Related Posts
Conversation Starter
Can someone connect working at A&M CPI practice?
Additional Posts in Ask A Recruiter - Law
New to Fishbowl?
Download the Fishbowl app to
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
That was just a preview…
Sign Up to see all discussions
Sign Up to see all discussions
- Discover what it’s like to work at companies from real professionals
- Get candid advice from people in your field in a safe space
- Chat and network with other professionals in your field
Sign up in seconds to unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
"" is an unusual email domain. If correct, please proceed to the next step
Messaging rates may apply
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
New to Fishbowl?
Download the Fishbowl app to unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
Share
Embed this post
Copy and paste embed code on your site
Preview
Download the
Fishbowl app
Scan your QR code to download
Fishbowl app on your mobile
Sign up for free to view this conversation on Fishbowl
Sign up for free to continue using Fishbowl
Messaging rates may apply
It does become a skill. I remember my first professional job back in my 20's. The company I was working put a group of us greenies through soft skills training. 2 weeks worth of how to properly behave in the office and mock interviews (it would be common for us to interview for client positions). When I did the mock interviews, I was very stuffy and uptight. One of the instructors asked me (in front of the class while we watched the video of one of my mock interviews) who that person was in that video because it wasn't the same funny easy going person in class. Why so serious? I responded that I was trying to be serious because it was an interview. They told me to be myself. Then they told everyone in the class, be yourself. People will appreciate that. From that point on I have always been myself in interviews.
Never take them too seriously. Interviews are just stressful for the interviewee, but also for the interviewer. If you can remind yourself that the person on the other side of the table may be just as nervous, think what you can do to lighten the mood. In my years of interviewing I have had interviewers even tell me how well I interview, even if I wasn't the right fit for the position.
I was laid off last year after being with my former employer for over a decade. I was a bit out of practice with interviewing. So once I started looking for a new job, I interviewed anywhere I could, even if I knew I wouldn't take the job just to sharpen my interviewing skills. I thankfully have landed a new position and the hiring manager even said to me in our interview how he felt I would be a good fit. All I had to do was get past the technical interview, which I did. Good luck to you and keep practicing!
I think it helps to prep and have answers for anything that might come up. And having some experience with thinking on your feet (i.e., courtroom or on a client call) is useful, too. But it probably doesn't happen often enough that you can just get good at it.
Yes thanks
It’s definitely a skill, and practice helps. I was extremely afraid of interviewing prior to graduating from college. I ended up spending a lot of time at my school’s career center doing mock interviews and getting feedback from the staff there. I learned it’s all about preparation. The confidence I gained from prepping for post-college jobs has carried over to legal interviews. You really do have to be prepped for any and every question. I can’t stress enough that getting human feedback outside of the real thing helps.
Yes, practice makes it easier
It’s definitely a skill, especially for answering behavioral questions (tell me about a time when you did XX). The more you do it the better you get.
True, needs more practice
I’m sure some people are naturally great at interviews and have always excelled. For most of us, though, it’s a skill that develops over time. Focus on your strengths, identify areas for improvement, reflect critically, and get feedback from a neutral third party whenever possible.
I went a long time without interviewing, and it really showed when I started again. You don’t need to spend hours on it, but even a little practice goes a long way.
It is for sure a skill that some folks have naturally or have already honed but others don’t or haven’t. Yet. Just like how some people are great conversationalists and wonderful story tellers and others struggle with small talk. It’s something that can be learned and it can make a huge difference.
When I was interviewing for summer associate positions, two of my classmates had many of the same callbacks after OCI. We all had similar GPAs, etc (all in top 10), but they were both a bit quiet and reserved, whereas I was heavily involved with speech and theater growing up. I ended up with offers from all but 1 and neither of them got any offers.
Thanks for sharing!
100% a skill. And skills get rusty. A top recruiter will take you through a thorough prep to shake off the rust. Lateral interviews are very different from OCI because you need to be able to sell your current value and not just your future value.
Current value vs future value- this is a great point
I definitely think it becomes a skill. I feel like now I can interview with my eyes closed and still do well. It sort of becomes muscle memory after you have done it enough times.
Interviewing per se isn’t a skill, but being an easy, interesting conversationalist is, with interviewing being just one application of those skills. Like others have said, some people are just have better social skills naturally - they have better social intuition, know how to read a room, etc. I’ve rarely seen someone without natural social skills actually become good at conversation, but one of the easiest ways to improve your social presentation is to pay attention to your body language: do you have an open expression on your face? Is your body relaxed? Are you mirroring your interviewer’s level of formality, etc.
Thanks for the tips