Interview

Compiled By:
Samraat Singh

Introduction:
An interview is a conversation where questions are asked and answers are given. In common
parlance, the word "interview" refers to a one-on-one conversation with one person acting in
the role of the interviewer and the other in the role of the interviewee. The interviewer asks
questions, the interviewee responds, with participants taking turns talking. Interviews usually
involve a transfer of information from interviewee to interviewer, which is usually the
primary purpose of the interview, although information transfers can happen in both
directions simultaneously. One can contrast an interview which involves bi-directional
communication with a one-way flow of information, such as a speech or oration.
Interviews usually take place face to face and in person, although modern communications
technologies such as the Internet have enabled conversations to happen in which parties are
separated geographically, such as with videoconferencing software, and of course telephone
interviews can happen without visual contact. Interviews almost always involve spoken
conversation between two or more parties, although in some instances a "conversation" can
happen between two persons who type questions and answers back and forth. Interviews can
range from unstructured or free-wheeling and open-ended conversations in which there is no
predetermined plan with prearranged questions, to highly structured conversations in which
specific questions occur in a specified order.They can follow diverse formats; for example, in
a ladder interview, a respondent's answers typically guide subsequent interviews, with the
object being to explore a respondent's subconsciousmotives. Typically the interviewer has
some way of recording the information that is gleaned from the interviewee, often by writing
with a pencil and paper, sometimes transcribing with a video or audio recorder, depending on
the context and extent of information and the length of the interview. Interviews have
duration in time, in the sense that the interview has a beginning and an ending.

Interviews can happen in a wide variety of contexts:

Employment - Interviews in an employment context are typically called job interviews
which describe a formal consultation for the purpose of evaluating the qualifications of the
interviewee for a specific position. Interviews are seen as a useful tool in assessing
qualifications.A specific type of job interview is a case interview in which the applicant is
presented with a question or task or challenge, and asked to resolve the situation. Sometimes
to prepare for job interviews, candidates are treated to a mock interview as a training exercise
to prepare the respondent to handle questions in the subsequent 'real' interview. Sometimes
the interviews happen in several waves, with the first interview sometimes being called a
screening interview which is a shorter length interview, followed by more in-depth interviews
later on, usually by company personnel who can ultimately hire the applicant.
Psychology - Psychologists use a variety of interviewing methods and techniques to try to
understand and help their patients. In a psychiatric interview, a psychiatrist or psychologist or
nurse asks a battery of questions to complete what is called a psychiatric assessment.
Sometimes two people are interviewed by an interviewer, with one format being called
couple interviews. Criminologists and detectives sometimes use cognitive interviews on
eyewitnesses and victims to try to ascertain what can be recalled specifically from a crime
scene, hopefully before the specific memories begin to fade in the mind.
Research -In marketing research and academic research, interviews are used in a wide
variety of ways. Interviews are often used in qualitative research in which firms try to
understand how consumers think. Consumer research firms sometimes use computer-assisted
telephone interviewing to randomly dial phone numbers to conduct highly structured
telephone interviews, with scripted questions and responses entered directly into the
computer.
Journalism and other media - Typically, reporters covering a story in journalism conduct
interviews over the phone and in person to gain information for subsequent publication.
Reporters can interview political candidates on television shows. In a talk show, a radio or
television "host" interviews one or more people, with the choice of topic usually being
chosen by the host, sometimes for the purposes of entertainment, sometimes for informational
purposes.
Other situations - Sometimes college representatives or alumni conduct college interviews
with prospective students as a way of assessing a student's suitability while offering the
student a chance to learn more about a college. Some services specialize in coaching people
for interviews.

Types of Interview:

It's not always quick and easy to get hired. The job interview process can be lengthy. Being
interviewed once and getting a job offer is typically a thing of the past. Today, many
companies have an involved interview process starting with screening interviews, which
often take place on the phone, followed by in-person interviews, second interviews, and even
third interviews.

