I got an interview! need tips.

Yummybud944 · Sep 28, 2015

so I got lucky all of a sudden and landed an interview this coming tuesday at a great law firm in my town. I'm pretty excited but also nervous. They told me they really liked my resume and want to meet me and it will be up to all the lawyers to decide on whether they should hire me. and they also hinted that it's basically whether they see me as someone that can fit in with the team. This obviously puts a lot of pressure on me to try to get them to like me. if they give me an interview it pretty much means I am qualified for the job but they need to see me in person to see if i can fit in with the team.

I have some social anxiety and get a bit nervous during interviews. also during interviews i'm not always sure how to lead on conversations. lot of law firms have very informal interviews where you basically just sit around and chat they don't like test your knowledge or anything substantive.

i'm just wondering is it okay to joke during an interview? i always try to be serious during an interview and look professional but I don't want to come off like i'm a boring or serious person that not one wants to work with. they pretty much hinted that they like to have fun and joke around in the office that's why i'm asking.

i really hope i get this i've been working hard for so long and want it to pay off finally.

Sovereign · Sep 28, 2015

are you the real yummybud or is this a counterfeit yummybud what is going on here Wtf? Did I miss something I thought yummy was gone no?

MicroRoy · Sep 28, 2015

Relax.
Read the room.
Go with the flow.
Put vasoline on your upper gums so that you can smile more easily .

Yummybud944 · Sep 28, 2015

i'm not a counterfeit. haha okay i always try to relax but when i'm sitting in the waiting room waiting to meet the people interviewing me i get so nervous and freeze up. bc in my head i'm thinking oh shit if i screw this up i won't get the job and then i'm fukt.

foxylady · Sep 28, 2015

Chew Gum, It tricks the brain into believing you're eating, you'd never eat when stressed so can help calm the nerves

Good Luck
Peace,

Yummybud944 · Sep 28, 2015

thanks. I'll try that, only problem is i'd have to spit it out when i go in to the interview bc it'd be pretty unprofessional chewing gum during the interview haha.

MicroRoy · Sep 28, 2015

Don't drink coffee. Don't want to jump up and pee at the wrong moment.

If you have to pee excusing yourself is better than squirming in your seat.

Stoner4Life · Sep 28, 2015

okay 'Yummybud'

you can kiss the job goodbye if you tell them "I'm a people person" that's sure DEATH in an interview.

don't say "I need this job" everyone needs a job. Tell them instead "I need to work." big difference.

if they ask you if you have any hobbies, you should answer "none that would interfere with my duties or hours here.

tell them shit like "I have no problem coming in early and staying late." that's what they'd like to hear.

and finally if you get the impression that you're tanking give them a link to this website and all the old Yummybud threads, that will clinch the deal.......

foxylady · Sep 28, 2015

Hahaha! Stoner4Life :biggrin:

Now that's what I call advice!
Peace,

Yummybud944 · Sep 28, 2015

Stoner4Life said:
okay 'Yummybud'

you can kiss the job goodbye if you tell them "I'm a people person" that's sure DEATH in an interview.

don't say "I need this job" everyone needs a job. Tell them instead "I need to work." big difference.

if they ask you if you have any hobbies, you should answer "none that would interfere with my duties or hours here.

tell them shit like "I have no problem coming in early and staying late." that's what they'd like to hear.

and finally if you get the impression that you're tanking give them a link to this website and all the old Yummybud threads, that will clinch the deal.......

haha thanks for the tips. I would definitely need to be a people person for this job lol. This position is mostly civil litigation and involves going to court.

the toughest question for me is always "why should we pick you over others" "what are your best attributes/ skills"

i hate saying generic things like i am a hard worker , reliable etc but I guess it's okay.

and I have already mentioned in my cover letter that I am wiling to put in long hours and to work late.

from what i've heard a lot of lawyers work crazy long hours so they'll be looking for someone that is willing to work their ass off and put in the effort.

Bionic · Sep 28, 2015

Good luck, Yummy! Just believe in yourself and it will inspire confidence in others. All the best!

VenturaHwy · Sep 28, 2015

Civil litigation, is that like the city getting sued or govt contracts disputes?

"can fit in with the team"

When I worked at Boeing Computer Services people stood around and talked all day, so if you were a slacker that talked all day and did very little work and sucked up to all the guys above you and ate lunch with them you fit in just fine. If you were there to work hard you didn't fit in very well.

Now I would say lawyers have to work really hard to win their case so they don't want the lazy stand around types, so a team player is one who can work hard and is fun to be around at the same time. I would even work for minimum wage just to get some experience.

DJXX · Sep 28, 2015

remember they liked what they have seen so far...and they need to fill a position...you will be fine...just don't act desperate...DJXX

purple_man · Sep 28, 2015

put a cucumber in your pocket, and let them know who s the boss up in that mofo!!!

blessss
ps.: good luck, just dont be yourself and all will be fine

BlueBlazer · Sep 28, 2015

If you get so wrapped around how bad you need the job, you will probably come across desperate and fawning.

This isn't the only job. You don't have to get them to like you. You have to see if they are the kind of people you want to work with.

If they like you that's cool. If not, pretending to be someone else to gain their acceptance will only blow up on you in the long run.

I once went to an interview that was crushingly important to my future and family. I put that out of my mind during the interview and decided to just be myself and let the chips fall where they may. I got the sense that they were wanting someone they could get along with and who wouldn't play office politics. So I said to them, "this doesn't seem to be about can I do the job, we know I can do the job, it's about can we all get along together as co-workers . . . blah, blah, blah

I was hired. I later found that I wasn't even a likely candidate based the the packages that were submitted. It was my off-hand matter of fact way of saying "we know I can do the job" that impressed them the most. Confidence sells. Go figure.

Btw - turns out we all got along fine and I nailed that job.

Coba · Sep 28, 2015

Just be yourself YB.

I don't know how well anyone can prepare for an interview... I have a story, I had this big interview lined up with the IT department in a hospital near by. I crammed for two days studying only typical interview questions. I felt very confident walking into that interview ... until it turned on me. Instead of one interviewer I had three. And, instead of regular interview Q's they slapped me with a pop quiz.

they had only one traditional interview question; " why do you want to work in the IT department?" the rest of the 50 or so questions were knowledge based. Asking me if I knew the answer to everything IT, troubleshooting techniques, diagnostics, best practices and so on... they even asked if I knew the seven layers of the OSI model and the 5 top level directory folders in the Windows registry... off the top of my head! who remembers that stuff for fun?

I would be prepared for anything.

from personal experience, most management types want 10 workers who get along with each other ... and everybody else for that matter. that in itself is more valuable than 10 cocky experts who are constantly bickering over trivial shit and making customers feel insulted or awkward.

I've can't recall ever having a customer remember or comment on how well a tech knew their stuff ... however, I've had many customers remember and comment on our tech's personalty and how they were treated during their encounter.

MicroRoy · Sep 28, 2015

Good luck.

Green Squall · Sep 28, 2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNCdy0hCDnE

who dat is · Sep 28, 2015

I was being interviewed for the 3rd time with two of the higher ups in the company and I was trying to keep it professional but not tightassed. When one of them asked me where I saw myself in 5 years I said that that was a pretty vague questions but I always wanted to be an astronaut.

I got the job

blastfrompast · Sep 28, 2015

Goodluck on the interview.

You might want to add that your looking for a Place to retire...ie you are willing to be a "LIFER"..

so when they say...where do you see yourself in 5 yrs.... I would say working for ur law office 24/7 doing whatever u need.

I got an interview! need tips.

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