Your time to shine... so don't panic...
‘A degree alone is not enough. Employers are looking for more than just technical skills and knowledge of a degree discipline. They particularly value skills such as communication, team working and problem solving. Job applicants who can demonstrate that they have developed these skills will have a real advantage.’ So says Digby Jones (former Director-General of the CBI and senior partner of law firm Edge Ellison (which merged with Hammonds)).
Your application form has wowed law firm recruiters and now they can’t wait to meet you. But there is still a barrier to that great job – a day of arduous tests and assessment. But also your chance to show your communication skills, that you’re a team worker and a problem solver, following Digby’s line. Do not be put off by the ‘fear factor’ which inevitably accompanies the thought of a day of psychometric tests, speech making, negotiating etc, etc. As always, decent preparation and knowing what you’re going into helps take away the fear. And a good night’s sleep beforehand isn’t a bad idea. ‘Try to have a relaxed evening before the assessment day’, suggests Beverley Greeves, HR manager at Geldards.
As with many things, it’s often the anticipation of the event rather than the reality that’s more nerve-wracking. Paul Cox, careers adviser at the University of the West of England (UWE), wants to emphasise that candidates shouldn’t feel apprehensive about an assessment day. ‘A lot of students worry that it’s going to be very demanding – but afterwards they often say they quite enjoyed it.’ Many respondents to this year’s survey echo this view, commenting upon how much they enjoyed the experience: ‘the assessment day was done in a down-to-earth manner and people seemed easy to work with’ comments one Hammonds trainee. Paul Cox also points out that with assessment days ‘you get a better crack of the whip than in a standard interview’. If one part of the day doesn’t go as planned, you’ve always got other areas in which to shine, and more time to show yourself off to your best advantage.
Don't relax - yet
Paul Cox, careers adviser at UWE, has a word of warning about the more informal elements of the day – for example, the obligatory tour around the office:
My advice is to be aware that although you may not be formally assessed, other people’s views might be sought. One candidate came out of his interview, boasting how he had ‘pulled the wool over the interviewer’s eyes’. Of course, that went straight back to the interview panel. It is up to candidates to demonstrate they can be professional at all times.
This also applies to a seemingly informal lunch or drink in the pub at the end of the day – be sociable, have a drink if it’s offered – but do try to keep sober enough to remember why you’re there in the first place!
So, why do prospective lawyers get so worked up over attending assessment days? Maybe it’s because they have less experience of assessment centres than those applying to blue-chip companies. Or maybe it’s because they’ll be locked in a windowless room, forced to recite entire sections of the Enterprise Act 2002, while being prodded with large sticks (ok, perhaps we just made that bit up). The reality is they’re not that scary and the best way to prepare is to find out what is likely to happen.
These days, over 80% of the UK’s top 100 commercial firms use assessments of one form or another. So what will you actually have to do during an assessment day? Well, it really varies from firm to firm, but our findings indicate that the most popular type of assessment is a written case study. The next most frequently used test is a group exercise, closely followed by a verbal reasoning or psychometric test.
Fail to prepare, prepare to fail
Recruiter’s tips for preparation and the day itself:
- Do your homework! The better prepared you are the more confident you will feel. Find out as much as you can about the firm, its ethos, clients, and recent cases.
- Re-read your application. Be prepared to show that you have thought about why you applied to the firm and that you can describe its appeal to you.
- Expand your commercial knowledge by reading the business and legal press. If you’re asked about business deals, it’s no good saying you’ve been out of the country. Read up on these things – the FT (Financial Times) does a summary of deals at the weekend. It’s also good to have consistency of knowledge, not just what’s been going on in the last couple of days. And remember firms don’t just want to test your memory – they want to see commercial application as well as awareness.
- Visit your careers centre – it will have lots of information about assessment days and usually some sample tests.
- Don’t be afraid to speak out in university seminars and tutorials. Start practising now and it will come more naturally in an assessment group exercise.
- Contact the firm’s graduate recruitment team if you have any queries about times, location or dress code.
- Plan your travel time and route to the assessment.
When you’re there:
- Dress for success: always dress modestly and smartly (a suit is best). Remember it’s a professional, business-like image you want to portray.
- Always arrive on time, or preferably a bit early, to give yourself time to calm down/go to the loo etc.
- Even if you get a bad feeling from one of the exercises – keep going – don’t give up – give it 100% throughout.
- Don’t be afraid to be nervous – if you’re shaking you won’t necessarily be judged on it!