A screening interview: Type of job interview that is conducted to determine if the applicant
has the qualifications needed to do the job for which the company is hiring. A screening
interview is typically the first interview in the hiring process if the company does not start
with open interviews where multiple candidates are screened at an open hiring event.

A phone interview: Employers use phone interviews to identify and recruit candidates for
employment. Phone interviews are often used to narrow the pool of applicants who will be
invited for in-person interviews. For remote jobs, interviewing by phone, Skype or video
may be how you get hired.

A first interview: The first in-person job interview is typically a one-on-one interview
between the applicant and a hiring manager. The interviewer will ask questions about the
applicant's experience and skills, work history, availability, and the qualifications the
company is seeking in the optimal candidate for the job.

A second interview: can be a more in-depth one-on-one interview with the person you
originally interviewed with or it can be a day-long interview that includes meetings with
company staff. You may meet with management, staff members, executives, and other
company employees. Once you're scheduled for a second interview, you're most likely in
serious contention for the job.

A third interview: When you have made it through the first interview, then a second
interview you might think you're done with the interview process and you'll soon find out
whether you'll be receiving a job offer. That's not necessarily the case. You may have to
participate in a third interview and possible more interviews after that. A third interview
typically involves a final meeting with the hiring manager, and may provide the
opportunity to meet more of your prospective colleagues.

A dining interview: Dining with a job applicants allows employers to review your
communication and interpersonal skills, as well as your table manners, in a more relaxed
(for them) environment. Depending on the interview process of the company you're

interviewing with and the type of job you are applying for you may be invited to a lunch or
dinner interview.

The final interview: is the last step in the interview process and the interview where you
may find out whether or not you are going to get a job offer. Here's information on
preparing for an interview when you have already met with the company multiple times,
and advice on how to handle a final interview.

There are certain hygiene tips which should generally be followed by all the interviewees,
which are stated under:
Knowledge of what you have written in your resume
Presence of mind
Punctuality
Multiple copies of resume, credentials and photos
Recall all your past achievements

If we are talking about interviewees, I would like to focus on interviewers also. They have an
equally major role to play and some of the rules they should be taking care of are:
Keep the Questions Focused
Avoid Certain Topics
Keep Proper Records

It takes a lot of efforts from the interviewers for an interview to be good. Additionally, there
are some points that must be considered by an interview if he actually expects an interview to
be effective.
Here are some points to be considered for a Good Interview:
Facilitate open communication

Treat every candidate equitably

Be careful not to offend candidates of any age, sex, race, religious background, etc.
Avoid argument
Acknowledge the candidates enthusiasm
There are many pros and cons in every type of interview, it all depends on the interviewee,
how does he or she takes the conversation to their side and turn the table around. Here are
some examples through which I can explain.
THE TRAINED INTERVIEWER:The trained interviewer has been educated on effective
interviewing strategies and will have a set of questions they want to ask to get at specific
issues important to the firm. For example, to test your interest in a long term commitment to
the firm, a trained interviewer may ask, "Where do you see yourself in 10 years?" as well as
subtler questions such as "What do you think makes a good attorney?" and "What type of
practice are you interested in?" The trained interviewer is looking to see if your answers to
these questions envision a career at a firm like theirs and to see that you understand what that
career will actually be like, not just as a first year associate but as you progress up the career
ladder.
The trained interviewer is also the most likely to ask behavioral questions like, "Tell me about
a time you faced a challenge at work and how you overcame it," or "Tell me about a time you
went above and beyond the call of duty at work." To be prepared for these types of questions,
you want to think about experiences at each of your previous jobs, or in school activities,
where you faced challenges, made mistakes and had to correct them, worked overtime to get
things done, etc.
Even though the trained interviewer is more likely to ask more questions than other types of
interviewers, most will leave time at the end of the interview for you to ask questions. They
will be analyzing the questions that you ask just as they analyze the answers you've been
giving. Be sure to have firm-specific questions ready for these interviewers. If all you ask are
generic questions ("Tell me about your summer program."), they may get the impression that
you are not specifically interested in their firm. Simply tweaking the question "I saw on your website that you have an extensive mentoring program as a part of the
summer associate experience. Can you tell me more about it?"
- shows that you took the time to research the firm and indicates that you are specifically
interested in working there.

