Don’t Torture Yourself Post-Interview

Last week, I prepared a very qualified candidate for an interview for her “dream job.” Sure, she was a little nervous about a few questions she might be asked about her resume. After all, about a year ago, after working at her law firm for a number of years, she up and quit her job to care for an ailing family member and do volunteer work. Plus, she felt “rusty” in terms of her interviewing skills, in large part because she had not interviewed for a job since before graduating from law school.

By the time we conducted the preparation session for the interview, this candidate had done her homework and practiced answers to many of the questions we anticipated she would be asked. As we spoke, she fine-tuned her answers and articulated them in the most concise way. Moreover, she had researched the individuals with whom she was going to meet and crafted some insightful questions for each of the interviewers. By the time she was finished preparing for the interview, she was confident, excited and ready to go. As I always do, I asked her to call me after the interview to provide me a summary of how she thought it went.

As the obedient candidate that she is, she called me as soon as she finished the interview. That is when the self-torture began. She began recounting each and every sentence she articulated to each interviewer and began tearing each response apart. Within two minutes of calling me, she was practically in tears, convinced that she had sounded like an uneducated, inarticulate, unqualified candidate who had no chance of receiving an offer.

Now, don’t get me wrong, we are all human, and sometimes candidates say stupid things in interviews. But as this candidate recited the answers she provided to the questions asked, I thought she sounded fantastic. Sure, her answers were not “perfect,” and she may have said “ah” and “um” a few more times than she needed to, but overall, she relayed professional, concise answers that showed not only an interest in the job but a true expertise. However, in her mind, she had failed to explain in the best possible detail how and why she was the best candidate for the job. As our conversation continued, and her panic grew, I had to cut her off and begin my Post-Interview Lecture, which goes something like this:

DO NOT TORTURE YOURSELF AFTER AN INTERVIEW. Once it is over, there is absolutely nothing you can to do go back and re-answer the questions asked of you, so there is no use in obsessing about each and every word you said during the interview. Instead, take a deep breath, pat yourself on the back, and remind yourself that you prepared for the interview to the best of your ability and gave it your best shot.

Of course this lecture is completely inapplicable to the candidate who thinks he or she does not have to prepare for an interview, but I will save those individuals for another blog. If you have thoroughly prepared for an interview and given everything you have, then torturing yourself after the interview with the things you said (or failed to say) is completely counterproductive. Sure, there is always room for improvement and things that can be learned from an interview, and for those reasons, reflecting on the interview is very important. But reflecting on an interview is very different than obsessing about it and convincing yourself that you completely blew it.

After multiple calls to me, during which she relayed additional “stupid” things she said during her interview, I finally convinced my candidate to let it all go. Easier said than done, but I think she is starting to realize how destructive her behavior was. While she has not yet heard from the firm, and she is not confident that she will receive an offer for this job, she is no longer spending 90% of her time thinking about the “deficient” answers she gave and the “proper” answer she should have provided.

Or at least that is what she is telling me.

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Marketability and bar membership

In this challenging market, it definitely helps your marketability if you are licensed in the state you are seeking employment in. If you are not currently licensed in that state, firms will take you more seriously if you at least register to sit for the relevant state’s bar exam or begin the process of waiving into that state’s bar via reciprocity (if this is applicable).

In less competitive geographic areas, bar membership may not be as big of an issue, especially if you have a strong academic background and solid law firm experience. Similarly, if you are an attorney with expertise in a stable or growing practice area, you may find that you are able to get interviews without being currently licensed in that state. For example, in California, most firms are now requiring applicants to be licensed with the State Bar of California. I have seen some firms, however, make an exception to this general rule if they come across a stellar candidate in a growing practice area like bankruptcy or patent prosecution.

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Interview tip of the day: Leave yourself a little wiggle room.

I once worked with a candidate who received four offers, all from outstanding firms. The one firm where he wanted an offer though, decided to pass. In retrospect, I believe this fifth firm passed on this candidate because during the interview- he volunteered that he was very passionate about corporate finance law and that he wanted to get more exposure to it. Unfortunately, this particular firm did not have a corporate finance practice in the office he was interviewing with. Thus, this mistake likely cost him the potential offer there.

