The recruiter's objective is to assess your credentials, form an impression about your personality and determine the degree to which your interests and background correspond with the employer's hiring needs. Your background and record of accomplishments are amplified or diminished in the eyes of the recruiter by the general impression you create. Again, this is not to suggest that form is more important than substance; however, you want to ensure that the form you present does not create any barriers that prevent the employer from experiencing your substance.

       The first few minutes of the interview are crucial. Employers make up their mind about candidates very early. Your handshake must be firm and confident, your gaze steady, your appearance impeccable and your confidence apparent.

       Throughout the interview, decision makers are searching for clues that address the following questions:

• Can you do the job? 
• Do you interact with people easily?
• Are you easy to interview, confident and clear in your anwsers?
• Do you listen?
• Do you ask sensible questions?
• Are you likeable?
• Will you complement or disrupt the department?
• Do you demonstrate good judgment ?

Understand Interview Techniques

       Interviewers typically use one of four interviewing methods to learn about candidates. Understanding the differences among these interviewing styles and preparing a strategy to effectively deal with each of them will improve your chances for success.

Directive Interview. Short, precise questions designed to elicit specific information about your background and interests are asked. The questions are formulated from the contents of your resume. Strategy: Answers should be brief and should objectively emphasize concrete accomplishments. Be careful to be concise but do not fall into the trap of responding with monosyllabic yes or no answers.

Non-Directive Interview. The recruiter's intent is to get the candidate to do all the talking. This usually does not work to your advantage. Your goal should be to get the recruiter to do at least 50% of the talking. Strategy: Construct a narrative history of yourself in advance to enable you to make a clear, concise statement explaining your purpose at the interview. Attempt to draw the recruiter into the conversation by asking questions.

Stress Interview. This is perhaps the most difficult interview of all. Its purpose is to measure your poise and emotional stability. The recruiter tries to appear curt, argumentative and/or impatient, firing questions in rapid succession. The questions may be designed to bait you into a topical argument. Strategy: Remain patient and calm. Indicating annoyance, tension or nervousness serves no purpose. To avoid a debate, try to change the topic by asking a question. Remember, this type of interview is designed to rattle you.

Free-Wheeling Interview. This type of interview lacks any semblance of structure or direction. Since many people have limited interviewing experience, they have no tactical plan. Strategy: Control the flow of the conversation by opening the interview with highlights of your accomplishments and then move directly into your own questions. This helps put the recruiter at ease and helps to focus him/her on your assets.

Develop Your Message

       While it is natural to be nervous in interviews, your goal is to focus on your message, not on your nerves. Remember, you would not be approaching this meeting at all if you were not qualified for the position. Your thorough preparation has made you aware of both your strengths and your weaknesses. But remember, the interviewer is there to see what you have to offer, not to hear explanations about what you don't have. When you practice answering interview questions, eliminate all "nos", "nots", "didn'ts", "althoughs", "buts" and "howevers" from your speech. Rephrase your answers using positive speech forms. This will prepare you to speak about yourself in a positive light.

       Think of at least three main points you want to make. Use concrete and clear examples that demonstrate these strengths. Focus on these identified strengths during the interview and present them with conviction and enthusiasm. Remember that the interviewer must be able to see and hear the enthusiasm that you wish to portray.

       Try to anticipate the types of questions you will be asked and prepare multi-level responses. Write out your answers. Review and edit them. First, give a brief summary, akin to a verbal outline, covering all salient points. Second, pause to gauge the interest of the interviewer and give a more detailed description if the interviewer seems interested or asks you to go on. Be certain that your responses highlight your skills and abilities, demonstrate your knowledge and expertise and reflect your motivation and personality. Even if you believe it is obvious that you are highly qualified for the position, take time to collect your thoughts and think about your answers.

 Exercise:  Planning the Interview

Write out the answers to the following questions.

1. What are the three points I must make at some time during our conversation?

2. What are my most marketable skills, both legal and management?

3. What are the skills I most want to use in my next job?

 4.  What are the aspects (tendencies, interview abilities, comfort level, specific questions I am nervous about being asked) of the interview situation on which I most need to work?  What is the question I am most afraid of being asked?  How will I respond?