PROS: This is not an interview that you will have to run. The interviewer has an agenda and
will ask the questions to get through it. This type of interview really gives you a chance to
shine - if you have prepared thoroughly, you will be able to respond to the interviewer's
questions with highlights from your work and school experiences and with your thoughts on
how you are a great match for the firm. It is an opportunity to sell the best that you have to
offer.
CONS: Unprepared students can have trouble with these types of interviews as they feel "put
on the spot" and become frustrated when they feel that they aren't giving the interviewer the
"right" answers. Be sure the check out our handouts for a list of questions to prepare for as
well as ideas for questions to ask.
Practice both your answers and your questions out loud to make sure that they come out right.
Come meet with a counselor in the Career Services Office for a mock interview. Knowing
that you have a good answer for even the most daunting question, especially if there are
questions that you dread being asked in an interview, will allow you to go into every
interview at your most comfortable and confident.

THE RESUME REVIEWER: The resume reviewer has probably not been trained in
interviewing techniques or is specifically unprepared to interview you (i.e. did not have time
to read your resume before the interview). To make the interview run smoothly, this
interviewer will simply run down your resume from top to bottom, asking you questions
about each entry: "Tell me about law school at Loyola," "Why did you choose University X
for undergrad?" "Tell me about working for Judge X this summer," and "Tell me about
working for Company X before law school."
PROS: In many ways, this is the best type of interview to have. The questions are not
challenging and it gives you the opportunity to talk about the highlights from each entry on
your resume. You do need to be prepared to discuss your resume, however, so before your
interviews, you should review your resume to make sure that you have something to say
about each entry. Do not list positions on your resume that happened so long ago that you
can't remember much of what you did. If you have publications on your resume, be sure to
review them so that you can speak intelligently about them - if your undergrad thesis was on
Henry James, you may run into an interviewer who is a Henry James fan - and you should be
prepared to talk intelligently about his work!
If the bulk of your work experience prior to law school was non-law related, you will need to
think of ways that you can spin those experiences as beneficial to your future law jobs:
Any position in which you had contact with customer can be used to show your
people skills.
Any position in which you were responsible for high-volume office work, no matter
how boring (data entry, filing, etc.), can be used to show that you understand the
importance of attention to detail.

Any position in which you were responsible for the work of others, even if you were
simply managing other counselors at a camp, can be used to show your ability to work
well with others, delegate tasks, and take responsibility for the end product of team
work.
Having a few specific and conversation-inducing hobbies or interests on your resume (e.g.
French/Thai cooking, Science Fiction novels, competing in triathlons) can also help to spark
conversation in this type of interview.
CONS: Especially in 20-minute screening interviews, going through your whole resume may
use up the entire interview, leaving you little time to ask questions about the firm or develop a
rapport with the interviewer. To address this issue, make sure that you have a few questions
prepared that will logically flow from your answers about your resume and will let you turn
the interview into a conversation, rather than a one-sided Q&A session. For example, after
talking about the entry on your resume from your time as an extern for a bankruptcy judge,
you can mention your interest in the firm's bankruptcy practice. Conclude your answer with "Firm X's strong bankruptcy practice is one of the reasons I'm so excited about the firm - do
summer associates often have the chance to do assignments for the bankruptcy group?"
- To show that you are specifically interested in the firm that you are interviewing with and to
break up the "resume review" by giving the interviewer the chance to talk about the firm.

THE "WHAT CAN I TELL YOU ABOUT THE FIRM OR COLLEGE?"