The unfortunate thing about this situation is that this candidate would have been open to doing general corporate work as well. Therefore, unless you are completely set on only doing a particular area of law that is more specialized- keep your options open by being flexible (when asked what practice areas you are interested in). Leaving yourself some wiggle room in this regard will hopefully result in additional employment offers, where you are the one making the final decision regarding your candidacy with a firm.

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Listen to your instincts.

When I am preparing a candidate for an interview, I generally always ask them to do something directly after the interview is finished. Immediately after exiting an interview, I ask my candidates to find a quiet place and mentally record how they are feeling at that exact moment. Are they feeling positive, upbeat, or are they feeling anxious and worried?

The first reaction to an interview is generally the most accurate. If you try to figure out how you are feeling directly after you have met with a firm, you probably won’t have enough time to “talk yourself” into liking the firm or justifying different negative aspects of the firm that are usually deal breakers for you.

I always like to speak to candidates directly after an interview so I can gauge their energy and tone. If they are feeling energized and optimistic, it usually means this firm will be a great fit for them. If a candidate sounds anxious or unsure however, it is normally because that particular firm will ultimately not be the best fit for them.

Thus, a little tip for assessing whether or not you really like a firm is to speak to someone you trust, directly after an interview. Ask them to give you an assessment of how you sound and write down your immediate reactions to the firm. Hopefully being in tune with your gut reaction will help you make a sound decision. In this market, it can be tempting to take any offer that comes your way. Try not to accept a job offer from a place of panic or dread, instead try to analyze your true feelings about a firm and let your instincts lead you down the right path.

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Legal Veterans Advise Newbies How Not to Blow Their Job Search

Here’s a valuable excerpt from today’s Legal Times entitled “How to Land that First Job.” Veterans from top firms offer advice on how to avoid common goofs and gaffes and how to nail your interview. To read the full article, go to this site: http://www.law.com/jsp/law/careercenter/lawArticleCareerCenter.jsp?id=1202424212239

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I am Superman

In my estimation, confidence reigns supreme. My friends are snickering as they read this because most will agree that my confidence level does not need improvement. I thinks it is actually an attribute in my profession. Come to think of it, I cannot think of any profession where this would not hold true.

But, alas, confidence is not everything. As much as I like to think that confidence is the ultimate trump card, confidence has sometimes failed me, or, at least not been enough.

My best example is interviewing. Let me start out by saying that I am a terrific interviewee. It’s true (see? confidence). So I begin each interview preparation session with a candidate by emphasizing what I know. The primary issue I target in each of these sessions is exuding confidence during the interview. “Confidence” is perhaps a nebulous term, but I get specific. Confident people look, act, talk and dress the part.

When I have finished stressing the importance of confidence, I address a second issue that really bears no relation to the above: the curve ball. And, my friends, there’s the rub. I tell candidates to prepare for the out-in-left-field questions, but, isn’t this really a contradiction in terms? How do you really prepare for the unexpected?

Well, in large part, you don’t. Sometimes I really want to ask a candidate if he/she has a background in improv. That, I think, would be an immense plus. Strangely enough, a history of arguing motions before courts doesn’t get you there. Judges can indeed ask tangential questions, but, personally, the issues judges raise are at least related to the case at hand. Interviews, though, are a different ball game. To say that certain questions come out of left field in no way encapsulates some interview behavior.

As mentioned, I am an interview master. However, I have been in interviews where the interviewer’s line of questioning has left my mouth gaping. I’m thrown entirely off base. Yes, I know to expect the unexpected, but really. I mean, REALLY.

There are too many of said instances to discuss today; however, here are a few of my dear interviewing memories:

Interviewee as deponent. I always approached an interview as everybody putting their best face forward. Sadly, this is not always the case. Sure, you make sure you brushed your teeth, ate a protein-rich breakfast (not in that order), put on your power suit, and spent that extra 5 minutes on your hair. You are set. Well, the interviewer may also be set, but he has clearly been reading a different interviewing guide than you. It’s certainly not a BCG guide.

