WEEK OF september 3, 2007 • VOL. XXX, NO.
36
Tell Me About Yourself: The Best Interviews
When it’s job-hunting time, one recruiter says it’s important to understand why you’re asked some questions.
By Sadie J. Madole
W
hat makes a great interview? As a legal recruiter
in the Washington metro area, I speak nearly
every day with experienced attorneys seeking to
make lateral moves between firms or to leave firm practice
altogether to work directly for a company as in-house coun-
sel. I also speak routinely with hiring lawyers in law firms
and companies about their hiring needs generally and about
individual attorneys.
Out of these conversations, I have developed a better
understanding of the type of information interviewers really
want to know when they ask fairly common questions. This
information is useful to any lawyer about to embark upon
an interview.
While direct eye contact, a firm handshake, and thor-
ough preparation are all wisely touted as the basics of
strong interviewing skills, another important tool is a
working knowledge of the questions the interviewer is
likely to ask. Gaining this understanding before the inter-
view will let you use the questions to your best advantage.
When you appreciate why law firm partners or a general
counsel are asking you certain questions, you can provide
them with a targeted and effective answer and make a last-
ing and favorable impression.
Ask Me Anything
Here are some of the common questions that you’ll hear
in a legal interview. As you decide what to say to your next
potential employer in the interview, keep these interpreta-
tions in mind:
Tell me about yourself. Interviewers typically use this
question to get you talking, and what they want is to get
a sense of how well you immediately present yourself. In
short, they want to see you in action. How do you come
across; how articulate are you; do you speak with confi-
dence, poise, authority?
It’s best to hit this with some punch, and then stop. You
will no doubt lose the impact of a strong impression if you
© 2007 ALM Properties Inc. All rights reserved. This article is reprinted with permission from Legal Times
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make a brilliant splash and then continue on with a 20-min-
ute recitation of your résumé. Instead, respond by providing
three examples of transferable experience that are relevant
to the position for which you are interviewing.
For example, identify the scope of your participation in a
transaction or in a case you have handled, how you facilitated
an aspect of that transaction or case, and your ongoing desire
to build upon that experience. Remember to smile occasion-
ally as you speak, and keep your answer to less than three
minutes. Things are just getting started. You will have plenty
of opportunity to elaborate as the interview progresses.
Why are you interested in this opportunity? The
interviewer wants to know what you know about the job
and about the practice group or the firm. This matters a
great deal. Your answer demonstrates, or fails to demon-
strate, your interest in this particular job and this particular
employer. And, on a larger scale, it reinforces the idea that
you approach the interview (and the use of others’ time) in
a professional way. View this question as an opportunity to
share your understanding of the position and to invite dis-
cussion about it. In other words, do some research on the
specific practice group within the firm or on the lawyers
within the company or firm. What are the attorneys doing
there, and how will you enhance (versus merely duplicate)
their expertise?
If you are uncertain about this position, develop questions
ahead of the interview to ask to gain a better understand-
ing of the practice. Ideally, you will leave your potential
employer with the impression that you have given this
opportunity considerable thought and that your experience
and skills mesh with the company’s need.
Where do you see yourself in five years? This is per-
haps the most dreaded, and also one of the most common,
interview questions. A few things may be at play with this
question. The interviewer may want to know: Are you stra-
tegic? Do you intend to make a long-term commitment to
this employer? And do you have an eye on the interviewer’s
job? Since it can elicit so much information, there’s no
wonder this question is asked so frequently.
 Let your answer reveal how much thought you have given
to your career goals and why you believe this opportunity
fits in with and enhances them. If you do not have a career
strategy, it’s time to develop one. Along these lines, this is
not the time to announce your intention to quit the practice
of law in two years to pursue other interests. While this is
not to suggest that you be anything less than forthcoming,
understand that most interviewers want to assess your long-
term commitment to the institution.