INTERVIEWER:The "what can I tell you about the firm?" interviewer begins the interview
with "What can I tell you about the firm?" and just continues to ask "What else can I tell you
about the firm?" after every answer she/he gives to your questions.
Why would an interviewer conduct an interview this way? Either s/he is too
unprepared/tired/uninspired to come up with questions to ask you, or s/he believes that letting
you run the interview by asking the questions will reveal how serious you are about a career
as a firm attorney and how serious you are about their firm in particular. In either case, you'll
need to be prepared to run the interview when you encounter this type of interviewer.
PROS: If you are prepared for this type of interview, it gives you the opportunity to show
your interest in the firm and what a good match you would be for the firm through the
questions you ask. Because so many students are not prepared for, or do not feel comfortable
with, this type of interview, a well-prepared student can really stand out and impress the
interviewer.
How to prepare? Make sure that you have research the firm thoroughly - by reviewing their
NALP form onwww.nalpdirectory.com, by reviewing the firm's website to see what public
image they are trying to create, by talking with upperclassmen and alums who have worked at

the firm, by running Google searches on the firm, by reading legal periodicals for stories
about the firm, etc. Then formulate as many questions as you can based on your research:
"I noticed in an article in Crain's Chicago Business that you recently defeated class
certification in a huge case against your client, MegaCorp X. Does the firm handle a lot of
class action defense at that level?"
"I see from your website that the firm has set class year experience benchmarks for its
associates. Can you tell me more about the formal and informal associate development
strategies at your firm?"
"Before meeting with you, I had a chance to talk with Susan Student about her summer with
your law firm law year. She was very impressed by the collaborative, open-door feel she got
from associates and partners alike. How would you describe the firm culture?"
Another good strategy is to try to engage the interviewer on a more individual level. Ask how
the interviewer came to the firm - through the summer associate program, as a lateral
associate, or as a lateral partner? Ask why they were attracted to the firm and what their
favorite thing about practicing there is. If you are interviewing with an associate, ask what
their typical case/deal load looks like. If you are interviewing with a partner, as what types of
clients they deal with. People love to talk about themselves, so these types of questions may
help start a good conversation with an otherwise very passive interviewer.
CONS: The downside of this type of interview, even if you come up with dozens of excellent
questions, is that it keeps the focus on the firm and not on your skills and accomplishments
that set you apart from the competition. In addition to preparing questions to ask about the
firm, you will also want to prepare a few questions that will direct the interviewer to your
resume and hopefully catch their interest enough to get them to break up their routine and ask
you a few questions. Good examples of this type of question are:
"As you can see from my resume, I spent this summer in the in-house counsel department of
Corporation X, where I had the opportunity to do some work on securities issues. That
experience really sparked my interest in securities law. Can you tell me a bit about the firm's
securities practice?"
The logical follow up for the interviewer would be to ask "What else did you do while at
Corporation X?"or "How did you enjoy your summer at Corporation X?" - So be sure that
you have lots to say to that type of follow up question.
"As you can see from my resume, I worked for Judge Smarty-Pants this summer. When he
learned of my interest in white-collar criminal defense, he recommended that I contact your
firm because of your excellent reputation in the area. What percentage of your litigation
practice would you say criminal defense accounts for?"
And expect follow up questions about what working for the judge was like and what sparked
your interest in white-collar criminal defense.

