Paralegal Legal Assistant Interview Preparation Guide
Download PDF

63 Paralegal Legal Assistant Questions and Answers:

1 :: What attracted you to this company As Paralegal Legal Assistant?

You could discuss the company's vision, culture and solutions/services as reasons for wanting to join it.

2 :: Can you explain why you changed career paths As Paralegal Legal Assistant?

Don't be thrown off by this question—just take a deep breath and explain to the hiring manager why you've made the career decisions As Paralegal Legal Assistant you have. More importantly, give a few examples of how your past experience is transferable to the new role. This doesn't have to be a direct connection; in fact, it's often more impressive when a candidate can make seemingly irrelevant experience seem very relevant to the role.

3 :: Tell me why do you want this job As Paralegal Legal Assistant?

Bad Answer: No solid answer, answers that don't align with what the job actually offers, or uninspired answers that show your position is just another of the many jobs they're applying for.

Good answer: The candidate has clear reasons for wanting the job that show enthusiasm for the work and the position, and knowledge about the company and job.

4 :: What can you offer me that another person can’t?

This is when you talk about your record of getting things done. Go into specifics from your resume and portfolio; show an employer your value and how you’d be an asset.
You have to say, “I’m the best person for the job As Paralegal Legal Assistant. I know there are other candidates who could fill this position, but my passion for excellence sets me apart from the pack. I am committed to always producing the best results. For example…”

5 :: What do you do in your spare time?

If you want to show your fun side, discuss your extracurricular activities. If you want to show your ambition, discuss the work / school projects you do in your spare time.

6 :: Can you describe your ideal boss/supervisor?

During the interview As Paralegal Legal Assistant process employers will want to find out how you respond to supervision. They want to know whether you have any problems with authority, If you can work well as part of a group (see previous question) and if you take instructions well etc.
Never ever ever, criticize a past supervisor or boss. This is a red flag for airlines and your prospective employer will likely assume you are a difficult employee, unable to work in a team or take intruction and side with your former employer.

7 :: How well do you perform under pressure?

This is a fair question, as potential employers want to know if you're going to be able to get the job done even when things get a little bit stressful. You may say that you thrive under pressure or that you're able to get the job done even when things get a little bit stressful, just make sure to provide some real world examples of your ability to work under pressure in a prior job.

8 :: How would your references describe you?

Think of three major characteristics that demonstrate your best qualities related to work and then have quick stories to describe why.

9 :: Why do you want this job As Paralegal Legal Assistant?

This question typically follows on from the previous one. Here is where your research will come in handy. You may want to say that you want to work for a company that is Global Guideline, (market leader, innovator, provides a vital service, whatever it may be). Put some thought into this beforehand, be specific, and link the company’s values and mission statement to your own goals and career plans.

10 :: Tell me about a time you had to fire a friend?

Hopefully you've never had to do this, but if you did, talk about how hard it was personally to fire anyone but that you did it objectively.

11 :: What role are you ready to take in a group?

Ideally, you want to take on the role you're interviewing for, but you want to be flexible with your responsibilities As Paralegal Legal Assistant if there are any changes.

12 :: What do you consider ethical spending on an expense account?

It depends on the role - but the better way to answer this is to ask the interviewer what their expectations are with regards to what the role can expense and then simply state that you'll stay within those parameters

13 :: How do you handle confidentiality in your work?

Often, interviewers will ask questions to find out the level of technical knowledge As Paralegal Legal Assistant that a candidate has concerning the duties of a care assistant. In a question such as this, there is an opportunity to demonstrate professional knowledge and awareness. The confidentiality of a person’s medical records is an important factor for a care assistant to bear in mind.

14 :: Describe a time when you anticipated potential problems and developed preventive measures?

The key here is to show that you were proactive. How did you find out about the potential problems? How did you address it quickly?

15 :: Explain me what do you know about our company?

Bad Answer: They don't know much about the company. If a candidate is serious and enthusiastic, they should have done some basic research.

Good answer: An answer that shows they've really done their homework and know what the company does, any important current events that involve the company, and the work culture.

16 :: Describe what a "lot of work" looks like to you As Paralegal Legal Assistant?

Ideally you'd like to state that you can take on a lot of work - this shows your work ethic, but at the same time it's okay to tell them that you value work and life balance.