Ace the Interview

       Before you walk in the door, obtain information about the employer from as many sources as possible. Knowing about things like areas of practice and client bases enables you to formulate intelligent questions. You do not want to waste valuable time asking questions that can easily be answered by reading the employer's brochure. The more information you have before the interview the better you will be able to make a convincing connection between your skills and the employer's needs.

       Assemble your interview kit. It should contain

• Contact information/directions to interview
• Extra copies of your resume
• Transcripts
• Reference list or letters

       Expect the unexpected so that you will not get rattled if things do not go according to plan. Interviewers may change, you may meet more people than expected or client demands may affect the appointment time. And remember, every question counts. Something as innocent as, “Did you have any trouble finding us?” could start the interview off on a bad note if you carry on about traffic, bad directions, etc.

       During the interview, you must::

·      Establish rapport—In addition to tangible things such as a good, firm handshake and appropriate eye contact, there are additional items that develop rapport between people. These include friendliness and sincere interest in the interviewer, as well as warmth and responsiveness to the interviewer. You must become aware of body language. Be sensitive to cues of boredom. If the interviewer keeps looking down at your resume or out the window, bring the statement you are making to a close.

·     Listen carefully—Try to hear the question behind the question and respond to the interviewer's concerns. Get the interviewer to talk about the position to uncover exactly what is being sought. This will enable you to illustrate how you can fill these needs.

·     Ask questions—Remember, this is a conversation; there should be interaction. Ask technical questions to demonstrate your knowledge of the field and to show that you are already looking for solutions to the employer's problems. Do NOT ask about benefits, vacations, pensions and hours until you know you have an offer. However, be prepared to answer questions about salary and benefits if posed by the interviewer.

·      Get feedback—Before the end of the interview, ask if you have the qualifications they are seeking. If not, now is the best time to find out so you can adjust your approach.

·      Take control of the follow-up process—When interviewers indicate they will "let you know," ask if you can call on a specific day in the future. This may help to accelerate the decision-making process. Also, let them know if you have other offers.

·       Maintain a positive attitude—Adopt a "have done—can do—will do" attitude. It is not always what you say that counts but how you say it. View anything negative as a challenge, an opportunity, and something exciting. Do not be apologetic about anything; handle your "Achilles' heel" factually and non-defensively.

       You can help an inexperienced interviewer feel more comfortable by asking questions. Your prepared questions can demonstrate your knowledge of the field and your interest in the employer and provide the interviewer with an opportunity to relax by talking about something with which he/she is familiar. You can ask things like:

·         "What do you see as the growth areas of the organization?"

·         "What departments are likely to do well in the next few years?"

·         “What criteria are used to evaluate performance?” 

·         "What role does the position play in helping the company achieve its mission?"

·         “What are the five most important duties?”

·         “From a management perspective, what skills/attributes do you think are most important?”

       If you believe negative assumptions are being made about you, confidently address the issue in order to eliminate the perceptions.

·       "During other interviews, I have been asked about (my ability to accept supervision from someone younger than I am, or limited experience in X or my commitment to this geographic area), and we haven't talked about that yet."

       By offering questions that allow the interviewer to relax and think about the answers, the interview becomes a freer exchange of information, which benefits all the parties involved. You will appear more confident and the interviewer will feel more comfortable in your presence and will be more likely to recommend you. Your questions should not convey an undue concern over salary or time off or any of the more mundane aspects of the job. Stay interested in important aspects such as challenge, responsibility and those that show a mature and forward-thinking mentality. The dollars-and-cents concerns can be ironed out after an offer has been made.

EXERCISE: Interview Prep Questions

Rehearse your answers to the following questions.

1. Tell me about yourself. (What they're really asking here is, "What in your background makes you a good candidate for this job?”)

2. What are your long-range and short-range goals and objectives? (Be sure to make the connection between your goals and this job for which you're interviewing.)

3. What do you see yourself doing five years from now? (Again, tie your answer into the position available. Never, ever say you want to be doing something unrelated.)

