Making a lasting impression: top tips for the training contract interview

Aug 30, 2023

Written By Annabel Gooden

With so much competition, it’s natural to feel nervous about securing a training contract, especially once you’ve made it as far as the interview stage. If you’ve been offered an interview though, the chances are you’ve already made an excellent impression. With that in mind, try to see your interview as an opportunity to showcase your talents and put yourself forward as the ideal trainee solicitor.

What’s the best way to prepare for a training contract interview?

Firstly, know the firm. Secondly, know yourself. And thirdly, know what makes you a good fit for the specific law firm you’ve applied to. These are the fundamentals of any interview and should feed into the way you answer every question. One of the first things you’re likely to be asked is: why do you want a training contract with us? Explain clearly why you chose that particular firm but make it personal by linking what you know to your own experience.

Have you interned for a business that works in one of their specialist sector areas, for example? Why is their diversity and inclusion record important to you: have you been involved in any community projects or university committees that promoted an inclusive culture?

Make sure you’ve reread your original application form. It might be a distant memory by this stage but it’s a good idea to be prepared, as your interviewers might ask you to elaborate on what you wrote. Also, think about whether there are any gaps in your CV or low grades that might be queried.

Practising and preparing for your trainee interview

An essential part of getting ready for an interview is taking the time to practise verbalising your ideas. You can even do this in front of a mirror. Try selecting possible questions at random and answering without any notes. If you feel yourself getting stuck, then you can identify any gaps in your preparation.

Do not shy away from the questions you find the hardest to answer. In fact, practise these the most. You can find a handy list of training contract interview questions here.

Arranging a few practice interviews is a good idea and often this is something your university careers service can provide. If you’ve already graduated, reach out to your undergraduate university or alumni network to make the most of different sources of support. Bear in mind that demand for appointments might be high at certain times of year, so get them in the diary well ahead of time. This will also give you some motivation to start preparing early. You can also get friends and family involved too.

Give yourself time to make improvements and respond to feedback. A further practice the day before can also help warm you up.

Using the STAR method

To answer skill-based questions, structuring your answers using STAR. This stands for: Situation (what the problem was), Task (how you were involved), Action (what you did to help) and Result (what happened as a result. Structuring your answers according to this formula makes it easy for your interviewers to identify how you’ve met their criteria.

Be yourself

Answer questions in a genuine way. If you’re not actually interested in what you’re talking about, your interviewers will be able to tell. The best way to avoid this is simply by choosing to talk about areas of the law that you are enthused by and discussing experiences that you have truly enjoyed.

Being relaxed during the interview will make it easier to build rapport with your interviewers. Enjoy the opportunity to sit down and talk in person. It should make a welcome change from filling in all those application forms.

End on a high

At the end of the interview, you will get a chance to ask your interviewer questions and to gauge whether the firm is a good fit for you. If you go into this with confidence, and understand that the interview is a two-way process, you’re more likely to feel calm and in control.

Always prepare a few questions for your interviewers. Find out who will be interviewing you beforehand and tailor your questions personally. Spend some time thinking about what you’d genuinely like to learn from them.

You might want to ask about the individual’s own career journey or a particular case or deal that they have been involved in. People love talking about themselves, so this might even give you a chance to sit back and take a breather after all that talking.

Take time to reflect

Even if you don’t end up getting an offer this time, a rejection should not dissuade you from applying again. Rejection is common and almost all future trainees will have experienced it at some point.

Write down the questions you were asked, reflect upon and record what you could have done differently. It’s also highly recommended that you ask for feedback. For more advice, see our dedicated articles here and here.

Other resources

The University of Law has a helpful guide and checklist on their website, as does The Law Society.

If you have a video interview, there will be specific things to bear in mind, such as checking your tech works in advance and making sure you look into the camera. Take a look at our dedicated article here, and finally, check out our ten best law interview tips here.

Best of luck for your interviews!

Selection & Assessment