My week of interviews - Part II

Today was part two, although it doesn't really count as a proper interview. There was a presentation given by the firm, then a verbal reasoning test (that old chestnut again, I still don't feel like I could do it at ALL!) and finally a tour of the offices. The fun part is that they will let us know tomorrow if we made the second round. I would like to as I think I could do really well in the second round - it's a case study and interview - and it's a nice firm who I would like to work for.

Tomorrow is part III - it's at big-ass corporate firm that I've been to once already (not for an interview, just an open day type thing) and I've heard that their interviews are MEGA EVIL!!! Someone got asked to debate the advantages between debt finance and equity finance, I only just about know what the difference is!

New blogger friend..

The lovely Jet Setting Bex has started her own blog. Now, I expect you all to make her feel welcome and give her a read. She'll be detailing her travels around the world - starting with NEW YORK BABY!!!!

Part II of my week of interviews tomorrow... toodles!

My week of interviews - Part I

So first in four interviews coming up in the next week was today. It went well. I was confident, coherent, funny, chatty etc... but I didn't like the firm. Well thats a lie, I liked the people, they were all very nice, but I don't think they will offer as I was just not a very good fit. I think I was too corporate and wannabe high-flying for them, which is ironic as I seem to be too nice for the high-flying corporate firms! Argh!

All the questions were "nice" questions. No evil stockmarket or current affairs rubbish, and no trick follow-up questions. So none of the questions I can expect at "Corporate Giant Firm LLP" type places.

Now I'm off to read the paper so I can give share tips in my next interview. Bastards.

Good news and bad news

Bad news first.

My second round interview outcome came alive yesterday with a brief but to-the-point email, aptly in my "Junk Mail" from HR informing me they were "unable to offer me a training contract". Bastards. I thought it went ok, not brilliantly, but ok. But I guess it should have gone brilliantly. I bet it was the stupid stockmarket question.

Good news next.

I got invited to an interview at a firm I didn't even apply to. I was going to apply but their application form had stupid questions on it so I didn't bother. However they've merged with another firm (UK training contract seekers will have no trouble establishing which two firms are in question) that I did apply to and have apparently as a result decided to give me a go.

So next week I have an assessment day on Tuesday, an assessment day on Thursday and an interview on Friday.

Fun and games. Seriously need one of these to offer me a job!!!

Off to read up on the merger now - have travelling friends coming to visit shortly to plan so don't have very long. Thanks to all for comments regarding holiday - all you stateside feel free to keep the tips coming, itinerary can be found below!

Law School Update

Today I received some information from my Law School. Nothing hugely exciting but exciting enough that I went, for an interval, into my "I'm going to Law School!!!! Woo!!!" excitable giddiness.

I now know when all my exams are going to be and when I have to hand in all my coursework. (My first "exam" is a multiple choice test on the legal system, two weeks into the course, yikes, best get on with that reading...) I also kind of vaguely know when holidays are taking place, I know that there will either be one or three weeks off at Christmas and I know there will be a two week break around Easter with a three-week revision period in May. Furthermore, all my exams are two days apart. Bastards....

All this information is very simple. However my poor brain having been deprived of intellectual challenges in the last couple of years has somwhat struggled to comprehend it all and it's bloody confusing. I know it isn't, I just have to train my brain a bit, but it is making me consider that perhaps in my old age I have become - if possible - more blonde!

All booked and ready to go...

Thanks to a fellow Legally Blonde...

Elle Woods , for introducing this guy to me. I might be in love. Well lust for sure.

Bugger...

Ok so I had the interview. I'm going to break it down to good bits and bad bits.

Bad bits first (cos it will make me feel better at the end):

I sent separate emails to both partners saying thank you and I should have sent just one, and also copied the HR director, this became apparent when one of them replied, copying the other partner and the HR director. But I'm hoping they compare notes and the other partner says I sent her an email also...

I knew the firm works with ID cards. I knew they would ask me about ID cards. I did not read up enough about them and when they asked me specific questions I had no idea.

The ethics question. Full stop. I had to ask them to explain like two parts of it to me because I had got it slightly wrong. Could have answered that SO much better, I'm pretty sure I even changed my answer half way through the question. The follow ups were what killed me - they made me feel like the original answer was wrong. And then I got worried and started talking crap.

I had a really good rationale for wanting to work there but somehow managed to compress it into about two sentences that said absolutely nothing of my original answer and left out all the best bits.

The only question I genuinely had no preparation made for was asking what three companies I would invest in in the stockmarket. I had no idea. None. Zero. Zilch. Nothing clever, no logical up and coming firms, no cool new funky targets... I completely and utterly fluffed that one up but I hope that that I still came across like I had made an informed decision, not come up with it on the spot, even if they guessed that. Or something. This is probably how I was talking too.

I felt like I was waffling too much. Concise answers and all that? Nah. More I thought I wasn't saying what I wanted to be saying the more I felt like I waffled which was probably not good, and am worried I didn't get across everything I wanted to.

Good points:

Both the people were nice - I didn't feel like the other firm where I was grilled to within an inch of my life. At times there was "conversation" rather than Q&A.

I wasn't late

They said they really liked my question (this could also be a bad thing) as I asked about the proposals to shorten the TC and they hadn't heard about it.

I think one liked me, the other not so much. Had slightly similar vibe to first firm interview by the end, as felt like I wasn't coming across in the best possible light

Ok thats not really finishing it on a positive... but there you go, that was my experience. They will let me know within two weeks. In other news, Gavin also had interview news, and I had two rejections from other firms waiting for me in my inbox.

Toodles!