THE AGGRESSIVE INTERVIEWER:The aggressive interviewer is one who takes an

aggressive or challenging tone with an interviewee just to see how they respond. The
interviewer may point to the weakest grade on your transcript and ask, "What happened in
Torts?" or will point out that the firm's practice is largely transactional, when all of the
experience on your resume is litigation based, and ask, "Why are you interviewing with
us?" If there are no obvious weaknesses in your resume or transcript for them to pick on, they
may ask questions like "Do you really think that you have what it takes to be a
lawyer?" or "Do you honestly think that students straight out of law school are worth $160k a
year?"
The goal of all of these questions is simply to see how you react to aggressive questioning and reacting calmly and professionally is the only way to go. If you do have a weakness on
your resume or transcript, you need to be prepared to discuss it and to show that you've
analyzed what happened and taken steps to ensure that it won't happen again "Although I
loved my Torts class and feel that I learned a lot, I had a terrible exam. I didn't allocate my
time well and didn't spend nearly enough time on the question that counted the most. I
learned from that experience that I really need to read the entire exam before I begin writing
and set time limits for each question. Since then, I've handled exams much more effectively."
For more general aggressive questions, just keep your cool and answer as professionally as
possible. Often this type of interviewer is less interested in the substance of your responses
than your ability to respond to the questions comfortably.
PROS: As unpleasant as an interview with an aggressive interview may be, this type of
interview can be a great opportunity to explain any weakness you may have as a candidate
and to score big points by showing that you can remain upbeat and professional under
pressure. Law is a profession where you will often encounter aggressive and challenging
opposing counsel, judges, sometimes even clients and co-workers. Showing an interviewer
that you can keep your cool demonstrates that you are ready to practice law.
CONS: Unprepared students can be so rattled by an aggressive interviewer, or even just an
aggressive question or two, that they can't recover, even if the interviewer moves on to more
neutral territory later in the interview. Make sure that you are prepared to address any
weaknesses in your candidacy - lack of experience in the specific practice area, poor grades,
etc. - calmly and professionally. Practice these answers out loud to yourself, with trusted
friends, and/or in a mock interview with a Career Services counselor. Knowing that you have
answers ready for any question that comes your way can help you enter this type of interview
confidently. Also remind yourself while you are in this type of interview that the "attack" is
not personal. If an interviewer takes an aggressive tone with you, they probably approach all
interviews that way. You may leave feeling like the interviewer didn't like you, but the
interviewer may leave feeling like you handled their questions better than anyone else they
saw that day.

THE CHATTY INTERVIEWER:The chatty interviewer doesn't ask you hard hitting
questions, discuss your resume in detail, or tell you all that much about the firm. Instead, the
chatty interviewer will begin the interview by letting you know that you went to the same
university and will ask you about favorite professors, hangouts, campus events, etc.; or s/he
will note that you live in the same neighborhood and you will start discussing local
restaurants and bars, how frustrating it is not to have a closer Target, how bad parking is and
where to find hidden spots, etc.; or s/he will open with a remark about last night's Bears game
which will launch you into a 20 minute discussion about sports that will take up the entire
interview.
PROS: This kind of interview can be the most enjoyable for the interviewee. Rather than
feeling interviewed, you feel like you are making a new friend. Often, this type of interview
means that you are totally acceptable to the firm on paper - your grades, background, and
experience are exactly what the firm is looking for - and the interviewer is just trying to get a
feel for you as a person. If you find yourself in this type of interview, relax and enjoy
yourself, but do note our advice in the "cons" section below.
CONS: You don't get to highlight your strengths as a candidate or show your specific interest
in the firm if you spend the whole interview chatting. As noted above, if the interviewer is
comfortable just chatting with you, it probably means that they don't have any serious
questions about your qualifications. However, what you want to guard against is the
interviewer who isn't really doing their job. They may be prepared to go back to the hiring
committee and recommend that you be extended a call-back or offer based on their reading of
your resume and the great rapport you had in the interview. But the hiring committee may
have tougher questions about you that your interviewer won't be able to respond to if you
spent the whole interview just chatting.
Remember that it is your job to arm the interviewer with the backup that they need to make a
case for hiring you. If you want your interviewer to be an effective advocate for you within
the firm, you want to make sure that you communicate a few essential pieces of information
about yourself in every interview that you have - why you are specifically interested in that
firm and what in your background and experience makes you a good fit.
Identify your absolute "must make" points - one or two highlights from your background and
experience that you need to make sure they are aware of (e.g. you are interested in their tax
practice because you are a CPA and worked in the field for five years before going to law
school) and one or two reasons that you are specifically interested in the firm (e.g. the firm's
small size or the recommendation by the judge you worked for who knows you well and
thinks you would be a great fit for the firm). Then, if you fear that the entire interview is
going to be spent chatting, see if you can turn the conversation back to the firm once or twice,
just long enough to hit these key points. Segue from your more social conversation into
interview-type conversation gently "It's so great to know that I'd be working with a fellow University X alum if I got an offer to
be a summer associate at Firm Y. Do you know how big the summer class will be this year? 5
summer associates? That's great - one of the reasons I'm interested in Firm Y is its small
size."