You get to the interview prepared to have a pleasant chat about your experience, and BAM! You begin to ask: Is this an interview or a deposition? This guy is not trying to make nicey-nicey chat with you, he is treating you as though you’ve done something terribly wrong. He’s flat out belligerent. What is it, you ask? Should I have spent yet another 5 minutes on my hair? Should I have declined that extra cup of coffee from the kind recruiting coordinator?

Nope. It happens. I’ve been there. It was a painful thirty minutes (that felt like thirty days). How did the self-proclaimed interview master handle it? Well, surprisingly well. I was asked to return for more interviews, which I guess is good since I was convinced the first guy hated me. I’d like to say I rose above it, like a phoenix rising from the ashes. “No,” I heard myself saying, “I wouldn’t take this job if it were the last job on the market.” So, naturally, I agreed to another interview.

The last laugh was unfortunately on me. Two hours before my call-back interview, my recruiter called me to say that the firm had hired someone else. I wanted to call this firm personally and tell them that I hated them and that, if the litigation market hadn’t been so poor, I would not have even considered them. Of course I didn’t. That was, in retrospect, a wise decision. What was a poor decision was setting myself up for more. Even at the time I felt like the abused spouse who returns to the abuser. Don’t do it. If this happens to you, tell your recruiter what happened and expect him/her to address the issue with the firm. I wish that I had made it clear to my recruiter that I expected the firm to get such feedback. Oh well.

Interviewee as anonymous everyman off the street. I was interviewing with a large international firm in my chosen market. I was dressed in my power suit. I was prepped. I was focused. I was incredibly unprepared for what was to follow.

As I approached the large office building in my large market in my power suit and 5-minutes-extra hair, I instantly felt a little off. I looked up, and who should I see walking towards me but Superman. You know him: red cape, blue body suit, large “S” across the chest. Superman. I almost spilled my Dunkin Donuts coffee all over my power suit. Thankfully my 5-minutes extra hair was undisturbed. It turns out that it was Halloween, and I did not know that. I had gone to a Halloween party the previous weekend and had totally forgotten that interview day was the actual Halloween.

A little distracted, I proceeded up the elevator to my destination. Everything went surprisingly smoothly until I met the partner with whom I would be working. I walked into his office, and the level of disorganization was surprising even for a busy person. He spent about three minutes shuffling though his mess to locate my resume. When he found it, it was clear that he had never glanced at it before. His area of practice was primarily soft IP and mine wasn’t (I had done a little but not much). He asked me whether I had a technical background, and I said “no.” I think that my B.A. in the “Plan II Honors Liberal Arts Program” would have clued him in on that fact.

It doesn’t matter. That was actually the least disconcerting incident that day. I took more offense to the 5-minute phone call he took in the middle of the interview. What can I say? Clearly I am not working for this firm now. In retrospect, I wish I had asked Superman if I could don his costume for the interview. Maybe it would have given me superpower strength. Or, heck, at least a good laugh.

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Speak No Evil

The Bush administration continues to provide us with numerous valuable career and crisis management lessons. The publication of What Happened , a tell all White House expose written by former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan, gives us some new examples.

First the career lesson: never speak ill of a current or former employer.

Scott McClellan is getting a quick lesson in this rule. On the same day that news of his book was released to the public, former and current Bush officials were covering the airwaves with a comprehensive attack on Scott McClellan. It’s too early to tell who will win the PR war; but clearly McClellan’s integrity has now been effectively challenged.

Similarly, while you may harbor serious misgivings about a former or current employer, think long and hard about whether you want to air these grievances publicly. An institution has better resources to get it’s message across. Is it really worth it to your career to have the satisfaction of getting your message out to the general legal community. This is particularly true in an interviewing situation. If you want to make a lateral move, talk about the positive attributes of the firm where you have the interview. Don’t badmouth your current firm.

Second: in a crisis, get everyone on the same page.

Regardless of what you think of Karl Rove or other former close advisors to the President, you have to give them credit for the skill they demonstrate in getting everyone on the same page. On the same day that the news broke about McClennan, Karl Rove, President’s Counsel Dan Bartlett and former Press Secretary Ari Fleischer were all commenting how “sad” this was and how this is not the Scott McClennan we knew.

