If you cannot do the work to the standard expected by the firm, they will be unlikely to offer you a job. Whilst some pieces of set work will be harder than others - and minor mistakes may be completely understandable - you should always strive to demonstrate strong attention to detail. Proofread your work multiple times (you could even ask colleagues to have a read if you think this might be appropriate) and make sure there are no spelling, grammatical or formatting errors. Essentially, avoid any easily-avoidable mistakes!

House style

Check to see whether there are particular fonts, templates or settings in Word or Excel that firms use as part of their “house style” and where possible, adhere to these. This can demonstrate your ability to absorb (and work in a way that aligns with) the ways in which the firm operates, whilst also ensuring the people judging your work will approve of it stylistically. There may also be templates of contracts or spreadsheets that you can edit rather than having to start from scratch, so do your research and/or ask. You could also see whether the firm has a workplace intranet site and/or internal support teams that can offer guidance.

Intended recipient

Make sure that you always consider the intended recipient of your work. If it’s for a client, then ensure it is short, concise and to the point (unless you are told otherwise) and that the language is not too technical or full of jargon and acronyms. If the work is for a member of your team, perhaps ask whether they would like you to keep a record of any sources you reference, whether they have a rough word limit in mind, and how they would like you to present the work (e.g. whether they would like a printed and/or an electronic copy). These are not stupid questions. In fact, they can demonstrate initiative, plus you’ll be surprised at how specific some supervisors’ preferences are in terms of printing and stapling!