- Body language and speech are important: don’t slouch or mumble and avoid verbal tics such as ‘like’, ‘you know’ and ‘sort of’. Try and maintain eye contact when appropriate. A firm handshake is best, but try not to break any bones.
- Try to think on your feet and give honest, heartfelt opinions – if your heart’s not in it, you won’t shine.
- Don’t be blasé – enthusiasm and a smile are key attributes and will get you a long way.
Mental agility
A written case study will typically feature something linked to the firm’s business. For example, you might be given a true case scenario or real client problem and be asked how you would advise the client. But, non-law students shouldn’t worry themselves too much about the legal aspects of the task. As a Warwick University careers adviser says – even if the problem does have a legal framework, it is unlikely that the firm is really looking for legal knowledge. ‘They look for people who approach things the right way,’ she explains. ‘A lot of students get very concerned because they think they have to know the law off by heart.’ However, even if the task doesn’t have a legal basis, it will usually have a commercial slant and firms certainly look for commercial awareness, so our advice is read, read, read! By regularly reading the FT (Financial Times), the business pages and the legal press you will start to build up a clear picture of the commercial world. Approach the case study logically, and make sure you follow the instructions properly – you need to demonstrate clearly the reasons for having reached your conclusion.
Physical challenge
But what about the dreaded group exercise? Well, we were delighted to learn that at North-East firm Dickinson Dees, past candidates were faced with a Harry Potter-based scenario. ‘One of the teams was called Quidditch Ltd and they had to figure out how to sell broomsticks and at what prices,’ recounts graduate recruitment adviser, Sally Brewis. ‘People ended up shouting across tables, engrossed in debates about whether or not the broomsticks would fly.’ Not only that, some candidates found themselves so immersed in the exercise they demanded props – so the recruitment team obligingly traipsed off to find some mops.
Amateur dramatics aside, it’s important to remember you are being assessed during this kind of exercise and above all, firms want you to show an ability to think on your feet. You need to display both confidence and negotiating prowess. However, Charlotte Ball of Bristol University’s Careers Service cautions students not to talk themselves out of a job: ‘A student may feel they have to talk all the time, but this is not the case. Firms look for people who can work well in a team and thus help the whole group to achieve their task. This involves a blend of skills such as leadership, the ability to draw other people into the discussion, effective questioning and time management’.
Another important quality is enthusiasm. Mark Matthews, graduate recruitment manager at Reed Smith, urges ‘Be enthusiastic – too many people can seem a bit blasé’. While it’s unlikely that you will be asked to debate the virtues of wooden sweeping implements (flying or otherwise), you will probably be involved in a group negotiation exercise of some kind. If such a thought makes you want to hide in a cupboard, weeping quietly, then maybe the law isn’t for you. Or perhaps you should think about joining the university’s debating society, where you’ll get plenty of practice before you are asked to perform before a potential employer.
University careers services and websites can offer guidance on likely scenarios. Kent University Careers Service website provides a simple example of the type of case study that might be given to you, either individually or to solve as a group, on its website. The careers service suggests that the ‘exercise tests your decision making, analytical reasoning skills and your ability to put forward a persuasive case’.
Testing times
As to the usefulness of psychometric testing, opinions are divided but verbal reasoning tests are widely used. These assess not only that you can write grammatically correct sentences, but also that you can understand the meaning of a written passage. ‘We get so many people with a good 2(1) that we need to find a way to make a distinction between them’, reveals Dickinson Dees’ Sally Brewis. ‘We need someone who can pick out a word in a sentence that is incorrectly spelt.’ Sounds quite easy so far – but a quick glance at Jeremy Kourdi’s ‘Succeed at Psychometric Testing – Practice Tests for Verbal Reasoning’ (Hodder & Stougton, £8.99) shows that there are an enormous number of different types of tests, some much more complicated than others. So does practice make perfect? ‘If a student knows they will be tested as part of the selection procedure, I would suggest that they have a go at some practice tests’, says Bristol University’s Charlotte Ball. ‘Not only will this give them an idea of what to expect but will also allow them to practice completing the test under time pressure’.
Of course if you find the idea of psychometric tests appalling you can always search out those firms like Travers Smith and Slaughter and May where you can apply by CV and covering letter, followed, if you’re lucky, by an interview. ‘One hour of conversation about my interests rather than a ridiculous number of pointless psychometric tests’ huffs one Slaughters trainee, whilst another commends the ‘efficiency of the application process and the most enjoyable interview by quite a stretch’.
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