Assessment Day Preparation: SHL Direct July 27, 2010
Posted by travisthetrout in Assessment Days, Interviews.1 comment so far
Some people may have used or heard of SHL Direct. Their website offers a range of practice tests – some law firms use these tests on assessment days, while others will just just use similar ones (how similar it will be will vary between firms as many use different types/styles based around the same principles).
So if you have an assessment day lined up it doesn’t hurt to get in some extra practice in preparation for it. Whether or not it is specifically one of these tests.
The free online tests include: an online interview (psychometric testing) which takes about 20 minutes (apparently there are new ones ever 4/5 days), verbal and numerical reasoning tests, and inductive reasoning. All of which are straightforward and easy to use. You do have to sign up to use the service (name and password) but ultimately it is free.
With the online test (psychometric testing) only – the feedback takes a month to be emailed through to you (which usually ends up being after you have done the real thing). The test itself requires you to select a most and least effective response in relation to the situations presented. It tests your ability to make judgments on the appropriate actions to take in workplace situations. Your feedback it really only a set of data, as with psychometric testing the firm usually sets a required score. For example I got 87%, but without an employer’s context the result is meaningless. However, the test is good practice if you know you have a psychometric test on your assessment day, particularly if you have never done one before, it is a good example to get you started. Psychometric tests can’t be revised and a lot of it is common sense, but anything to minimise your fear on an interview day, such as familiarity with such tests, is a good thing.
The other tests are pretty straightforward and are performed like any other online test or survey and are easy to use. The site itself seems to have been experiencing problems lately – but they make good use of their facebook page and you can raise any questions there and expect a quick response.
How to Keep Track of Job Applications July 18, 2010
Posted by travisthetrout in Job hunting, Organisation.4 comments
I always get asked how do you keep track of your job applications. There are several methods that I use:
- On Paper: The progress journal – which I have mentioned in passing to a few friends and regular readers. (Which is an updated version of this method)
- On the Computer: Superstars and inbox organisation
- On the Go: Iphone App – My Jobs: Job Search Organiser.
Today I am looking at this third option.
My Job App is an application available for the iphone/ipod touch. There is both a free version and a pro version for £1.19.
The start page is the dashboard shown in the screenshot above. It shows the summary of your jobs, broken up as follows:
- active jobs – all the jobs you have entered will remain on this list until you close them.
- closing jobs – if you have put in the deadline for the job. They will appear on this list when the deadline is approaching.
- Jobs to follow up – Again you can put in a follow up date. For example if they say if you have not heard from us my X date, you have not been successful. Or if they suggest that you will hear back from them by a certain date you can stick it in here. I use two follow up dates – the date for hearing if I have an interview and one for hearing back about the interview.
- Jobs with interviews – these will be the jobs you’ve been successful with for interview. You can insert the interview date, time and location
For each job you have the ability to keep a lot of information in the same place: The job name, the employer and any agent (although I use this for the employer if applying direct as you can add contact details). Then of course there are the key dates – the closing date, the follow up dates and the interview date and the start date for the job. There is room for you to enter your own notes about the job – this helps you remember the key points of the job, why you want to apply. Later you can use it to store info on interviewer etc. Another button is the progress one which allows you to select the status of the application. Options include: applied, filled internally, follow-up sent, interview, interview unsuccessful etc. I personally didn’t find this particularly helpful, other than applied – so I could remember which I had actually sent off the application for as I usually inputted jobs I was interested in, or was in the process of applying.
Another handy thing is that if you are unsuccessful you can close the job, but it keeps a list of not active jobs. It helps you know who you have applied for before and maintain a list of contacts etc for future reference. Particularly if you narrowly missed out – this information is good to have.
The rest of the lists: employers, agencies and agents, I’ve not found particularly useful – but if overlooked this because I do like the way the job section of the app works. Besides it complicates things.
When I want to keep track of job applications I need to know the following key things:
- The deadline for applying? Am I going to miss it?
- Have I applied? / How many open jobs do I have?
- When should I hear about an Interview? (follow up)
- When is the interview?
- Post Interview – When should I hear if I got the job? (follow up)
- Close the job / clear it off the list.
This app can do all of this.The app is good, but I prefer to integrate all 3 methods – my progress journal as I can tie my job hunt in with my goals (besides I love paper), the gmail method keeps track of the actual emails which send the job application and the actual responses from the Firm I apply for as most are done electronically and it is important that you maintain organisation in your inbox and finally the iphone app, is a handy little extra dedicated to this purpose. Everything in one place and you won’t forget any information that you *should* note down because it asks you. A simple way for those of us who don’t always keep on top of our organisation.
Interviews: “What do you know about this firm?” July 18, 2010
Posted by travisthetrout in Interviews.add a comment
Looking through my previous drafts I found my thoughts on this question from last year, I’ve now added further thoughts based on the more recent interview experiences.
What do you know about this firm?
Nearly every firm will ask this question in some form and there is no way round it. So have something prepared. During my second year of University, at my very first interview with a top 50 firm I made a miserable job of this question. I simply had not put the care and effort into it that I should have and ended up in a sticky situation where I was talking about a case that my interviewer had been involved in and realised I really knew nothing about it. I am glad that the interview came to nothing as I now know it would not have been the firm for me. In addition I learnt a valuable lesson about research and preparation which has helped me greatly since: whatever you think is enough; double it.
The Large Firms
If you are applying for the larger firms there is really no excuse for not being prepared there is so much information out there. The internet is a good resource. Starting points should be:
- The firms website
- Legal press
- subscribe for the firms updates (using their website)
- subscribe to legal news websites Firm RSS feeds. For example Legal Week firm specific feeds relating to the top 50 firms is great to ensure you don’t miss anything.
