27 July, 2008

The interview - Preston

Well, I had the interview with 15 Winckley Square yesterday and I enjoyed it more than I thought I might!

Turns out they are interviewing 8 people for one pupillage - so we'll see how it goes!

They spent the first third of the interview asking me about debating. I realise a question like 'so, you say you're the 71st best speaker in the world - how is that measured?' may have sounded odd in many contexts, but for me it was the perfect opening as it meant I could just go onto 'auto debating explanation' :)

They went through my application form in a lot of detail, luckily I didn't make any of it up or I would have been in trouble! I'd photocopied my results transcript as well, so when they started asking for details about my marks, I handed it over which seemed to save them some effort!

I'm a bit worried that they thought I didn't want to do crime at all. I had to explain that whilst I have a greater interest in civil, I don't loathe crime. I think they were amused when I said that the reason I was put off somewhat by crime was because of the clients!

After they'd gone though the OLPAS form and academics, they moved onto three problem questions involving professional conduct - one of each of their practice areas. I had to be prompted to take further action sometimes (like forgetting to negotiate - oooops!) and got bogged down on side issues on others. I hope they figured that it was just nerves!

The final part focussed on 'HR' questions. Luckily, I'd played the dinner party guests games with friends a while ago (Stephen Fry, Oscar Wilde, Jane Austin, JS Mill and Mary Wollstonecroft, in case you were wondering! I reject Jesus as although He would be interesting and the water to wine is useful, I fear I would have to be on best behaviour all the time!). They also asked a couple of other reasonably odd ball questions - nothing too bad though and all perfectly reasonable.

A friend who was interviewed after me found their contradicting her somewhat disconcerting, I guess debating is fairly handy for being taught just to go 'no, I really do think I'm right and here's why' in a polite manner but unmovable manner.

I tend to become one of two things when nervous: self deprecating or verbally aggressive. They appeared to be laughing at a lot of my answers (Q:"do you get scared when speaking in front of large numbers of people?"A: not really. 1 person and 100 people are all the same to me, it depends who the people are. For example, I'm more scared of a 5 member pupillage committee than I am of 500 students....) OK, so not too funny but hey!

They also asked me my favourite film. I blurted out Princess Bride without thinking and then realised I should probably have said somewhting far more intellectual! What's worse, I then said out loud that I should have chosen something more intellectual.

Given I wasn't sure what to think of the set before the interview (there isn't much information out there) but that I now really like them (quicky, in a good way :)) I really hope to get this one.

Fingers crossed, eh?


(Whilst I came out feeling somewhat positive about how I ha performed, the more I think back, the more errors and mistakes I realise I made. Wish I could stop the mental dissection!)

6 comments:

Android said...

Well, you have 1 in 8 chance of getting it! From what you've written, I think it went really well, so I do hope that you get it!

--- said...

I worked out the 1 in 8 bit, but then I compared it to the 1 in 5 BVC students who get pupillage and wonder how my odds shorten by getting an interview!

nought.point.zero said...

Sounds like it went quite well, fingers crossed. Hopefully they'll admire the crime admittance as good old fashioned honesty (and can they really disagree? You're right, the clients are scum) and the princess bride thing as showing your human side.

--- said...

They conceded in the interview that the clients were often mongs!

They did ask if I therefore thought all civil clients were fairydust and light - naturally, I said no.

This is probably the most honest I've been in an interview. It helps when it's not HR people interviewing you.

I think they probably thought I was just a tad weird!

nought.point.zero said...

This reminds me of a good conversation I heard at an IV between a euros winner and a friend:

Euros winner: I'm going to work for the CPS

Friend: Why?

Euros winner: One of the reasons is that it's quite easy, as they tend to all be guilty

Friend: And if they're not guilty of what they're being charged for, they're definitely guilty of *something*

Swiss Tony said...

Missy Middly,

Go girl go!

Fingers crossed.

Swizz