You shouldn’t have to find your next platform on your own, especially if you have to keep up with everything at your current job and spend time with family and friends.
Recruiters can be very helpful for rainmakers who want to change careers. They can help you narrow down your search, connect you with key players in the legal job market, and create or improve your business plan.
If you want to find the perfect law firm, the first thing you need to do is find the perfect legal recruiter.
You might not want to work with a recruiter who doesn’t care about you. It can be a waste of time and energy. So, interview them to ensure that they put you first, rather than themselves or law firms. If you are happy with the answers, you are talking to the right recruiter.
If you want to work with a legal recruiter, here are the five most important questions you should ask and the answers you should look for.
Landing an interview for your dream legal job is a significant accomplishment. But the real work starts now. Being ready is very important, and asking good questions during the interview shows that you are interested and helps you figure out if the company fits your career goals.
This guide delves into 10 smart questions you can ask your interviewer, along with additional insights to help you navigate the interview process and land the job.
1 What Are the Opportunities for Progression with the Firm?
This question showcases your ambition and long-term commitment to the firm. It’s also important if you want to move up and find opportunities that weren’t available in your last job.
Go beyond a simple “yes or no” answer. Inquire about specific career paths, available opportunities, and how promotions are handled If career path documentation exists, ask about it
2. How Will My Performance Be Evaluated?
While salary discussions are best saved for later, understanding performance evaluation is essential. Your willingness to help and interest in your long-term career growth are clear from this.
Probe deeper into expectations for the first 90 days the formal review process, and specific metrics or KPIs used to measure performance. This might also touch upon performance-related incentives or bonuses.
3, What Are the Firm’s Plans for Growth and Development in the Next 5 Years?
This question shows that you are interested in the company’s future and its past success. The answer will also give you information about possible ways to move up and job security, which is especially helpful if these are issues that worry you.
Avoid asking questions readily available online, like the firm’s mission statement or press releases Instead, conduct an “environmental scan” to understand trends in your practice area, region, or the legal sector Then, ask how these trends might impact your role and the firm.
4. How Has the Firm Changed Since You Joined?
Asking about your interviewer’s experience is a great way to build rapport and understand the firm’s culture. This helps you assess if your values align with the firm’s and if you’ll be a good fit beyond your technical skills.
This question also provides insights into the office environment and helps you connect with the interviewer on a personal level. Their response can reveal valuable information about their perception of the firm’s culture and working environment.
5. What Are the Opportunities for Collaboration Within This Particular Role?
This question demonstrates your ability to think beyond the individual job description and your willingness to be a team player. It also helps you understand team dynamics, the firm’s structure, and potential growth opportunities.
If the role involves hybrid or remote work, this question shows your interest in building strong working relationships regardless of location. This is particularly relevant considering the ongoing debate around hybrid work and potential gaps between business leaders and employee preferences.
6. What Does a Typical Day Look Like in This Role?
This question helps you assess work-life balance at the firm without directly jumping into sensitive topics like working patterns or holiday allowance.
Instead, inquire about minimum billable hour requirements, the interviewer’s typical work schedule, and seasonal peaks (relevant to certain practice areas). You can also glean insights from the interview process itself: was it easy to schedule, or did it seem chaotic? Do other team members appear relaxed or stressed?
7. How Much Contact with Clients Can I Expect to Have on a Daily Basis If I’m Successful?
This question helps you understand the practical aspects of the job and assess if it aligns with your strengths and preferences.
If the role involves more behind-the-scenes work, like document writing, and less client interaction, you might want to reconsider your options. Discuss this with your recruitment consultant to find a better fit for your work style.
8. Can You Describe a Typical Client the Firm Represents?
This question serves a dual purpose: it helps you assess the firm’s values and culture and ensures the clientele aligns with your ethical considerations.
For larger firms, understanding the diverse clientele can be crucial to ensure you’re comfortable with the types of cases you might handle. For smaller firms, it provides insights into the best strategies and approaches for building rapport with clients.
9. How Is Workload Distributed?
Understanding workload distribution helps you assess collaboration levels, potential stressors, and work-life balance within the firm. This question also demonstrates your awareness of practical work environment aspects and your commitment to maintaining productivity.
