PARALEGAL INTERVIEWING MASTER CLASS

CONTENTS PARALEGAL INTERVIEWING MASTER CLASS Contents Table... 1 How to answer competency based interview questions... 3 Key competency based questions... 3 Individual competencies... 3 Managerial competencies... 3 Analytical competencies... 3 Interpersonal competencies... 3 Motivational competencies... 4 The trick to answering competency based questions... 4 Step 1 Situation or Task... 4 Step 2 Action... 4 What you did and how you did it... 4 Why you did it... 5 Step 3 Result... 5 Finally... 5 Strength based interviews and how to ace them... 5 When a candidate is using their strengths they:... 5 How to prepare for a strength based interview... 6 The type of questions you will be asked in a strength based interview... 6 10 classic interview questions... 6 1. Tell me about yourself... 6 2. Why do you want to work for us?... 6 3. Give an example of where you've been able to use your leadership skills... 6 4. What are your strengths and weaknesses?... 6 5. Where do you see yourself in five years?... 6 6. What is your greatest achievement?... 6

7. Why should we hire you?... 6 8. Are you a team player?... 6 9. What are your salary expectations?... 6 10. Do you have any questions for us?... 7 Asking the right questions... 7 Five interview mistakes you should NEVER make... 7 1. Negativity... 7 2. Lack of confidence and poor interpersonal skills... 7 3. Lack of preparation... 7 4. We instead of I... 8 5. Leaving your personality at the door... 8 10 of the strangest questions asked in interviews... 8 Handling a weird interview question... 8 10 challenging interview questions... 9 Why are you leaving your current job?... 9 How do you respond to taking direction from superiors?... 9 How well do you handle criticism?... 9 What motivates you?... 9 How long would it take before you make an impact if you started today?... 9 Have you attended other interviews?... 9 What do you know about the company?... 9 What can you offer us that the next candidate can t?... 10 We re concerned you may be a little over qualified for the position, how do you feel about it?... 10 What aspect of this job least appeals to you?... 10 2

HOW TO ANSWER COMPETENCY BASED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS Competency based interviews are becoming increasingly popular as a way to predict a candidate s future performance. Essentially, a series of behavioural questions, the interviewer will ask you to describe a situation which demonstrates your abilities that will be integral to the role you re interviewing for. KEY COMPETENCY BASED QUESTIONS I've put together a comprehensive list of key competency questions, grouping them into five bite size areas - Individual, Managerial, Analytical, Interpersonal and Motivational - for easier digestion. Some of the key competencies that are generally used at interview for paralegal positions are: Communication Time Management Prioritisation Team Work Attention to detail INDIVIDUAL COMPETENCIES These refer to: Your personal attributes; your decisiveness, tenacity, knowledge, independence, risk taking and personal integrity. A typical question may include: Tell me about a time when your work or an idea was challenged. MANAGERIAL COMPETENCIES These refer to: Your ability to take charge of other people; leadership, empowerment, strategic thinking, corporate sensitivity, project management and managerial control. A typical question may include: Tell me about a time you led a group to achieve an objective. ANALYTICAL COMPETENCIES These refer to: Your decision making abilities; innovation, analytical skills, problem solving, practical learning and attention to detail A typical question may include: Tell me about a time when you identified a new approach to a problem. INTERPERSONAL COMPETENCIES These refer to: Social competence. Many workplaces function on the basis of project teams and the more collaborative they are, the more likely they are to thrive. A typical question may include: 3

Describe a situation where you got people to work together. MOTIVATIONAL COMPETENCIES These refer to: The things that drive you; resilience, motivation, result orientation, initiative and quality focus. A typical question may include: When did you work the hardest and feel the greatest sense of achievement? THE TRICK TO ANSWERING COMPETENCY BASED QUESTIONS Answers to competency based questions are very structured, so we recommend the STAR technique, describing: the Situation the Task required as a result the Action you took the Result of that action It s all very well having a technique for answering questions but we think you d benefit from having a deeper understanding of what is required of you, along with examples of the questions themselves. STEP 1 SITUATION OR TASK Describe the situation that you were confronted with or the task that needed to be accomplished. With the STAR approach you need to set the context. Make it concise and informative, concentrating solely on what is useful to the story. For example, if the question is asking you to describe a situation where you had to deal with a difficult person, explain how you came to meet that person and why they were being difficult. If the question is asking for an example of teamwork, explain the task that you had to undertake as a team. STEP 2 ACTION This is the most important section of the STAR approach as it is where you will need to demonstrate and highlight the skills and personal attributes that the question is testing. Now that you have set the context of your story, you need to explain what you did. In doing so, you will need to remember the following: Be personal, i.e. talk about you, not the rest of the team. Go into some detail. Do not assume that they will guess what you mean. Steer clear of technical information, unless it is crucial to your story. Explain what you did, how you did it, and why you did it. WHAT YOU DID AND HOW YOU DID IT The interviewers will want to know how you reacted to the situation. This is where you can start selling some important skills. For example, you may want to describe how you used the team to achieve a particular objective and how you used your communication skills to keep everyone updated on progress etc. 4