"Are there other Packers fans in the firm? Or will I be surrounded by Bears fans in the tax
department? I'm getting my certificate in tax at Loyola, and one of the main reasons I'm
interested in Firm Y is the strong tax practice."

Interview is set for specific time and the interviewer must come out with a result as soon as
the whole interview process ends. Therefore, interview should be conducted in systematic
way so that a proper conclusion is withdrawn.

A systematic interview can be conducted in following ways:

Before the interview:Reviewing fair amount of resumes or C.V.s-Reviewing plenty of applications is essential to
select the suitable candidates for further consideration i.e. interview. It is necessary for
interviewers to collect a large pool of candidate so they can pick out the most appropriate
ones to consider for selection. The larger the pool of applicants, higher will be the chances
that employers get their choice of employees.
Prepare for the interview beforehand- When interview phase is reached, the interviewers
must set a clear vision in mind regarding the things that they want to know from the
candidate. For this, they must first recognize the job and the responsibilities of the job holder.
In the next step, they should prepare a list of standard questions and measurable criteria, in an
attempt to know overall candidate. While doing so, they must not forget to set specific and
reasonable time frame. They must also be prepared to answer or justify the use of any
required test.
During the interview:Setting a suitable atmosphere- The foremost thing that the interviewer must keep in mind
during the interview is to set a suitable atmosphere. Following tips will help an interviewer to
set an interview atmosphere.

Dress up appropriately

Look and behave professionally

Avoid appearing exhausted

Structure the interview-Although interview is not less than a surprise to a candidate, it must
be planned and structured to an interviewer. It is because unstructured interview wont help in

making accurate decision.

Structuring the interview is also important to design questions in regards to specific problems
that the job holder may face in future.
Gather pertinent information-Interviewer can know a lot about the candidates by asking
even few but correct questions. For example, interviewer can predict the future conduct of
candidates by asking them about their past behavior.
Note the candidates response-Here, response does not only refer to the verbal or written
answers from the candidates. Yes, the candidates choice of words tells a lot about his
personality. However, it is also important for interviewer to notice his non-verbal behavior
(gestures) and figure out how well the candidate listens and responds to the questions asked.
Analyze the information immediately- Once an interviewer gets an answer, it is better if he
analyzes it immediately with the set criteria and note it down. It is because his evaluation is
more efficient in fresh memory.
Give written tests-Written tests help the interviewer in collecting and comparing the answers
of several candidates at once. It helps in distinguishing candidates from one another and
make better decision.

To sum up, the best strategies that can be used in an interview are listed down.
Prepare answers to a wide range of questions about your short and long term career goals,
interests inside and outside of the legal profession, ideas about the law and the legal
profession, how your education and experience suits you for the particular employer that
you're interviewing with, and how you've excelled and overcome challenges in previous
employment and educational settings.
Prepare answers to questions on every entry on your resume - be prepared to discuss every
item on your resume in depth - as well as several questions that will turn the interviewer's
attention away from your resume and demonstrate your interest in the firm.
Prepare a number of questions about the firm designed to show your interest in the firm and
demonstrate the fact that you've thoroughly researched the firm; a host of more general
questions that can be used with any firm about the firm's summer associate program, life as
an associate, and each interviewer's unique perspective on what is best about the firm and
sets the firm apart, etc.; and a few questions that will turn the interviewer's attention to the
important items on your resume that they may not have noticed or bothered to read.

Prepare concise and positive response to explain any weakness in your candidacy.
Identify your absolute "must make" points - the highlights from your background that will be
most impressive to that particular firm and the two main reasons that you think the firm is
perfect for you.

THANK YOU!