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Throughout interviews, as well as your attributes and motivations, firms will likely also be assessing your composure, confidence, communication skills, interpersonal skills and enthusiasm. After all, your interviewer will need to know that you’re able to act calmly and professionally if introduced to a client.

Body language

During an interview, it’s important that you consistently convey enthusiasm, as this will add credibility to your answers to motivation questions and indicate that you will fit nicely into the firm’s culture as positive. Positive, open body language is key, as it will help to reinforce the notion that you are genuinely happy to be there and interested in the role. It will also making you appear more engaging to the interviewer, which can help you to build a rapport.

Composure

Interviews are nerve racking experiences. Many of us naturally revert into the age old “fight or flight” mentality, which can emerge when we’re experiencing an “unknown” such as an interview with people we’ve never met. Try to recognise and accept that this is a natural physiological response - remembering that the vast majority of candidates will be equally as nervous (if not more) - then do your best to counter the symptoms of stress. Try to keep calm, take deep breaths and don’t be afraid to ask for thinking time or clarification.

Top tip: if you are offered a glass of water at the start of an interview, say yes! When nervous, I tend to become overly polite, which has led to me declining a glass of water at the outset of interviews in the past (purely as a knee jerk reaction). However, when you’ll likely be talking constantly for an hour or more, taking a sip of water can help you to take a deep breath, calm your nerves, and take a second to think through your responses before speaking out loud. It’s about buying yourself some time while you wait for inspiration to strike. In addition, without water, your nerves (and constant talking) can also lead to your mouth becoming really dry, so just say “yes”!

You may also be specifically tested on your composure during an interview. I was once asked by one firm to pitch one of their competitors, as my CV showed that I had been that competitor’s campus ambassador. I took a deep breath and gave a deadpan pitch, drawing out all the positives of that competitor’s business, then took some time to explain why my preference remained the interviewer’s firm. My answer went down well and I received an internship offer; it would probably not have gone so well had a panicked, or tried to speak negatively of that competitor instead. 

On that note, never speak negatively about another firm. It’s fine to draw out the elements that you prefer about a prospective employer, but if you slander one of their competitors, this could come across as unprofessional (and might lead your interview to assume that you’re capable of being equally as scathing about their firm in other contexts).

You might also be challenged – sometimes quite strongly - on your responses. When this happens, try to keep calm and don’t be afraid to disagree with interviewers, as long as you’re sure you’re not objectively wrong and can justify your comments! I was once asked whether I would ever accept a bribe. I said no (professional ethics are absolute!), but the interviewer kept testing whether my mind could be changed, making comments such as “but what if the client insists and it’s the only way to get a deal over the line?”. I stood my ground, as was praised in my feedback for doing so. 

In another interview, I was asked whether I should drop some of my extra-curricular activities to increase my chances of securing a 1st class degree. Again, I said no, on the basis that the skills I have developed (and would continue to develop) as a result of my extra curriculars were equally – if not more – valuable than gaining a 1st. The conversation continued for quite some time, but again, I stood my ground, and this didn’t stop me securing an internship offer.

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