17 :: What type of salary are you looking for?

This can be a very tricky question as the individual asking it is probably digging for something other than a simple answer to the question. We recommend that you don't immediately respond to the question directly. Instead, say something like, “That a difficult question. What is range for this position?” More often than not the interviewer will tell you. If the interviewer insists on direct answer you may want say that it depends on the details of the job - then give a wide salary range.

18 :: You are not given the tools you need to be successful. How would you change that As Paralegal Legal Assistant?

State a business case to your manager / leader as to why you need the tools and make the request for them.

19 :: In your last job what kinds of pressure did you encounter and how did you react As Paralegal Legal Assistant?

Do not show your fear or uneasiness in handling pressure. Everyone likes to have a worker who can handle pressure calmly and with a clear train of thought. Show how you would logically come to a conclusion in a pressure filled situation.

20 :: Explain yourself in one line?

When you respond, keep in mind the type of position you are interviewing for like Paralegal Legal Assistant based job, the company culture, and the work environment. Your answer should help show the interviewer why you’re a match for the job and for the company.
Sample answers are:
☛ I’m a people person. I really enjoy meeting and working with a lot of different people.
☛ I’m a perfectionist. I pay attention to all the details, and like to be sure that everything is just right.
☛ I’m a creative thinker. I like to explore alternative solutions to problems and have an open mind about what will work best.
☛ I’m efficient and highly organized. This enables me to be as productive as possible on the job.
☛ I enjoy solving problems, troubleshooting issues, and coming up with solutions in a timely manner.

21 :: What do you expect from this job As Paralegal Legal Assistant?

Talk about the potential career development, your career aspirations, your work relationships and the learning you'll receive.

22 :: How would you impact the company?

Consider first the role that you're applying for and then think of 3 ways where you could potentially impact the company's bottom line and top line. Then consider how you impact the company in a creative manner (how do you help productivity, the development of new products, marketing etc - of course this part is specific to the role you're applying for)

23 :: What do you know about our competition?

Make sure you do your research on their competitors. You can find this by going to yahoo finance and click on their competitors (if they are public). From there research the news on them and go to their websites to understand their positioning on solutions and vision. You can also research local regional companies that are their competition (if it's a smaller private company on a regional scale) by simply typing in similar product offerings in the Google search followed by the city. Make sure you know their competitor's vision, products, culture, and how they are differentiated against their competition (and if they're not, how they could be)

24 :: Describe what a bad work environment would look like to you As Paralegal Legal Assistant?

There could be a multitude of things to discuss here: Business ethics (wrongdoing), inconsiderate teammates, non-supportive management, a product that does not do what you're promising customers and so forth.

25 :: How well do you multi-task?

Multi-tasking is an important part of most jobs. You want to show that you're good at it but not overwhelmed with it. So discuss just a few things you can multi-task well on - for example: "I'm good at multi tasking between work email and working on projects As Paralegal Legal Assistant and the reason it because I'm good at prioritizing my work emails.

27 :: Why were you fired?

OK, if you get the admittedly much tougher follow-up question as to why you were let go (and the truth isn't exactly pretty), your best bet is to be honest (the job-seeking world is small, after all). But it doesn't have to be a deal-breaker. Share how you’ve grown and how you approach your job and life now as a result. If you can position the learning experience as an advantage for this next job, even better.

28 :: Who are your role models? Why?

If possible, cite role models you're truly passionate about - passion is contagious and will show you're being genuine. If the role model is in the same or similar industry as the company in an executive level position, even better.

29 :: How many tennis balls can you fit into a limousine? 1,000? 10,000? 100,000? Seriously?

Well, seriously, you might get asked brainteaser questions like these, especially in quantitative jobs. But remember that the interviewer doesn’t necessarily want an exact number—he wants to make sure that you understand what’s being asked of you, and that you can set into motion a systematic and logical way to respond. So, just take a deep breath, and start thinking through the math. (Yes, it’s OK to ask for a pen and paper!)

30 :: If you have seven white socks and nine black socks in a drawer, how many socks do you have to pull out blindly in order to ensure that you have a matching pair?

if the first one is one color (say, white), and the second one is the other color (black), then the third one, no matter what the color, will make a matching pair. (Sometimes you're not supposed to think that hard.)