WHY YOU DID IT For example; when discussing a situation where you had to deal with conflict, many candidates would simply say: I told my colleague to calm down and explained to him what the problem was. However, it would not provide a good idea of what drove you to act in this manner. How did you ask him to calm down? How did you explain the nature of the problem? By highlighting the reasons behind your action, you would make a greater impact. For example: I COULD SENSE THAT MY COLLEAGUE WAS IRRITATED AND I ASKED HIM GENTLY TO TELL ME WHAT HE FELT THE PROBLEM WAS. BY ALLOWING HIM TO VENT HIS FEELINGS AND HIS ANGER, I GAVE HIM THE OPPORTUNITY TO CALM DOWN. I THEN EXPLAINED TO HIM MY OWN POINT OF VIEW ON THE MATTER, EMPHASISING HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS THAT WE FOUND A SOLUTION THAT SUITED US BOTH." This revised answer helps the interviewers understand what drove your actions and reinforces the feeling that you are calculating the consequences of your actions, thus retaining full control of the situation. It provides much more information about you as an individual and is another reason why the STAR approach is so useful. STEP 3 RESULT Explain what happened eventually how it all ended. Also, use the opportunity to describe what you accomplished and what you learnt in that situation. This helps you make the answer personal and enables you to highlight further skills. This is probably the most crucial part of your answer. Interviewers want to know that you are using a variety of generic skills in order to achieve your objectives. Therefore you must be able to demonstrate in your answer that you are taking specific actions because you are trying to achieve a specific objective and not simply by chance. FINALLY Remember, be yourself when answering competency questions; use real life examples and relate them to your experience, how you reacted or how it made you feel. These are not trick questions, they re designed to create the best match between an individual and an organisation. A little bit of preparation and you ll quickly realise that competency based interviews represent an unprecedented opportunity to describe some of your finer moments to a captive audience. STRENGTH BASED INTERVIEWS AND HOW TO ACE THEM Competency based interviews have become increasingly popular over the past few years but they re certainly not the only type of interview you may come across. Competencies can be defined as things you can do. Strength based interviews assess what you ENJOY doing and are slowly taking over from competency based interviews. WHEN A CANDIDATE IS USING THEIR STRENGTHS THEY: Demonstrate a real sense of energy and engagement Often lose a sense of time because they are engrossed in and enjoying the task Quickly learn new information and approaches Perform well Are drawn to do things that play to their strengths even when tired, stressed or disengaged 5

HOW TO PREPARE FOR A STRENGTH BASED INTERVIEW Although they don t need as much preparation as competency based interviews, these types of questions still need some preparation and careful thought. While you can't change the fundamentals of what you enjoy for a recruiter, thinking about how your preferences fit with the organisation and the job requirements is still important. Try to relax and be yourself! THE TYPE OF QUESTIONS YOU WILL BE ASKED IN A STRENGTH BASED INTERVIEW What are you good at? What do you learn quickly? What things give you energy? When did you achieve something you were really proud of? Do you prefer to start tasks or to finish them? Do you find you have enough hours in the day to complete all the things you want to do? What things are always left on your to-do list and not finished? What have been some of your achievements and how have you made them happen? Do you think this role will play to your strengths? 10 CLASSIC INTERVIEW QUESTIONS The question hangs in the air, a mug is set down on a desk, a clock ticks. But not if you ve rehearsed your answers to these questions: 1. TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF The interviewer doesn t want to know if you re a cat person. Talk briefly about your achievements to date. 2. WHY DO YOU WANT TO WORK FOR US? A little research and you ll be able to talk compellingly about the business and how you can impact on it. 3. GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF WHERE YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO USE YOUR LEADERSHIP SKILLS Even if you re not in a management role, you must cite an example where you took the reins. See competency based questions for more info. 4. WHAT ARE YOUR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES? Talk about strengths that satisfy the selection criteria and allude to weaknesses irrelevant to the role. 5. WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN FIVE YEARS? Research the company structure to pitch your aspirations more realistically than I want to be on the board by then. 6. WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT? Use the selection criteria to identify which of your achievements called for skills the interviewer is interested in. 7. WHY SHOULD WE HIRE YOU? Describe the skills and experience you ve gained that qualify you to fulfill the duties listed on the job description 8. ARE YOU A TEAM PLAYER? You need to provide examples to back up your emphatic yes. 9. WHAT ARE YOUR SALARY EXPECTATIONS? 6