- Use Google alerts.
The Small Firms
Obviously smaller firms are harder to research, but in my experience they know this and ask you less. The key thing is to know their website inside out (and anything else you can find). Google Alerts can also be pretty useful for the odd gem (although I did always get a lot of useless stuff from business directories).
However, in one of the interviews I had earlier this year I came across a different problem. I had researched the firm (8 partner firm): read all the legal press / cases, noted their clients, researched how they had gotten involved in the local community etc and I thought I knew it quite well all things considered. Then one of the interviewers talked for 10/15 minutes at the start of the interview about their firm – discussing background history, offices, cases, clients and local involvements. Everything I knew (and more). Which would have been all good, it was an interesting talk, but the downside was that later in the interview they still asked what I know about the firm.
There was some umming and ahhhing before I said “you seem to have already covered everything but…” and then went on to say the key things that interested me about the firm and how this differed from other firms. not really answering the question but a technique I came back to for a later interview.
In a more recent interview, they employed the same technique of telling me a bit about the firm. They didn’t ask outright what I knew about the firm, but asked a hybrid of what about the firm made me want to work for them. Another perplexing question to which I answered by explaining my different experiences in both a medium sized firm and a large firm and comparing it generally with a small firm but focusing on the services that they offered. Showing my knowledge about what they did and why their services were special and different from other firms and mainly why I was impressed.
Finally, not all firms tell you a lot. Another firm (medium sized) that I interviewed with 2 years ago took the approach of telling me about their firm and not asking the what do you know about this firm question. And I took the opportunity to ask further questions in the interview. In hindsight it was probably not the best idea at the time as it probably made me look like I didn’t really know much about the firm, but the truth was I was genuinely curious. But probably should have been left until after I got the job.
In my opinion: if you genuinely want to work with a firm – you will know a lot about the firm as it will directly correspond with why you want to work there.
An Update: the holiday, the TC and the Return to Work July 17, 2010
Posted by travisthetrout in Working Life.5 comments
It is time for a proper post. After getting back from holiday I got stuck back into work on 4 hours sleep. The routine of four hours sleep, 4 hours commute and 11 hour work day continued the rest of the week and today I’ve been drifting in and out of sleep before finally getting up at 4pm. Refreshed and ready to blog (and eat onion bahjis and listen to Bruce Springsteen… for some reason?).
The holiday
The holiday was great – it was refreshing to be away from work (even if I was secretly making a to-do list of all the things I would have to do on my return and things to check and report on etc. yes, I am in some ways a workaholic). The dry days did some sightseeing and ate a lot of excellent food. When it rained and I did some shopping, drank a lot of Iced Tea and got my bf interested in writing a blog.
The Training Contract
As I blogged previously, I returned home to find I had been offered a training contract for 2012. My offer letter came today, so I know I didn’t make it up in my haze of jet lag. However, the question is now is – do I and when do I tell my current firm about this?
I never properly blogged about my interview / selection process and thoughts at the time. Andro questioned my intentions to blog about this experience. At the time I drafted a few pieces but work was so hectic the last few months (and blogging had kind of taken a back seat) I never got round to it. But now I know my workload is not going to lighten up (more on that later) so I am more determined to fit in some blogging. My intention is to do a series of general interview posts again like last time where I just discuss a few of the issues rather than the interview itself.
The Return to Work
From my point of view it was nice to have a week away. But on my return I have had loads to get sorted. Luckily I didn’t miss any client meetings and with my key client being on holiday I have the opportunity to get myself (and everyone) else back up to speed. On the upside everyone has said I was missed. Even the partners I don’t work for dropped by my desk to welcome me back. I was hoping they would have made a decision about my promotion during my absence, but nothing has been decided yet. Again with more staff changes it looks like I am expected to take on yet more work and with the temp paralegal’s departure in a couple of weeks – handle my own existing workload myself which is already proving impossible as I’ve had to accept that delegation and saying no is now a necessity… however, it is quite frequently a waste of time as I’ve got to go back and do things myself. I wish when people don’t know how to do things, they just ASKED!! The people who do ask get lots of time-saving tips and the like and I don’t have to do so much work.
Given that I love my job anyway, it has been great to come back and get stuck into the legals and organising again. But there are somethings I don’t miss:
- last minute jobs which take hours to do, but people still expect them to make the post when they give them to me at a quarter to 5 as their secretary hasn’t done it yet -I’m efficient, but I can’t do miracles.
- arguing with Local Authorities over the existence of a property address – when I have clearly marked it on the map and said it is just a piece of land!!
- being told by the other side’s solicitors that they don’t agree with the wording of the undertaking I got signed off and sent to them the day before – at half 7 on a friday. Like I can sort it out then when everyone else has gone.
- Staying late to work down the list of emails of things that my boss needs me to do because he can’t do them from his blackberry. He can take off early – I can’t.
- Being the last person in the office. Not just my department, but all 3 floor of our office (excluding night staff obviously) At least I was still on American time.
Clearly this is just everyone’s way of saying they are glad they have me back. And I love it all really I just don’t want to turn into a workaholic… already!
I did it!! July 14, 2010
Posted by travisthetrout in Training Contracts.13 comments
Jet lagged after a long trip home from visiting the boyfriend. Luckily I was awake enough to take a phone call from a partner at a firm I recently interviewed with.
And I did it! I got offered a training contract for 2012!!!!
