en

Services

Korea' leading employers trust us to deliver fast, efficient hiring solutions that are tailored to their exact requirements. Browse our range of bespoke services and resources

Read more

About Robert Walters Korea

For us, recruitment is more than just a job. We understand that behind every opportunity is the chance to make a difference to people’s lives.

Learn more

Work for us

Our people are the difference. Hear stories from our people to learn more about a career at Robert Walters Korea.

Learn more
Jobs

Our industry specialists will listen to your aspirations and share your story with the most prestigious organisations in South Korea. Together, let’s write the next chapter of your career.

See all jobs

Internal vacancies

Ever considered a career in recruitment?

Learn more
Candidates

Together, we’ll map out career-defining, life-changing pathways to achieve your ambitions. Browse our range of services, advice, and resources.

Learn more
Services

Korea' leading employers trust us to deliver fast, efficient hiring solutions that are tailored to their exact requirements. Browse our range of bespoke services and resources

Read more
About Robert Walters Korea

For us, recruitment is more than just a job. We understand that behind every opportunity is the chance to make a difference to people’s lives.

Learn more

Work for us

Our people are the difference. Hear stories from our people to learn more about a career at Robert Walters Korea.

Learn more

8 ways to prepare for a legal job interview

Though the legal industry is currently one of the strongest sectors for recruitment growth, job interviews can be a daunting process wherever you are in your career, take the worry out of your next interview by following these quick and easy tips.

Whether you’re just starting out or you’re an experienced lawyer with many successful years behind you, having strong interview skills is essential to making the right moves in your career.

Highlight your successes 

A candidate’s CV is an opportunity to sell themselves to their prospective employer, thus it is important that they take complete advantage of it.   

For candidates with some years of experience, it may be a good idea to include some highlights of past career success stories.  This will do more than explain to your prospective employer that you are experienced.  It allows you to build a personal brand that will allow employers to judge if you are the kind of person they would like to work with.   

Be knowledgeable about what you’ve done 

It is important to note that bigger is not necessarily better when it comes to the CV.   

It is advisable not to put the entirety of your work experience on your CV.  Employers probably don’t want to hear about the projects where you only took meeting minutes even if it was for a prestigious company.  Priority should be placed on experience where you played a significant role.  These experiences should be ones you are prepared to discuss with your potential employers.   

To fully utilise your CV, it is advisable to have brief, but clear descriptions ready for each experience you have included on your resume.  After you have explained these experiences to your interviewer, it may even be a good idea to offer more information.  They may not be interested, but it demonstrates that you have put in the effort to come prepared for the interview.   

Frame your experience for the role 

When going over your past work experience, it is important to explain everything positively and to frame each description in a way that suits the role you are applying for. 

Complaining about current or former employers should be avoided as it is generally seen as unprofessional.   

Instead, negative experiences at current or past companies should be framed as positive reasons that you would like to move to a new company. For example, instead of saying, “My company has no opportunities for advancement,” it can be more effectively framed as, “I feel that this new position will give me a great opportunity to utilise more leadership skills.”   

Know what’s going on 

It is advisable to research market developments in the legal industry that would be important to the prospective employer.   
 
Online forums may be a good way to begin to gather such information.  Putting in the effort to develop and maintain your expertise will not only impress your prospective employers, but also potentially expand your professional network in the process. 

Sell your soft skills 

In addition to hard skills, soft skills are extremely valuable.  It is necessary for candidates to demonstrate their ability to handle different stakeholders, especially for in-house legal counsel positions.    

In-house legal counsel will need to demonstrate legal expertise, commercial acumen, and their ability to function within multiple teams. 

Prepare your questions — and your answers 

It is common advice that candidates should ask questions to demonstrate their enthusiasm for the role they are applying for. However, in addition to preparing questions, candidates should also prepare answers for those questions.   

Taking this extra step of preparation will allow you to give an effective response if your interviewer decides to ask your opinion on subject matters relating to your questions. 

Dress to impress 

It is important to dress professionally when participating in an interview for a legal position. Professional attire signals to prospective employers that you are serious about the position. 

Even if you suspect a company has a lax dress code, it is safer to hedge on the side of more professional attire.   

Relax and be yourself 

Finally, it is important to remain calm and relaxed when interviewing.  It can be helpful to remember that your interviewers are normal human beings who have undoubtedly had their own interview experiences.   

The purpose of the interview is to allow the interviewer a chance to get you know you as a person. Thus, it is important not to come across as too robotic and be open with information.

Share this article
Useful links

Sign up for job alerts

Salary Survey

Career Advice

Get in touch

Find out more by contacting one of our specialist recruitment consultants

Related content

View all
How to explain your reasons for leaving a job (with examples)

One of the most common interview questions interviewees face is: "Why are you leaving your current job?" And the most daunting part is that your answer can shape a interviewer’s first impression, positively or negatively. Whether you're job hunting after a redundancy, looking for better opportunitie

Read More
Six signs it could be time to change jobs

Your interests and goals naturally change over time, but how do you know if you’re ready to think about a change of job? Here are a few indicators that it might be time for you to make your move. So you’ve been in your job a good while, and you’ve noticed motivation is dwindling. Maybe you don’t fee

Read More
12 things to do now to get ready for a new job

You’ve decided to make a move, so what are you waiting for? Even before you land your first interview, there are loads of things you can be doing to help you prepare for a change of jobs… Although coming to the decision that you’re ready to change jobs is a big step, translating that decision into t

Read More