Personal Legal Adviser Interview Preparation Guide

The interviewer is trying to gauge your self-awareness. We all have weaknesses so it’s best not to say you don’t have any. Avoid using the word ‘weakness’ and instead talk about an ‘area for improvement’ that is not vital for the job, or specify a ‘challenge’ that you are working to overcome. Demonstrating a willingness to develop yourself and face challenges turns the answer into a positive.

The interviewer wants to see that you have composure, problem solving skills and can stay focused in difficult conditions. Give an example of a time when you were faced with a stressful situation (not caused by you) and how you handled it with poise. Describe the context, how you approached the situation, the actions you took and the positive outcome. Demonstrate how you remained calm, in control and got the job done.

As an applicant, the main thing to remember is that all recruiters are looking for is someone who is a good fit for the role. So pretending you have certain attributes to try and get a job… won’t suit either you or the employer long-term.

Competency questions like this can be difficult as they rely on your ability to tell a story. "For example, 'Oh, I saved £125,000 of costs in my last role' is of no value as there's no context," says Gregory. "As with any story, you need a beginning, a middle and an end."

The Star technique (situation, task, action, result) is a good way to structure your answer if you're having trouble making your answer flow.

As a general rule, start by describing the scale of the challenge you faced. "This is your opportunity to grab their attention. The middle of the story needs to focus on what you had to endure in order to make progress. The greater your struggle and the barriers you had to overcome, the more impressive your story will seem. "The end may be short – 'I achieved X, Y and Z' – but extend it to include what you learned that will help you in the future."

Focus on a past weakness and how you overcame it. Another approach is to give one that is really a positive in disguise, but beware of clichés such as ‘I’m a bit of a perfectionist’.

The best answer is one that will reassure the interviewer that you are looking to make a long-term commitment.

The interviewer is looking for quick and snappy thinking as well as how you see yourself. Focus on the positive and make sure the qualities you talk about align to the job.

Just because a lawyer gives you a great hourly rate doesn't mean you will get off cheaply. You might pay $1 per photocopy, $5 to receive a fax, or pay inflated tabs for secretarial work.

Lawyers really aren't supposed to profit on costs, but many do. They build depreciation, secretarial time, and anything they can think of into charges for using the copier, for instance; you could pay a lot more than the two-cents-per-page charge from the corner office supply store.

You want contact when it's necessary, so ask when the advisor typically finds it important to call or meet with a client, and what circumstances drive those meetings. By establishing how often and under what circumstances you will hear from the lawyer, you can decide whether that contact is sufficient for you to be satisfied.

You're not expecting problems, just being realistic. And just because you know how to get out of the arrangement doesn't mean there won't be complaints to settle. That being the case, find out how potential disputes will be settled.

Most state bar associations offer arbitration committees that, for a fee, settle disputes between clients and lawyers (usually over expenses). At the same time, you could resolve those matters in small claims court.

The interviewer is trying to gauge your enthusiasm for the role as well as your level of knowledge about the company. Give specific examples of things that attracted you to the company and elaborate on your strengths, achievements and skills and how they match the position description, making you the right fit.