10. What Are the Next Steps in This Process?
This question shows your continued interest and eagerness to progress. Instead of focusing on a simple “yes/no” decision, inquire about the onboarding process or what the first few months will look like.
The interviewer’s response and body language can reveal their perception of you as a potential candidate.
Just as you research the firm and prepare answers to common questions, preparing your own questions demonstrates engagement and a long-term career vision.
Use these questions to cross-check your own goals and objectives with the firm’s offerings. If progression opportunities are your priority, ask about them. If culture fit is your main concern, delve deeper into that aspect.
Remember, focus on clarifying any uncertainties, addressing concerns, or gaining further insights into aspects discussed during the interview.
At Clayton Legal, our regional recruitment specialists help candidates prepare for interviews as part of our service. We have established relationships with the law firms we work with, giving us valuable insights into their culture, structure, and remuneration.
If you’re considering a move, our team can help you understand current opportunities in your region and practice area, as well as general market conditions and the competitive landscape.
Get in touch today for a confidential, impartial chat and take that crucial first step towards your next career move.
How do you prioritize me over the firm?
You deserve a recruiter that puts you first.
There is nothing wrong with recruiters having relationships with firms or helping firms fill positions. Many companies call us to ask “if we know anyone who might be interested…”
Our contacts understand one fundamental aspect of our approach: We are “candidate-facing,” not “firm-facing.”
Candidate versus firm-facing is an important distinction. Your needs, wants, and desires should come first. Once that is clear, you can look for the right firm.
There are many different types of firms and an almost infinite variety of work situations. The “happiness challenge” is to find the right job for you, not the first one that comes along.
At Gillman Strategic Group, we have built our entire practice around making candidates happy. You are our top priority, so we know what you need and look for firms that meet those needs, not the other way around.
Whether you work with us or not, you should work with a candidate-facing recruiter.
One problem with recruiters or advisors who claim to be candidate-facing is that they send you a bill.
You should not pay a recruiter, whether they prioritize you, the firm, or your cat: the firms pay.
Remember that companies are willing to pay a fee for a great new partner who brings them new business or fills a need for expertise.
Adding you as a partner brings in more money for the company, so recruiter fees are just a normal part of doing business.
So, be sure you know exactly how they get paid. At Gillman Strategic Group, the firms pay us money; you pay us by being happy.
What will you do for me?
You are busy. You have clients to work with, meetings to have, hours to bill, and confidentiality to maintain. You don’t have time to vet firms.
So you need a recruiter who does the leg work. They should not interview you, adjust your resume and make an introduction. They should support you in every step of the process.
At Gillman Strategic Group, we are as involved as you want. The way we work is to do everything for you except go to the interview. If we could figure out a way to interview for you, we’d probably offer it.
But you will likely always want to get to know your future partners yourself.
While we help you find firms and negotiate your deal, we’ll be there for you the whole time.
11 Job Interview Secrets Recruiters Won’t Tell You – Interviewing Tips!
FAQ
What is the star method when interviewing?
What is the job of a legal recruiter?
What questions are asked during a legal manager interview?
In this article, we explore some of the most common interview questions asked during a legal manager interview along with some great answers to help you win the job. Are you sitting comfortably? Let’s begin! 1. As a legal manager, what is your management style? Try to avoid labels.
How do you answer a legal interview question?
Here are some typical legal interview questions, along with advice on how to answer them. ‘Tell me a little about yourself.’ You are the expert on yourself, so this may seem like a simple question. However, the open-ended character of this question can be disastrous without adequate planning.
How do I prepare for a legal interview?
In regards to the legal interview process, preparation and research for your interview can oftentimes determine your chances of making it to the next step. Especially in in-house interviews – the best prep is to practice your answers and to research the culture and current events related to the company.
How do you respond to a law interview?
You might also take this chance to describe how you became interested in this area of law or even your decision to become a lawyer. Be succinct and audience-specific in your response. Prepare beforehand so you can confidently offer this response on the day of the interview. ‘What would it be and why if you could bring any law into force?’
