Interviewing Tips from an Alumni Mentor

A mentor in our Alumni Mentor Program gave the following sage advice to a mentee. We hope you will also benefit from these practical tips during Fall Recruiting:

I highly encourage you to do some practice interviews with the career office (or your classmates if necessary). Have them be brutal as to your body language, eye contact, posture and responses. You want to go into that interview polished and assertive, yet engaging and charming -- no fumbling for words and neither uptight nor overly-casual. No um, uh-huhs, wayward/wandering glances, etc. My roommate did the same thing for me before OCI and he was merciless, but it helped tremendously. A little embarrassment now with your friends or the career office will be well worth getting a job. Your inner dialogue should be something akin to: I'm here to chew bubblegum and kick butt, and I'm all out of gum. :)

Like I said today, do your homework about the firm (its practice areas, recent victories or transactions) and the people scheduled to interview you (the recruiting coordinator at the firm will give you the names if you ask beforehand). It's good to mention some fact from your research about the interviewer (where they went to school, outside interests, experiences, etc.) or the firm in your responses; it shows you are interested. When they ask if you have any questions, DO NOT ask about the firm's pro-bono program, vacation or benefits. Ask about how many summer associates they are hiring, what practice groups they are looking to augment and how many of the summer associates do they plan to make permanent offers to when the summer ends.

Here's another small (and maybe silly) tip. Before you go into your interview (either on campus or at a call back), psyche up -- go into the restroom, look at and tell yourself that you are ready and deserve the job as much as the interviewer. You should feel like you "own the room" as much as the person on the other side of the table. Confidence (but not cockiness) sells. Plus, it will give you one last chance to make sure your clothes are on straight and you're hair isn't sticking up straight.

- A Hastings Mentor