How to Ace Your Interview – For Commercial Insurance Lawyers
Professional indemnity and property damage solicitors can find it difficult to find the right opportunities because both sectors are small and very few firms are involved in them. In Manchester, for example, there are fewer than ten firms in the professional indemnity sector, and it’s realistic that each of those firms might recruit just one NQ lawyer into their team in Manchester every year. The property damage sector is even smaller, with just five firms operating in this sector in Manchester.
Given that these sectors are small, career moves have to feel right from a lawyer’s perspective. With that in mind, I work very hard to ensure that I support lawyers in these sectors as well as I possibly can. That means having a clear understanding of their ambitions, a comprehensive knowledge of the opportunities in the market and ensuring that lawyers feel fully prepared for interviews.
Here are just some general pointers that commercial insurance lawyers might wish to bear in mind when preparing for interviews:
In the days before the interview
Preparation is key. Make sure you have:
- Done your research, as you will need to demonstrate a level of knowledge about the firm and their team.
- Familiarised yourself with your CV. You need to know your CV inside out, as most questions will be about your experiences to date.
- Planned your journey or tested your technology and prepared your environment, as you must be ready in good time.
- Practiced answering common interview questions. Having pre-prepared examples of questions and answers will give you confidence.
- Discussed with your recruiter how you might answer any questions about money.
- Prepared some questions to ask.
On the day
Make sure you have:
- Considered your CV once more.
- Reminded yourself of the key questions that you wish to ask.
- Equipped yourself with a notepad and pen. It’s worth making notes, as excitement and nerves can make you forget certain points.
After the interview
After discussing matters with your recruiter, lawyers might also wish to:
- Email the interviewers to thank them, as this can demonstrate real enthusiasm.
- Complete our Priorities Scorecard in order to get a different perspective on how the opportunity stacks up against your priorities.
- Discussed the move with those who are closest to you.