Check out Michael Page s salary surveys to find out what you re worth in the current market. 10. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US? Use this opportunity to build rapport, referring back to a key point in the interview and developing it. ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS Asking questions at an interview will not only give you answers but it shows your employer you have initiative and enthusiasm for the position and the company. This will impress any employer. Below are some examples of questions you could ask. Make sure you listen carefully to information given during the interview in case your questions are answered. How is performance measured and how often is it reviewed? What are the key challenges of the role, particularly in the first six months? How many people are in my team and what are their roles? With whom will I be working most closely? How would you describe the culture of the firm? What are the major plans for the firm in the next five years? FIVE INTERVIEW MISTAKES YOU SHOULD NEVER MAKE If you have ever left a job interview thinking, I could have answered that question better than I did then you should know that you are not the only one. Even people with years of experience and lots of skills, do not always know how to sell themselves to hiring managers. If you are looking for a new job or have an interview coming up, it s important to think about your interviewing techniques. The best way to avoid the most common interview mistakes is to consciously decide not to make them. Here are five big interview mistakes to consider and avoid: 1. NEGATIVITY Being negative about your existing employer is one of the most common mistakes interviewees make. Frustrations and clashes arise in all organisations so a potential employer needs to know that you can manage yourself through this rather than simply calling it quits every time frustrations arise. Effectively they will want to know how you would behave if you were part of their business. Would you help move people forward or be a negative influence? 2. LACK OF CONFIDENCE AND POOR INTERPERSONAL SKILLS Bad eye contact, lack of confidence in delivering answers and a weak handshake are typical mistakes made by interviewees. In most roles interpersonal skills are important so you need to make the effort to come across as self-assured even if you are nervous. 3. LACK OF PREPARATION One of the biggest mistakes candidates make is failing to prepare sufficiently. Great candidates value their career and work hard to manage it successfully. They would not simply read a company website and presume they knew enough about the business. It s important to research the company culture as well as what challenges the company is currently facing. Different things will matter to different people but well prepared questions will demonstrate that you have done your homework and are taking the interview seriously. Knowing the answers to these questions will also ensure that you are not making the wrong career move. 7