While my own political inclinations would make me want to believe McClennan’s version of reality, this carefully orchestrated counterattack definitely made me consider whether McClennan is in fact a disgruntled former employee who is trying to profit from his experience.

As we enter a period of economic down turn and law firms need to consider the unpopular decision of laying off associates, they would do well to make sure the message that is put out to the public is a unified message. Speaking with a unified voice will at least give the firm a chance of minimizing the negative fallout of a layoff.

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A Summer Evening at the Ballet

I spent three hours last night watching one of the greatest ballerinas on earth — Gillian Murphy — perform at Lincoln Center. For anyone who knows ballet, Gillian’s beauty is only outshone by her technical abilities. In other words, she is someone who “makes it look easy.” However, underneath her performance lies hours and hours of work, rehearsal, and diligence. It’s not surprising that Gillian’s performance resonated with me this week as, prior to arriving at the theatre, I was on the phone with an active candidate who also “makes it look easy” — and I realized there might be a lesson here for other attorneys who are interviewing this summer.

The candidate I am referring to above is someone who — despite typical summer time distractions — preps for her interviews 4 days before, reads treatises on the weekend, spends her lunch hours digesting case law in her chosen field, and spends her evenings networking. As a result, when she gets in front of a partner for her interviews, she radiates confidence, poise and knowledge. She’s beauty on the outside supported by hours of study underneath. Her calm demeanor is only possible because she is well prepared and well rehearsed.

Prepping for an interview during the summer months can be hard! I’m sure you would rather be at a barbecue or out at a summer associate event. A few of my candidates have said to me recently , “I don’t need prep. I am who I am; if they don’t like me, it’s not meant to be.” (I hear that a lot during the summer). If that’s you, ask yourself, “do I really mean that?” ….. or “do I just not feel like doing the prep work?” If it’s the latter, reconsider your approach. The summer can be a great time to find a job sometimes because your competition on the marketplace may be distracted with their own barbecues, vacations, parties, event. With a smaller candidate pool for firms to chose from, you increase your odds at those firms where you do interview. So, why not do your very BEST at the interview? Prepare, prepare, prepare. Don’t let the hazy summer days interrupt your usual ambitious approach. As I tell my candidates, “I know it’s the summer, but don’t let the sun catch you crying.” Ok, I don’t really say that, but it sounded good (my apologies to Gerry and the Pacemakers). The bottom line is: If you are interviewing this summer, dedicate the time you need to prepare well for your interviews. If you put in your time, your performance will radiate calmness supported by intelligence and experience, and that’s the ideal.

Reflecting back to the ballet last night, there was one ballerina on stage who fell out of her arabesque two times. Yes, the audience noticed and, yes, they actually gasped (welcome to NYC). I wonder if she put in her prep time?

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Wooing Your Prospective Firm

Me: Unfortunately the firm decided to pass on you today.

Candidate: Why? I thought the interview went well.

Me: They said you showed a lack of interest in the firm and that you didn’t seem excited to be there.

Candidate: What?? That’s crazy, I was totally excited about the firm. It was my first choice…
—-

I’ve always said that interviewing is a lot like dating. You need to show enough interest so that the other party is receptive to you, but you also don’t want to come off as desperate. Some of my candidates have encountered difficulty in displaying enough interest in a firm during an interview. On a couple of occasions, I’ve had firms say to me that they passed on someone specifically because the candidate appeared indifferent to the firm.

Interviews are not the time to play hard to get. Now I am not suggesting that candidates change their personality or feel pressured to act like someone they are not. Rather, I think it is important for attorneys to be direct about their interest in a firm. In your mind, you may feel that you are extremely interested in a firm and excited to be there. If these feelings are not communicated clearly to the firm, they will have no way of knowing how you really feel. Understanding doesn’t occur just because you say something, it evolves from communication that makes an impact on the other party.

Thus, for those of you who are a bit more reserved, make it a point to directly tell your interviewers that you are excited about this potential professional opportunity and why you like their firm. Even the most jaded of interviewers enjoy meeting with positive people who are enthusiastic about the prospect of joining their firm. Being too shy or reticent can easily be mistaken for being snobby or uninterested. Showing genuine interest in a friendly and confident manner, will take you far in an interview. Good luck out there!

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