How to survive: assessment days

11 May 2009

As law firms continue to develop their recruitment processes it seems that Big Brother really is watching you. During an assessment day a law firm invites a group of candidates, chosen on the strength of its members application forms, to its offices for a day of activities that are observed by several assessors, usually partners or members of the graduate recruitment team. The activities may include written tests, group exercises and individual presentations, as well as an interview.

While an assessment day sounds daunting, it is actually a good opportunity to demonstrate your overall strengths. It is also generally seen as more objective than offering training contracts to candidates after just one interview, the success of which can often depend on the rapport you strike up with your interviewers.

It is important to remember that as well as being an opportunity for you to get to know the firm, this is also a chance to make the vital decision as to whether you think you would be happy being a trainee solicitor there. Firms generally recognise this and many offer candidates the chance to meet current trainees over lunch so you can hear first-hand what it is like to train at the firm.

WHAT TO EXPECT

First the good news. Not all assessment days last the whole day. They usually take up either the morning or the afternoon and start with a presentation about the firm, usually given by a partner or a member of the graduate recruitment team. This is designed to give you a deeper insight into the firm above and beyond what is available on its website and is a great opportunity to get a better feel for the culture, ethos and long-term vision of a potential future employer. The presentation is typically followed by the following:

• Break out session (tea/coffee or maybe lunch)
• Written tests
• Presentation: pre-prepared or on the day
• Role play
• Group exercises
• Interview

BREAK OUT SESSION

The break out session provides a unique chance to get to know the other candidates who may one day be your colleagues. Most firms will also have current trainee solicitors available to share their experiences of working life. Useful questions to throw at the trainees might include:

• What difficulties did you encounter while looking for a training contract?
• Why did you choose firm X?
• What is your trainee intake like? Have you bonded well?
• Which department are you currently in, where do you hope to qualify and why?
• What does your typical day involve?
• What’s the hardest thing about being a trainee?
• How did you cope with the transition from being a student to life as a trainee?
• What are your working hours like?
• How is work allocated to you and how much responsibility do you get?
• How is your firm coping with the economic downturn?
• Where did you go to law school and what is the Legal Practice Course like?
• Do you have any regrets about training at firm X or indeed training as a solicitor?

Point to ponder: Be yourself but be respectful. The trainees could well be asked their opinions.

WRITTEN TESTS

Written tests are a common component of assessment days or are sometimes incorporated into application forms. They are increasingly done online and are a chance to test an applicant under pressure against the clock. The range of tasks that could be undertaken includes tests on grammar, numeracy, logic, reasoning and written communication.

At one firm, for instance, applicants have to write a set of instructions for a simple scenario telling someone how to do something they have never done before such as playing marbles. While, an increasingly popular scenario is for the applicant to be given an in-tray full of work to do. In some instances it is quite impossible to complete, in others you can get to the end. Either way your ability to prioritise and manage your work-flow are under scrutiny.

Psychometric testing

These tests are commonplace and questions will be along the lines of: would you most describe yourself as truthful, honest, loyal, helpful? There are no right or wrong answers. You cannot practise psychometric tests in the sense of improving your answers but the experience of sitting one can be prepared for. It is best to stay calm and answer as honestly as possible because testers can apparently tell when someone panics or is not consistent with the truth!

Verbal reasoning

Despite its name this test is a written opportunity to analyse, interpret and show your understanding of written information. A passage of text is supplied, and a series of possible answers are given or a statement is made about it and three answers are then possible:

• The statement is definitely true
• The statement is definitely untrue
• There is not enough information to say with certainty

There is a wealth of information on the web for you to see a sample text and practise your answers. AssessmentDay.co.uk was created by students, for students. It provides sample tests on a range of styles and includes free scores and solutions. Your university careers service website is also a good source of mock tests.

Critical thinking

This is another written task where reflective reasoning is used to reach judgements. Arguably the most famous is the test designed by Watson Glaser. It measures a candidate’s abilities in: drawing inferences, recognising assumptions, argument evaluation, deductive reasoning, logical interpretation.