Finally, and as with most things, too much of a good
thing, such as ambition, can be perceived as a bad thing, so
be mindful of this simple truth. Although this is a tough one,
thinking through your answer will help you direct your own
goals and will facilitate further discussion of your interest in
the job.
What is your biggest strength and weakness? This
is another question so common and foreseeable that you
should have a ready response for it. In addition to the trait
itself, the interviewer is also trying to get a sense of your
self-awareness. This answer will be remembered and will be
evaluated in terms of how the trait adds to or detracts from
the organization.
Universally valuable professional strengths include
responsiveness, keen listening skills, an ability to under-
stand the desired business outcome and articulate how it
can be achieved, resourcefulness, efficiency, and creative
thinking. Ahead of the interview, think about which of
your strengths is crucial to success in the role and be able
to provide an example from your practice that illustrates
this strength.
Conversely, on the weakness side, select something to
discuss that does not directly impact your ability to do the
job, such as your reluctance to delegate work, and make
the point that you are mindful of this weakness and mak-
ing strides to address it in your practice. Do not dwell on a
weakness—respond to the question and move on.
Why do you want to leave your present job?
(Translation: Are you being fired?) This question, in part,
goes to your standing with your present employer. While
some may view this as an opportunity to engage in a frank
and open discussion of their current employers’ shortcom-
ings, a better approach may be to focus on what you seek
in a new opportunity. This is not to suggest that you change
the subject or avoid the question, but rather to point out that
you can focus your response on a positive (what you seek in
a new position) versus a perceived negative (what you seek
to escape in your present position).
One note of caution here: Take a minute to consider what
additional questions your response may raise. For instance,
if you say you wish to gain access to a different practice
© 2007 ALM Properties Inc. All rights reserved. This article is reprinted with permission from Legal Times
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area, the interviewer could ask if your current employer will
allow you to make an internal transfer, and if not, why? If
they would, why wouldn’t you want it?
Also, here an employer may be trying to determine the
depth of your interest in an area of law other than the one in
which you have focused. For example, what backs up your
stated (and seemingly newfound) interest in white-collar
litigation when for the past five years you’ve focused on
general commercial litigation? Think through your respons-
es ahead of the interview. Your first stab at these answers
ideally should not be in front of a potential employer.
What is your current compensation? While it is rare for
this to be asked during an initial interview, it will probably
surface at some point early in the process. If you are asked
about your current compensation, it is in your best interest
to answer directly—to do otherwise may leave the impres-
sion that you are unresponsive or evasive. Once the answer
is out there, though, add other relevant information as the
circumstances warrant. For instance, if you are relocating
from a market where compensation is significantly above or
below the norm where you are interviewing, point this out
along with your expectation of a commensurate cost-of-liv-
ing adjustment either upward or downward.
It is equally important to clarify what the employer
includes in the concept of “compensation” to ensure you
are both on the same page. Distinguish between your base
salary amount and your projected bonus amount when
describing your compensation, and inquire as to the various
components that make up the compensation package being
offered by the employer.
While law firm salaries tend to be lockstep (and therefore
predictable), in-house employers ask questions about com-
pensation to determine whether you understand the range of
compensation for the position and whether you are comfort-
able with it. In other words, they want to ensure they are
not wasting their own time and yours if the compensation
level is a nonstarter. Therefore, make it clear that you under-
stand the compensation package being offered and that it is
acceptable to you in light of the totality of the opportunity.
These sorts of questions can offer an employer a com-
prehensive summary of your qualifications and interest in
the job. A solid preparation will allow you to create the best
possible impression, will enhance the likelihood of further
discussions, and may even result in an offer of employment.
Sadie J. Madole is an attorney and legal recruiter with
Garrison & Sisson, a legal search consulting firm in
Washington, D.C. She practiced law for 10 years in a law firm
and with the Treasury Department before joining Garrison &
Sisson. She can be contacted at smadole@g-s.com.