The Do's and Don'ts of the Training Contract Face-to-Face Interview

Mar 23, 2023

Written By Nandini Jadeja

The time has finally arrived. After weeks of refreshing your emails, being on high alert to every notification or phone call, your invitation to interview for a training contract finally arrived. Firstly, congratulations! But, what do you do now? How can you prepare, especially for a face to face interview? We’ll break it down for you.

The dress code

First things first, making a great impression at the interview starts with looking your best. In most cases, the dress code will not be specified, so it is best to dress as smart as possible, but make sure you are comfortable in what you are wearing.

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Body Language & Eye Contact

Never underestimate the power of body language, especially in a face to face interview. A study found that 55% of communication is non-verbal, so the interviewers will be interpreting your body language more than you think!

Some tips for good body language include:

- Sitting up straight and maintaining a good posture.

- Using your arms (as opposed to having them crossed) This can make you feel more confident, and look more passionate about what you’re saying.

- Smile! At the end of the day, the interviewers will also be assessing whether or not you are going to be a nice person to work with on a daily basis, and you want to make sure they think you will be!

Speaking and Listening

This may seem obvious, but being able to listen effectively is a key skill. When the interviewers are asking you a question, ensure you are keeping eye contact, and looking interested (nodding, smiling)

You can ask the interviewers if you can take a minute to think through a question. This allows you to provide an organised answer to what might be a difficult question, rather than just saying the first thing that comes to mind.

It is a general rule of thumb that candidates should ask their interviewers a question or two at the end of the interview. But how you respond to their answers matters too. If you have asked a question simply for the sake of asking and appear disinterested, it will be quickly picked up. Instead, maintain composure and listen carefully to what the interviewer is saying.

You can also lean forward slightly to show the interviewer you are listening and paying attention. It is easy to slouch in relief at the end of an interview when the ‘interview’ part is over, but remember to maintain focus throughout.

Using the day effectively

One of the advantages of a face to face interview is the opportunity to visit the firm’s office and meet its colleagues. You can use this to your advantage in your interview.

If you meet any firm representative prior to the interview, make sure you remember their name and note any information they give you. If you can find a way to include this information in your interview, it shows that you have been perceptive throughout the day, and that you are taking interest in the firm. E.g. ‘Earlier I was speaking to…and they were telling me about their experience on a client secondment…’ etc. You can also use any details you notice during the day as a springboard for questions at the end of the interview.

Remember that the interview starts the moment you set foot in the firm. Even if not explicitly part of the assessment process, every individual you come into contact with during the day of your interview will form an impression of you in some way, and decide if you are someone they would want to work with in the future.

Ask questions! Asking questions is a great way to show your interest in the firm, but try not to ask questions that can easily be found online like generic details about the firm size/location/practice areas etc. Use these facts to build more developed questions - e.g. Are there any plans to open in a new location?

If you meet other candidates during the day, be polite and friendly - this is a good networking opportunity! However, don’t divulge information from your interview and be aware of the environment you are in. Even complaining about something trivial like how early you had to wake up may not be taken well.

If you don’t know the answer during an interview

Don’t panic! You’re not going to know the answer to everything, and the interviewers don’t expect you to. If it is a case of your mind going blank, ask if you can take a minute to think things through.

If you truly do not know, the best thing to do is to admit it and then go about explaining how you might approach the question. The interviewers are interested in how you think, and may even explain things to you to see how you respond and if you can use that information to get closer to the answer.

You can even turn not knowing something into a positive by following the steps above, and then saying something like ‘That is something I would love to learn more about’ or ‘If it’s okay, I would love to ask you about this later.’

You have reached the interview stage because the firm is interested in what you have to offer. Using the steps above, you can make a great impression and be in the best position to ace the interview. Good luck!

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