Point to ponder: If your task is a sequencing operation employers are checking your ability to give logical steps and that you can write with accuracy and simplicity. The challenge is to be concise and informative without missing key details.

PRESENTATION (pre-prepared)

Some firms may ask you to give presentations in front of the group of other candidates. Such presentations usually last between three and 10 minutes and can generally be on a topic of your choice or chosen from a panel of options.

In terms of assessors they will be looking at two distinct areas. Communication skills to test how well you speak and present yourself in front of a group and your ability to produce insightful content.

Candidates should think seriously before choosing to speak about a legal topic because, while they can sometimes be done effectively, they can often be dull. There is also the danger that they may be technically incorrect not something you would want to risk in front of experienced solicitors.

After looking at the guidance notes, or asking, choose a subject you are passionate and confident about. But do not be overindulgent - 10 minutes explaining the offside rule in football may not go down favourably with some recruitment teams.

Humour in presentations can work well. Indeed anything suitable that helps assessors differentiate between the up to 150 presentations they may see is worth doing. That said, some jokes could go down like a lead balloon so use humour with caution.

Like with most things practising is key. What looks like 10 minutes on paper can be far too long or far too short when spoken.

Speak to the audience not the slides or the back of the room. If you have to refer to a screen or flipchart to make a point use: touch, turn, talk. Like being on the stage it is better to pause for a second than talk with your back to people. Make sure you make eye contact with everyone on the panel during your presentation.

Think finally about questions. Do you want them during the presentation or would you prefer them at the end. Express a preference but do not be dogmatic. And, like an interview, try to prepare for what you expect to be asked.

Point to ponder: Be aware of your body language, voice levels and pace. Without these key presenting skills your content will get lost.

PRESENTATION (on the day)

As we have stated above a slick presentation is important but not enough in itself. An adept use of smoke and mirror techniques will not get you a job. You will need critically reasoned content.

Some assessment centres will give candidates a topic on the day and time to prepare. At Trowers & Hamlins for instance candidates are asked to pick from a range of topics and after 30 minutes preparation to talk for five minutes on their subject.

Graduate recruitment officer, Hannah King, advises candidates: “Be sure to structure your thoughts. Find a way to show that you have made the best use of your time. Speak confidently and keep to the point.”

At Denton Wilde Sapte, meanwhile, applicants will be given a brief about a case and have to present to two partners giving them advice about it. The firm’s trainee recruitment partner, Jeremy Cape, warns applicants not to fall into the trap of telling the audience what they already know.

“Don’t spend too long rehearsing or regurgitating the information in the brief. Your communication is important as is your ability to understand and interpret the text and numbers,” he says.

Point to ponder: Don’t shy away from any elements you are not comfortable with as what you do with the information is being assessed just as much as your delivery.

ROLE PLAY

Role play tends to be undertaken with an applicant and members of the firm. It is an opportunity to prove you can retain and use information, negotiate and communicate successfully.

Nabarro, for instance, has used the speed-dating formula for applicants on its vacation scheme and is introducing the approach for its trainee solicitor recruitment programme. Candidates sit through a series of three-minute periods with staff. A gong signals the end of each period and in total candidates swap stories with eight people.

One successful applicant enjoyed the first run of the process stating: “I thought it was great fun and a good way to get the rhetorical juices flowing prior to the interview although having to talk for three minutes on marmite was a little challenging.”

Point to ponder: When time is of the essence get to the heart of the matter as quickly as possible.

GROUP EXERCISES

Forget The Apprentice. The person who shouts the loudest and seeks to be a power hungry megalomaniac is unlikely to succeed.

Hammonds’ graduate recruitment manager Susan Coen stresses that it is certainly not an opportunity to dominate the room: “Sometimes we see people fighting to be the leader and that’s not what it’s about. We’re looking for someone who is being effective in ensuring the task is completed.”

There are many roles to consider in addition to giving clear leadership. It is important to involve team members, speak up and be a team player with an opinion and complete the task to time. How you interact within the group is what counts rather than the misplaced belief in somehow winning or losing.

Point to ponder: There are many roles to play in a group exercise. Do not waste time battling for a role or task as the input you are seen to have in getting the task done is far more valuable.

