interviews and assessment centres - the law society · interviews and assessment centres • career...
TRANSCRIPT
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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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Finding the RightFirm/Organisation for you
• 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
Finding the RightFirm/Organisation for you
• Geography
– Do you want to work abroad?
– Are you a Big City orRegional/Town/country person?
– University influence
– Friend group outside work
Finding the RightFirm/Organisation for you
• 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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Finding the RightFirm/Organisation for you
• Business Model
– Which type of organisation best suitsyour future career?
• Traditional Partnership Model
• LLP
• Company
• New Model – ABS/ Platform
• In House
• Local Authority
Finding the RightFirm/Organisation for you
• Quality of life
– Work/life balance
– Flexible hours
– Socials and/opportunity to work out
– Stress
– Long hours culture
– Working environment and facilities
Finding the RightFirm/Organisation for you
• 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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Finding the RightFirm/Organisation for you
• 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?
Finding the RightFirm/Organisation for you
• 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
Finding the RightFirm/Organisation for you
• 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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Finding the RightFirm/Organisation for you
• Summary of Top Tips
– Areas of work
– Geography
– Size
– Business Model
– Quality of life
– Training
– Culture
– Technology
– Self-evaluation
Finding the RightFirm/Organisation for you
• 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!
Finding the RightFirm/Organisation for you
• 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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Finding the RightFirm/Organisation for you
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
• @ReutersUK
• @LegalWeek
• @BusinessinWales
• @LawSocWales
• @BBCWales
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?