4. WE INSTEAD OF I A common mistake he sees when getting feedback from clients is candidates referring to their successes as something that we did as opposed to I. This can leave the more astute interviewer with the impression that the candidate is potentially taking credit for a project/account that they only played a small part in helping to win as opposed to something that they were solely responsible for. The most important thing is to highlight your achievements and the role you played in successes honestly. 5. LEAVING YOUR PERSONALITY AT THE DOOR In this market, shortlists are filled with individuals who are undoubtedly qualified to perform the role but the differentiator is almost entirely around the personality profile and human connection capabilities. This means that either subconsciously or consciously, you re being assessed from the moment you enter the building. If you are unable to build rapport with the person who picks you up from the reception area, makes your coffee AND interviews you, you re going to miss out. A sincere interest in the people you could be working with and the business and organisational culture is a necessity for any job interview. 10 OF THE STRANGEST QUESTIONS ASKED IN INTERVIEWS Glassdoor.com, a free online career community, recently published a list of the top 25 oddball interview questions as shared by their readers. Here are the ones we consider to the absolute top 10 weirdest! 1. Room, desk and car which do you clean first? 2. What do you think of garden gnomes? 3. Name five uses of a stapler without staples. 4. How would you get an elephant into a refrigerator? 5. How many people are using Facebook in San Francisco at 2:30pm on a Friday? 6. If Germans were the tallest people in the world, how would you prove it? 7. How would you cure world hunger? 8. How many different ways can you get water from a lake at the foot of a mountain, up to the top of the mountain? 9. If you were a Microsoft Office program, which one would you be? 10. Pepsi or Coke? HANDLING A WEIRD INTERVIEW QUESTION Firstly, take your time when answering a bizarre and seemingly random interview question. Your interviewer has designed the question to be intentionally testing and won t necessarily expect you to have an immediate answer at your fingertips. Think about what the company does and what the role in question aims to achieve. If there is an opportunity to show off technical ability, mathematical skill or specialist knowledge in answering the question, this is more than likely what the question is designed to do. For the most part, these bizarre questions are an opportunity to demonstrate your powers of lateral thinking, so try to think creatively about how you could approach the problem. For some of these bizarre interview questions, there may be a number of possible answers and not necessarily a right or wrong answer. Try not to get flustered, but try to apply reasonable rationale and talk the interviewer confidently and calmly through the steps you d take to come to a conclusion. Your acceptance and willingness to embrace an unusual 8

question and your efforts to give a logical answer will be looked upon favourably by an employer, whatever answer you eventually arrive at. 10 CHALLENGING INTERVIEW QUESTIONS It s the interview moment every job seeker dreads. Just when you thought you had them eating out of the palm of your hand, you re hit with a question straight out of left field. While there s no way of predicting exactly what you ll be asked at an interview, these answers to our 10 challenging questions might just help you out of a tight spot: WHY ARE YOU LEAVING YOUR CURRENT JOB? If you left, or are leaving, your job because of a personality conflict, never try to explain the situation. You can say that you saw this job advertised and that you believe you would be very well suited to it, or you might explain that you re looking for new challenges in the workplace. HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO TAKING DIRECTION FROM SUPERIORS? Here you need to emphasise your ability to work as part of a team and talk briefly about how all teams need to take direction from a manager. HOW WELL DO YOU HANDLE CRITICISM? Here you get to show your human side by talking about how we all make mistakes, and how we can all learn from constructive and positive criticism. WHAT MOTIVATES YOU? This is definitely not where you talk about money and fast cars, mention instead how being immersed in a working project which delivers regular results motivates and drives you forward. HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE BEFORE YOU MAKE AN IMPACT IF YOU STARTED TODAY? You can always say you d hope to contribute from day one, but you also need to be realistic and explain that it might take a couple of months before you fully understand the inner workings of the company to a sufficient extent that you could make a noticeable impact. HAVE YOU ATTENDED OTHER INTERVIEWS? This is a great question which you can really turn to your advantage. A candidate in demand will naturally appear more appealing to any hiring manager. So, say you are actively looking for a new position but don t give them the impression you re more interested in landing another job than the one you re being interviewed for. WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE COMPANY? This is where your pre-interview research pays off. Outline briefly what you ve learned about the company and appear keen to hear more. 9

WHAT CAN YOU OFFER US THAT THE NEXT CANDIDATE CAN T? This is where you get to show off what you ve got to offer. Talk about your achievements to date and the areas of the business you feel you could work with and where you feel you can make a positive impact. WE RE CONCERNED YOU MAY BE A LITTLE OVER QUALIFIED FOR THE POSITION, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT IT? Explain that you re eager to establish yourself within the organisation for the long-term. You can say that you believe your experience will enable you to make significant contributions to the company from the outset and that ultimately you feel very well suited to the position on offer. WHAT ASPECT OF THIS JOB LEAST APPEALS TO YOU? Less is definitely more when answering this one. There s really only one answer: that you ve read through the job spec thoroughly and there is no aspect of the job that doesn t appeal to you. And then move along, quickly. Remember, the interview is no place for moaning What to wear! I always tell candidates to dress as if they care. You spend more time in work gear than in casual attire budget accordingly! Dress for the job you want to be doing! Look at the senior people in your company; how do they dress and present themselves? Follow their lead. This is a seriously competitive market; don t let yourself down by making a simple mistake dirty shoes, un-ironed shirt, too casual clothes First impressions count, so what you will be wearing should play a part of your interview preparation. 10