comment on my advice.

Good luck, I'm sure you'll do great.

Blue Skies.

What goes up, must come DOWN!!!

[jshatzkin 0]

Quote

Don't listen to these other people. It absolutely IS your only shot. You screw this up, then just like Bluto in Animal House, that'll be 7 years of college right down the drain. Your career will wither before it ever starts. You will become destitute, and eventually homeless. Your teeth will fall out. Your family will laugh and throw things at you, and eventually try to sell you. You'll wind up living in a cardboard box, or a tent on a drop zone.

So good luck, girl. It's now or never. Ever

I was not meaning to blow it off! People who already have high anxiety, especially the interview anxiety, become more anxious, sometimes having it show in the interview, when thinking it is their only shot. If you already have mounted anxiety, and I presume there is or she would not have posted,..relaxing by telling yourself it is not the last job on Earth will help keep you calm!

Jen

[brierebecca 0]

Quote

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quote
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Don't listen to these other people. It absolutely IS your only shot. You screw this up, then just like Bluto in Animal House, that'll be 7 years of college right down the drain. Your career will wither before it ever starts. You will become destitute, and eventually homeless. Your teeth will fall out. Your family will laugh and throw things at you, and eventually try to sell you. You'll wind up living in a cardboard box, or a tent on a drop zone.

So good luck, girl. It's now or never. Ever

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


I was not meaning to blow it off! People who already have high anxiety, especially the interview anxiety, become more anxious, sometimes having it show in the interview, when thinking it is their only shot. If you already have mounted anxiety, and I presume there is or she would not have posted,..relaxing by telling yourself it is not the last job on Earth will help keep you calm!

Actually, his response was my favorite. It made me smile. He really made my line of thought seem ridiculous (a CLASSIC legal argument technique: make it easy to identify the twit - nobody wants to get in bed with stupid), and I've been laughing at myself since then.

Brie

"Ive seen you hump air, hump the floor of the plane, and hump legs. You now have a new nickname: "Black Humper of Death"--yardhippie

[goofyjumper 0]

Just be yourself and I am sure you will be fine.

-----------------
I love and Miss you so much Honey!
Orfun #3 ~ Darla

[Revillusion 0]

Make sure you wear your Bill O'Reilly or Hannity & Colmes lapel pin ....
Good Luck, see ya Saturday

VIRTUS JUNXIT MORS NON SEPARABIT

[jshatzkin 0]

You'll do great!

Jen

[yardhippie 0]

You sound like Hottie.
(Im sure Travis has told you this, as well as many others)
Relax, if youre tense, it can set the mood for the meeting.
Be confident (not conceded): youre smart and youve worked hard to get where youre at, relay that to your interviewer.
Sell yourself: aka putting your best foot forward. Even if its a little thing find a way that its applicable to their firm and explain how it will help them.
Smile, be polite, and dont be afraid to ask for the job at the end, if you want it.

Good luck girlie! Hope to see you Saturday!

Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD
"What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me
"Anything you want." ~ female skydiver
Mohoso Rodriguez #865

[doaster 0]

Ahhh law firm work.

Remember the small talk, your an attorney, they are attorneys, they will already expect you to know them and the law. That is a given. They are looking for a person, not just another attorney. Hundreds of applicants out there. You got the interview because they were interested. They are going to lunch and not billing hours because they expect a strong candidate. Be polite engage in small talk, ask polite questions. Here is a great hint.. All attorneys have degrees on their "ego walls" take notice of where your interviewers went to school. i.e a rival to FSU? Have fun relax and learn.

Good luck