Harbottle & Lewis
Harbottle & Lewis Training Contract 2022
What was the full recruitment process?
- Application
- Training contract interview
Which aspect does this report cover?
Training contract interview
Where did the assessment centre take place?
At the firm’s London Office
What did the assessment centre involve?
Motivation and competency interview (1 hour, with 3 senior associates and 1 senior people manager)
Interview
Upon arrival, I was warmly greeted by the firm's representatives before proceeding to the meeting room to await my interviewers. During the interview, I fielded a range of questions tailored to both my background and interests, including:
- Why law?
- Why specifically commercial law?
- Why Harbottle & Lewis?
- Can you name our competitors? How are we different from them?
- Where else have you applied to?
- What are the biggest challenges facing the legal sector?
- What tasks do you think trainees get involved with when they sit in the intellectual property department? (this followed me explaining that I have an interest in IP).
- When have you demonstrated resilience? Do you think this quality is essential to being a lawyer?
- When have you had to convince someone to follow your decision ?
- How do you go about dealing with difficult team members?
Other questions were quite tailored to my work experience on my CV. They asked about my work at a legal clinic, including what I did and what I learned from that experience. As I have a background in founding my own technology start-up, they were really curious to know what the product was and how we went about sorting the commercial and legal issues.
One of the interviewers was an IP lawyer and he asked questions about what I think are the most important legal issues to flag when it comes to starting a tech business. Obviously, as I knew that he was an IP lawyer and how important IP is to tech businesses, I mentioned the implications of IP and copyright infringement-related issues for businesses, and gave an example of how I had actually dealt with these. I also talked about going through investment negotiations with venture capital firms and my projected profit margins and revenues for my business.
What was the outcome?
The firm emailed me a week after the interview to tell me I had been unsuccessful. The reason why I wasn’t successful was because I lacked confidence in my answers. They said my answers were brilliant, but I was too shy to be confident about my achievements (which let me down).
Do you have any specific advice on how to prepare?
Expect questions related to commercial awareness. These questions often revolve around big trends in the commercial world or aspects relevant to your work experience. Being prepared to discuss these topics demonstrates your understanding of the industry and your ability to apply this understanding to your work.
Confidence and clarity in your answers is crucial. Even if you perceive some of your accomplishments as weak, presenting them with confidence can leave a positive impression. Attitude matters significantly, as it reflects your approach to challenges and opportunities.
When faced with difficult questions, it's perfectly acceptable to take a moment to gather your thoughts. This shows that you're thoughtful and capable of processing information in a logical manner, even under pressure. Interviewers often appreciate candidates who demonstrate this level of composure and consideration.