Interviewing made fun and easy!
LegalStaff | 9370 Sky Park Court | Suite 250 | San Diego, CA 92123 | www.legalstaffsd.com
The Do’s and Don’ts of Interviewing:
BEFORE THE INTERVIEW:
DO call the Legalstaff team to prepare you for the interview.
DO dress in professional business attire (dark, conservative suits).
DO research the company (know who you are interviewing with, the company, and the interviewer,
facts about the company and what they do).
DO arrive 10-15 minutes before your scheduled interview time.
DO bring several copies of your resume.
DO bring several copies of reference list.
DO bring a notebook and pen to take notes before, during and after the interview.
DO prepare questions to ask during the interview.
DO greet everyone in the office with lots of smiles and a “hello”.
DO fill out all applications neatly and completely. Do not say “see resume” on the application.
DO greet the interviewer with a smile and by his/her surname.
DO give a firm handshake.
DO make direct eye contact.
DO psyche yourself up! It’s ok if you’re nervous. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
DON’T wear perfume or cologne (you never know if your interviewer may be allergic).
DON’T smoke prior to entering the building.
DON’T be unprepared for the interview. You will never get a second chance to make a first
impression.
DURING THE INTERVIEW:
DO turn off your phone.
DO be yourself. People can tell when you are faking it.
DO have a positive attitude.
DO be confident. You are the kind of employee this employer needs.
DO represent yourself honestly.
DO maintain direct eye contact.
DO sit up straight.
DO answer questions to the point and provide examples. Don’t get off track.
DO ask questions about the position, company and interviewer.
DO tell your prospective employer what you are going to do for them, NOT what they can do for you.
DO get a business card from each person you interview with.
DON’T ask questions about salary, bonuses, vacations or anything else the company can do for you.
Wait until you have the job offer or if they bring it up.
DON’T get too comfortable. Remain professional and on guard.
DON’T accept food or drink, even if offered.
DON’T ever say anything negative. Be careful when talking about past and present employers.
AFTER THE INTERVIEW:
DO write down notes to help you remember the highlights of the interview (questions, your
impressions, and your performance). This will help you for future interviews.
DO call the Legalstaff team to provide feedback on the interview immediately upon completion. We
want to speak with you before the interviewer calls us so that we can utilize your feedback to help
secure the position for you.
DO send handwritten thank you notes to each person you met (everyone else sends emails)
DEVELOP YOUR SALES PITCH:
When preparing for an interview, it’s important to express yourself to a potential employer. Refine
your personal pitch into separate categories:
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Why should the company hire you?
What do you have to offer (experience, credentials, personality)?
Your interest level in the position and why.
How you will respond to potential objections to you as a candidate.
COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS BY EMPLOYERS:
Most people make two mistakes when being questioned in an interview. First, they fail to listen to the
question and then proceed to answer a question that was not asked or to give out a lot of excessive
information. Second, they attempt to answer questions without preparation. Bottom line… BE
PREPARED!
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Tell me about yourself?
Why are you seeking a new position?
What is your greatest strength?
What is your biggest weakness?
What are you looking for in a position?
What do you know about our company?
Why do you want to work for us?
Why do you want to work in the legal industry?
How many attorneys have you worked for simultaneously?
What type of law did the firms you worked for practice?
What motivates you?
Why should we hire you? What sets you apart from others?
What qualities do you think set you apart?
Why are you leaving your current company? Past companies?
Where else are you interviewing?
What is your biggest achievement?
What is your biggest failure? What did you learn from it?
Why did you select your college or university?
What are your goals over the next 3 years? 5 years? 10 years?
What are your goals in life?
What do you see yourself doing in 5 years? What position do you see yourself in?
How do you balance your work and your life outside work?
In your current or past positions, what did you like the most? Least?
If you had your choice of companies, where would you go?
What do you think it takes to be successful in our company?
How do you spend your spare time?
How do you think those who know you describe you?
Give an example of a time you had a conflict with a co-worker and how you handled it
Did you ever work for a manager you didn’t care for? What did you do about it?
Describe the relationship that should exist between a supervisor and sub-ordinates.
How do you work under pressure?
With so many applicants, why should I hire you?
Take time with your answers, speak clearly using enthusiasm and direct eye contact at all times!
CLOSING THE INTERVIEW:
Closing is the most important part of your entire interview. The following is a step-by-step guideline to
get you through closing the interview.
After the interviewer has concluded his/her questions, you must proceed into your close:
 Ask the Employer questions (not related to benefits, salary, hours, etc).
 Ask a lead-in question.
 Close for next step.
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ASK THE EMPLOYER QUESTIONS:
Choose 3-5 questions for your interview. These questions are guidelines. Use your own creativity. It is
important to be yourself in an interview. Employers will quickly see through a memorized and overrehearsed question. Never ask a company about sick leave, paid vacations, holidays or other
benefits that allow you to get away from work unless you are getting an offer.
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2.
What have you liked most about working here?
What is the firm like to work for?
How would you describe your management style? (ask this only if you are interviewing with
someone who will be your direct supervisor)
What expectations do you have for the company in the next 5 yrs? 10 yrs?
Could you please describe a typical day?
What would be my first priorities on the job?
What are the biggest challenges of the position?
How is performance evaluated?
What are your expectations of a new hire?
What is your company doing to gain market share?
What are your company’s strengths and weaknesses?
What would you like to say about the person you hired six months from today?
If you had to isolate 3 things that determines an employee’s success with your company what
would those be?
What are 3 things you are looking for in the person to fill this position?
Is this position being created or is it replacing someone?
What are other employees like?
ASK A LEAD IN QUESTION:
The purpose of a lead in question is to identify if you did your job of selling yourself in the interview. If
asked properly these questions will pull out objections/hesitations the employer has about you filling
the position. Choose one of the following questions or create your own based on the examples
given.
How do you see me fitting in?
How do I compare to other people you have interviewed?
How do I compare to other people you have hired?
Describe your ideal candidate? Do you see me as that type of person?
Am I the kind of person you are looking for?
Do you have any reservations about hiring me for this position?
Based on what we talked about today, I feel great about the position. Do you have any
concerns about my ability to do the job?
These questions allow you to have everything out on the table before you walk out and have any
hesitations discussed.
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CLOSE FOR THE NEXT STEP/JOB:
It is important to ask some closing questions:
For initial interviews:
 Where do we go from here?
 What is the next step?
For final interview:
 Are you prepared to make me an offer at this time?
 When would you like me to start?
MANAGE YOUR REFERENCES STRATEGICALLY:
Be sure you follow up with your references. Let your references know if you take a new job and let
them know what you will be doing in your new job. Most importantly, let them know how they
helped you.
If, at any time, you feel that there is something that the team at LegalStaff can do to help you
throughout the interview process, please do not hesitate to call us. Our goal is to help you find your
next best job.