Good suit and loyalty to the cause: how to succeed in interviews at law firms

At best, only one third of job applicants are invited for a second interview by law firms.

Partner of YUST Law Firm Alexander Bolomatov told Pravo.ru portal about the main requirements to applicants: "If you are going to work as a lawyer it is better to look like a lawyer - there is always the dress code". First of all, the employer wants the new employee to be perceptive, not to waste time and effort, Alexander Bolomatov mentioned. In this case important are the selected university and academic performance – for a recent graduate grades are a measure of perseverance. Good academic performance of a young specialist shows that there will be no need to fill in the educational gaps, and it will be easy to speak the same language with the new colleague, Bolomatov explained. The second requirement is loyalty to the company. No one wants to lose the investment immediately, so loyalty should be declared - both orally in the interview and in writing in the CV, Alexander Bolomatov advised.

But suppose that the applicant is an experienced specialist. This is another story - and other money, Bolomatov admitted. "It is about a person who can undertake a considerable amount of work, therefore the main point is being able to trust him with his clients and to delegate him your competences. Professionalism is important - no one will teach you for a considerable fee”, he says. Therefore, it is better not to be shy in the interview, but to demonstrate knowledge and tell about successful projects. Loyalty to a company also plays its role: "The employer is unlikely to approve of the fact the applicant worked in a different organization each half a year, so if this is your case, it is better to think of a legend beforehand - to explain why it happened".

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