INTERVIEWS

Love or loathe them, the interview is still very much a vital part of the recruitment process. The general format for an interview remains the same for most firms. There are often two interviewers, usually a member of the graduate recruitment team and a partner or perhaps another qualified lawyer such as a senior associate.

Preparation

It can be said if you fail to prepare then really you are preparing to fail. However, there is a difference between putting yourself forward in the best light and inventing a new you.

Do not turn up trying to be someone you are not. Hannah King of Trowers advises: “Be yourself, we’re not looking for clones or types. The interview is a chance for us to find out about candidates but they should also use it as an opportunity to fire questions at us and find out more.”

Telling the truth is also what Jeremy Cape of Dentons advises: “Don’t try to bluff because you’ll get found out. In fact we don’t want you to bluff because bluffing conceals the real person.”

Areas to prepare before the interview include:

• Your biography
• Why law - this firm and its competitors
• Work experience
• News and current affairs
• Your worst question
• Taking advice

Competency-based interviews

At an increasing number of firms, for instance CMS Cameron McKenna, the process is based on well flagged competency criteria. As part of this overall process a candidate will have a one-to-one interview with a partner lasting approximately an hour.

In the interview candidates will be told exactly which competency is being assessed for each question before the question is asked. The danger can be of letting your example run away from you and not structuring it properly. Victoria Wisson, graduate recruitment officer at Camerons encourages applicants to thing carefully about the shape of their answers with great attention to detail.

She recommends using the STAR approach. Outline the situation (S) for the interviewer and set the scene. Tell them the task (T) in hand. Break down your actions (A) in detail, outlining your thought process. And don’t forget to talk through your results (R), ensuring these are quantifiable and measurable.

She says: “In terms of results, if your example is about organising an event like a ball, rather than just telling the interviewer that everyone had a great time also explain that you put on the ball within budget, sold more tickets than last year and raised XX amount for charity. This shows you have a measure for your success.”

The competency areas to expect include: communication, team working, planning and organising, problem solving, achievement orientation and commercial focus.

Wherever you are interviewed and whether or not these issues are sign-posted by the interviewer they are always worth keeping in mind when formulating your answers.

Your biography

In addition to knowing the firm make sure you know yourself. Robert Byk, one of the graduate recruitment partners at Slaughter and May explains:“Read your CV and covering letter before the interview and be prepared to talk about any aspect of it. Interviewees have an interview with two partners lasting 45 minutes to an hour. We tend to start on the basis of the covering letter and CV and then see how the interview progresses.”

Interviewers will often ask candidates to explain something complicated about their degree to them. Here they are looking for your ability to explain something difficult and often technical in simple terms so that anyone can understand. This is particularly important because solicitors often have to explain legal terms to their clients who might not understand legal jargon.

Not being able to recall something you have studied in the past as it was ‘a long time ago’ will not wash with the assessors. So go back through your notes since the start of your course so the old is as fresh as the new.

Make the most of your history but avoid generalities. Rather than leaving the statement ‘I am a positive team player’ hanging in the air give a concrete example to back up your assertion.

Why law - this firm and its competitors?

If you cannot answer the start of this question for yourself then are you sure this is the career for you?

Before an interview even starts, do your research. Interviewers will expect you to know about the firm you are applying to, its competitors, the markets it operates in and any recent deals/cases it has been working on. You are unlikely to be offered a job by a firm if you do not know what it does or where it does it.

Slaughters’ Byk explains: “Candidates should, of course, have - and be able to demonstrate - a genuine interest in and commitment to the law and our firm. Research via the firm’s website, career guides and legal directories and websites. There’s a wealth of information available and it’s easier than it’s ever been before to be informed at a really high level.”

Work experience

Having concrete examples that you can use to impress your interviewer will always be beneficial. Ideally you may have completed work experience placements at law firms and each and every one will be relevant to your discussion.

But do not worry if that is not the case. There will be events from your life that are usable be it captaining a football team or editing the student newspaper.

