interview qs Flashcards
1
Q
why theology
A
- Advantages of non-law degree: greater diversity within workplace, reflects diversity of clients. Fresh perspective, can bring my experiences. Key to remaining competitive within the industry
- Advantages of theology
o Religion as a concept = key to society. Politics etc. learn how aspects of society interact
o But also skills from theology of analysis, research = useful for law
o Law is a topic that comes up in my degree quite a lot. Ethics and faith paper = basically looking at the origins of law and how it relates to religious sphere
♣ I wrote an essay on whether the legal concept of human rights can be said to exist and if so whether it is a religious idea. Wrote a relationship on whether the law and politics are necessarily related
2
Q
why law
A
- Talk about range of factors inc. nature of work and industry
o Academic rigour required
o Lifestyle appeals to me
o Problem-solving and finding solutions – anticipating issues that might affect a client - Work experience
o Experienced this at KWM, CULS
3
Q
why commercial law
A
o Understanding what drives a business, what it is trying to achieve
o Factors that influence how business practice happens (YE)
o Competition that goes with commerce and drive to achieve competitive advantage
o Commercial world = constantly changing. Need to be able to adapt business and spot how changes may affect your business
- Especially in London: global city, hub of international finance
4
Q
why slaughters
A
- Talk about initial impressions
- Multi-specialist approach
Culture
5
Q
why city
A
- Global city
- Hub of international finance
- Buzz of the city = motivating
6
Q
why solicitor
A
- Barrister = self-employed
- Attended Middle Temple and experienced barrister chamber
- Didn’t like the training pupillage process as much
- Think solicitor suits my style of work better – research, initial contact with client etc.
Job security of solicitor
7
Q
other professions?
A
- Both demand strong work ethic and provide interesting, fast-paced work
- Finance = generally more quantitative
- Greater diversity of focus in law – can focus on finance but also technology etc.
- Also like the further study required in law, feel like it will be a good way to ease myself into new path
- Critical thinking, analysis of texts/documents appeals to me more
- Trainee at SM yesterday said law = more academic
8
Q
what I can gain from law
A
- Enriched understanding of how society functions
- Develop my skills
- An exciting style of work
Fast paced
9
Q
qualities of lawyer
A
- Resilience – motivated, take work very seriously
- Communication – Producing role, volunteering
- Common sense – law is not merely theory
o Anticipate your work. Think forward
o Collaborative common sense – need to look out for eachother
o Admitting when things are getting too much – link to Lent term
10
Q
q of god vs. contemp
A
- Difference between QofGod and Understanding Contemporary Religion
o Very different style of writing
o History with QofGod – difficult Lent term, difficult supervisor. 2:2 on mock, super upset and worked extra hard
o Understanding contemporary religion – different style of writing. More sociological/ethnography based. Think I tried to be too in depth given time limit and didn’t quite capture the conceptual aspect of it
o But I have actually decided to do coursework continuation of that paper
11
Q
3 strengths
A
- Communication – Age Concern, producer
- Resilience – commitment to law
- Enthusiasm – access
12
Q
how to answer strength questions
A
- Pick a quality
- Give evidence/proof
- Why is this relevant to role?
- “My greatest strength is my ability to deal with the unexpected. When a member of our debating team dropped out at the last minute, I volunteered to take on her role. With help from my teammates I used the journey to research and prepare. Although I could have done better with more time, the key result was that we didn’t forfeit and still managed to gain several places in the standings. I know this role will involve unexpected situations where I’ll be expected to adapt and respond quickly, so I think I have a lot to offer.”
13
Q
how to answer weakness questions
A
- Pick a quality of yours that needs work (if you’re not sure, ask someone who has taught or employed you)
- Explain why it’s a weakness and what effect it’s had on your work
- Explain how you’re addressing it
- Talk about what you want to achieve in future
- “I sometimes have problems knowing when to ask for help. For example, when I was doing my biochemistry research project I tried out an unfamiliar technique and ended up making a mistake. If I had asked for a demonstration from my advisor beforehand I’d have saved myself some repeated work. I’m glad to be a person who takes initiative, but since then I’ve been much more careful about judging when I need to stop and get advice. I know I’ll have a lot of individual responsibility in this role, so it’s really important to me.”
- FOR ME, USE THAT I STRUGGLE TO ADMIT WHEN I HAVE TOO MUCH ON – LAST YEAR MY WORK LOAD WAS PARTICULARLY HEAVY. IT TOOK ME TO REALISE HOW IT WAS AFFECTING MY QUALITY OF WORK TO REACH OUT FOR HELP. I HAVE BECOME A LOT BETTER AT TIME MANAGEMENT BUT ALSO BEING HONEST WITH MYSELF ABOUT WHAT I CAN MANAGE. IT GOT TO THE POINT WHERE I WAS WORKING MYSELF AN UNHEALTHY AMOUNT TO GET THINGS DONE. NOW, I AM HONEST WITH SUPERVISORS ABOUT MY LEVEL OF WORK THAT WEEK, AND UNAFRAID TO ASK TO SPREAD MY SUPERVISIONS OUT ETC. THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR S&M – THE WORK LOAD CAN BE SUBSTANTIAL AND I NEED TO BE HONEST WITH PEOPLE ABOUT WHAT I WILL BE ABLE TO COMPLETE TO THE HIGHEST LEVEL.
14
Q
main competitors
A
- Know who the competitors are o Clifford Chance and Linklaters given specialism and status as magic circle – transactional so strong emphasis on corporate law - Why did I pick SM o Corporate reputation – advise more FSTE 100 and 250 firms o Multi-specialist approach o International approach - Recent deals - Culture of place o No face culture, no time targets Initial impressions of firm already
15
Q
key industry sectors
A
o Technology
o Financial institutions
o Fintech