Death by interview

So tomorrow is round two of midsize City firm interviews. I am unprecedentedly unprepared, unless you count horror interview #1 in June when I knew nothing. I couldn't even answer questions about myself. It went something like this:

Evil Interviewer: So what do you think about private individuals funding political parties
Me: (making a really stupid, inadvertent face to clearly show that I had no idea what to say) Um... I guess its ok... I mean as long as its regulated and stuff
Evil Interviewer: So how exactly would you regulate it?
Me: Um... I guess you could have like a law or something
Evil Interviewer: (at this point starting to look bored and stare out of the window) Well do you really think that would work?
Me: I wish the ground would swallow me whole.

Ok so I didn't really say that but the conversation went along this tack for a while until he evidently decided he had tortured me enough and went on to the next evil question. Obviously when I thought about it a bit more I realised that was really not my opinion at all and I later found out it had been a significant current affair in the previous weeks.

So I've been reading the paper, watching the news and all sorts. I've also been trying very hard to prepare my "why law" answers because that is by far my weakest area. I have my stock answers to stuff now but I imagine that in a second round interview it will be more generic than going through my CV. It will be far more evil, and being with two people, far more difficult. Must remember not to show emotion to any questions. Must have opinions about current affairs. Must sound intelligent and look at people in the eye. Must have intelligent questions. Must not look nervous.

Oh crap this is gonna suck!

Susie in Deed Poll Shocker

I decided Susie Lawstudent didn't quite reflect the message I wanted to send. Therefore Susie Lawstudent has become Susie Law School.

The reasoning behind this is that the name "Susie Lawstudent" originated from the 10 Things I Hate About You quote on Susie High School. But it didn't quite resonate and I came to the conclusion that Susie Law School is much better and has a more direct link to its origins.

Try not to get too confused, dear readers. Still the same old stuff on the blog.

More next week when my visitor has departed and I won't be so busy all the time :)

The joys of pre-law school reading

They have begun.

I haven't got a law degree, my first year of law school will therefore comprise 1645 hours of study, equivalent to two University year. I can't wait. Yes I am a crazy academic and love studying, particularly now that it will be in law.

Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed half of my undergraduate degree and all of my Masters, but this is the big one. I'm going to Law School, look out world!

So, in preparation for my first day as Law Student I am due to read about and work on the following:

Historical Development of the Law

Sources of Law

The Court Structure

Statutory Interpretation

Doctrine of Precedent

EU Institutions and basics of EU Law

Structure of the UK Parliament

Specimen Directions

So far so good. All of this was covered in my Law A-level and it makes me feel quite pleased that I know a lot of this stuff already, I just need to refresh it. Yes, admittedly my Law A-level was 6 years ago but it is surprising how much comes back when you read up on it a bit. After all I diligently memorised it all back then, it has to be somewhere, right?

In addition I get to read about new stuff as well!

Charity Commission

Probate

Principal theories, objectives and aims of Tort Law

Use of mediation for solving clinical negligence disputes

Tort reform

Basics of Contract Law

Sounds a lot. I have no time to do it in. Oops. In reality I have this weekend to do it in. And a few nights the week after this week.

Welcome to the next two years of my life!

Second time lucky...

So the law firm I had an interview at last week invited me back to meet two of their partners for a second round interview. I'm scared. Have called them but got voicemail thus so far the exact time and date of this gruelling experience is unknown to me.

I really want this. Really really really want this. Its a nice firm, I immediately felt comfortable, everyone was friendly, they do good work and its not overly ridiculous in the hours department. There is no forced socialising and hanging out with work people outside the office. They have a huge range of practice areas and good clients. I want to work for them. I want them to give me a job.

I'M SCARED!!!!!!!!

Next week I have a friend visiting me the whole week - there will be no time for preparation amidst being at work and entertaining her and showing her the delights of London. Somehow I don't think she would consider interview prep one of those crucial delights... hmmm...

So this will be my weekend.

In other news,

The prospect of being blown to pieces on holiday is a worrying one. The prospect of an 8-hour flight with no book, earplugs, moisturiser, bottled water etc is almost right up there with it. However I would rather not have any of those things if it means that terrorists can't bring their explosives on either. This is one of those situations where the irony is obvious - i could get a TC only to be victim to something like this. I realise the odds are slim (on both counts) and the combined odds even slimmer but I am a Mathematician, I must consider these things. How long until they build a tunnel a la Eurostar to the US?

All the forms are done!

Now my fate belies with the powers that be, in other words the recruitment teams at Dewey, Cheatham and Howell LLP and co, who are clearly riddled with other wannabe trainee lawyers looking for a place to lay their law books.

Success rate of getting interviews has been ok so far (could do with a few more please) but it's getting through the interviews that is far more stressful. And also so much more upsetting to be rejected at that point! Had one on Thursday and I will be very sad if they don't invite me back as it was a lovely little firm and I think I did pretty well.

If I didn't it will be even more scary the next time! :(

Now all the applying is over and done with I can start focusing on hotel search in Savannah, GA. And the pre-course reading for Law School. Yes I'm odd I know!

Toodles!

Signing my life away...

... to Mr Bank Manager.

I hereby promise to pay you £15000 in return for you giving me £10000 to pay my fees. I will now pursue at great lenght a Training Contract with a nice firm that will pay my fees and probably as a result have to give you all the money back due to the fact that the loan agreement actually specifically states that the purpose is to pay course fees.

I will also pursue at great length a nice job for one day a week to pay me enough to be able to pay rent and eat. (Strippers R Us are still hiring) It's pretty scary to take that much money out - especially when it isn't even enough to cover basic living expenses, so this better all be worth it and hopefully in five year's time I will laugh all the way to Karen Millen with my £60k paypacket. :-)

Hard work pays dividends I hope!