4. What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction? Why? (Talk about specific deals/projects, especially if they are relevant to the position.)

5. In what ways do you think you can make a contribution to our firm/company?

6. In what sort of environment are you most comfortable? (Your favorite environment should be similar to that of the employer with whom you are interviewing.)

7. Why do you want to work with our company/firm? (Be specific. Show you've done your research. Make sure the interviewer knows that you understand the difference between lawyering at a firm vs. in-house, etc.).

8. What do you consider to be the strongest qualities in your personality and character? (List about 3 and relate them to the job opening.)

9. I see from your resume that you         (play basketball or speak French or are interested in real estate, etc. This is not a statement where you answer "yes" or "no." Hear this as: tell me more about ….).

10. What else do you think I should know about you? (From your preparation beforehand you will have an additional strength or accomplishment that you'll want to highlight here. Don't say there isn't anything else. You're more exciting than that.)

Identify every question you dread being asked. Prepare a succinct answer for each. Practice saying the answer aloud. Go over each question and response repeatedly until you are desensitized to the stress each causes.

 Discriminatory Questions

       Hiring decisions tend to be based on somewhat subjective material. Unfortunately, trying to determine if someone "fits in" to a particular environment can lead to subtle forms of discrimination. While interviewers usually try to avoid asking personal questions, most want to know all they can about the applicants. Help them by providing information that you are comfortable with discussing and would like the interviewer to know. The information you volunteer about yourself will be different from what every other applicant offers and will help you stand out in the crowd. A word of caution: do not allow yourself to be lured into intimate chit-chat. Regardless of the kindness of the interviewer, nothing is "off the record." Keep your comments job related and, if you can complement your resume in any way by adding something, do it.

       Applicants who are not aware of what questions should and should not be asked are more likely to be victims of discrimination. The general rule of thumb is, if the information is not specifically job related, it should not be asked.

       HOW the question is posed can determine its lawfulness. For example, asking "Are you a U.S. Citizen?" or "Where were you born?" is different from asking you "Are you authorized to work in the U.S.?" Similarly, while it is acceptable for an employer to inquire "Are you willing to relocate?" it is not acceptable for him/her to attempt to infer the answer to that by asking "Are you married?"

       In most states there are laws that render some questions illegal, the general results being that an employer should not ask:

• if the applicant has worked under another name;
• the name of wife or mother of the applicant;
• an applicant to take a pre-employment physical examination or to inquire about the nature and severity of physical or mental handicaps;
• about marital plans, arrangements for child care, current or anticipated pregnancy status;
• about the occupations of spouses, parents or siblings;
• for information relating to family background that may reveal reace, ethnicity, religion, citizenship and/or national origin;
• about holidays observed or membership in clubs, churches and fraternities;
• about languages written, spoken or read unless the employer is specifically seeking to hire someone with that particular skill;
• for proof of age;
• for a photograph prior to the interview.

       When you suspect an interviewer has lured you into a dangerous area, you have three response options.

       1. Answer the question. Realize, however, that you are providing information that is not job related and you risk harming your candidacy by responding "incorrectly."

       2. Refuse to answer the question. While you are in your rights to do so, you will probably alienate the employer and come across as uncooperative, confrontational and hostile. Not exactly the ideal description of a desirable applicant.

       3. Reframe the question. Consider the intent of the question. In other words, try to hear the question behind the question. For example, is the employer asking about your birthplace because there is a concern about your social status or is it because the interviewer grew up in the same place and is simply trying to make small talk?

       Avoid becoming angry, hostile or argumentative. Calmly examine the clumsily expressed question to uncover the underlying concerns of the interviewer. For example, an employer who questions a woman if she is married or about her plans to have children is not really interested in the candidate's personal life but rather is probably attempting to learn how committed the candidate is to the job. You may answer such a question effectively by saying, "I am assuming by your question that you are concerned with whether or not I will be able to spend the long hours at the office required to get the work done. I'd like to reassure you by mentioning that throughout law school, I held a full-time job, did well in my classes, studied long hours in the library and was not held back in any way by child care responsibilities."