Mark Matthews, graduate recruitment manager at Reed Smith, explains, “Questions will often be targeted at a competency. Be specific on what the situation was, what actions you took and the result. If you can see beyond the question to the skills behind it you’ll structure your answer better than giving a superficial one without the necessary depths.”

News and current affairs

You need to know what is going on, but more importantly why it is going on. It is important for candidates to understand that working as a lawyer involves understanding complex concepts and applying law to them. It is proving your conceptual skills rather than a memory trick that will impress interviewers.

Matthews continues: “Commercial awareness is a key area for lots of candidates. Being up-to-date with the business world and events in general and having a broad understanding of the issues behind them help you structure a coherent answer rather than a fact based on one where you repeat the facts without understanding why it has happened.”

Your worst question

Sometimes an open-ended question will be posed not to find an answer but to see how you manage yourself. For instance, what is your favourite shade of grey?

Stay calm, keep your breathing under control and do your best. Nobody is trying to trick you or show you up. If you need time to think take a sip of water. The way you structure your answer is another opportunity to shine.

Slaughters’ candidates are given a newspaper article to read 15 minutes before their interview. Again it is a facilitator and is another example of an opportunity rather than a cause for concern.

Byk explains: “We discuss the themes and content of the article. It is not designed as a comprehension test but rather to allow a springboard into discussion of the themes and issues raised and analysis within the article. We’re looking to engage in how candidates think and why people think the way they do.”

Other questions, however, come along that we hope not to hear. While you cannot prepare for every question being caught unawares because you hoped it would not happen is not really fair on yourself.

Hammonds’ Susan Coen has a top tip for interview preparation. “Think of a response to the question you really don’t want to be asked and have that in your mind,” she advises. The theory is that if you are prepared for the worst then the rest will also be achievable.

Taking advice

At some firms the interview will include debating a fictitious case. A certain level of knowledge is expected but you are not expected to be a ready-made expert - after all you are applying to be a trainee.

Be prepared to leave any defensive mindset at the door. Trowers’ Hannah King says: “Take guidance when it is given. You won’t necessarily know all the answers - often it is just as important to show how you take on advice and if you can use it in an effective manner.”

Points to ponder: Have you practised with a friend to make sure you don’t get tongue twisted? When you say answers aloud you will find the effect can be very different to what you expected. Revising and refining your answers is a powerful tool. Also, make sure you have a list of questions to ask the interviewers.

NO REGRETS

It is rare that anyone leaves an assessment day with no regrets. Despite everyone’s best efforts it is almost inevitable that at some point a voice will chirp up in your head saying ‘I wish I’d said that’.

To be frank it is part of the process. Where applicants sometimes go wrong is reflecting too soon. The whole point of an assessment day is that areas of expertise and key skills can be tried in a variety of formats. If you feel something has not gone well do not panic. Each activity overlaps so there is more than one chance to impress.

Hammonds’ Susan Coen urges people not to let one setback ruin the whole day. “If you feel something has not gone well try to put it behind you. Having a whole day gives continuity and the chance to test the same thing in different exercises.”

Point to ponder: It is important to be aware of how you are doing but do not let your feelings overwhelm you. It can be a long day and some activities will go better for you than others.

AFTER THE DAY

Hopefully, you will get the response you were hoping for. In a perfect world you will have the pick of positions and the hardest choice will be which ones to turn down. The extra information from the assessment days should be invaluable in helping ensure your future happiness.

But what if you do not get the offer you were hoping for? Mark Matthews at Reed Smith recommends candidates take heart from their involvement in the process. “Getting to an interveiw is a mark that you stand out in some form. If you don’t get the position seek feedback from your point of contact,” he explains.

And as we say at Lawyer2B.com good luck.

Further reading:

www.assessmentday.co.uk

http://pearsonassess.com/hai/Images/dotCom/HTC/WG/SampleQuestions.pdf

http://l2b.thelawyer.com/dress-to-impress/136502.article

www.thelawyer.com

Top tip: remember you can set up google alerts at: http://www.google.co.uk/alerts?pz=1&ned=uk&hl=en&t=1. You could, for example, set news search terms for a firm you are applying to. You will then be emailed links to news stories about them which will help you be up to speed.