Candidates are failing this at job interviews

The past year has been one of the most challenging my team's experienced in the legal recruitment industry—not because of a lack of talent, but because of the sheer number of brilliant candidates who’ve stumbled in interviews over avoidable and silly mistakes. 

It’s heartbreaking to see someone with a stellar resume, impeccable credentials, and genuine potential walk into an interview unprepared. Whether it’s dressing too casually for a formal setting, being late, giving flippant answers to serious questions, or failing to research the firm and demonstrating their knowledge of it at the meeting, these small missteps can cost you the job of your dreams. Just as worse, it frustrates the hell out of the interviewer when there's an apparent mismatch between what they see on the CV and what they see and hear in front of them. 

I’ve met candidates who clearly had the skills to excel but didn’t take the interview process with employers seriously enough. And yes, being "too busy" to prepare is not taking it seriously enough. Despite giving them a big steer, they underestimated the importance of first impressions, the weight of their words, the questions they asked, or the need to align their answers with the firm’s values. And every time, I’ve walked away thinking, “If only they'd prepared more, this could have been their moment.” 

The legal industry is ultra, ultra, competitive, and job interviews are your chance to show not just what you know, but who you are. They’re an opportunity to demonstrate your professionalism, your attention to detail, your ability to add value, and your commitment to excellence. These are qualities every firm is looking for, but they won’t see them if you don’t bring your A-game. 

And if you think interviews for experienced hires is tough, I've been speaking to over a dozen graduate recruitment managers and advisors across different industries for an article I'm preparing to get an understanding of just how gut wrenchingly tough it is for students to get their dream job. And these same things that GRMs look at are increasingly being used for lateral hires. 

So, to all experienced job-seekers out there: Please, take your interview preparation seriously. Research the firm. Practice your answers, refine them, practice again. Dress the part. Show up with confidence and respect for the process. You’ve worked so hard to get to this point - don’t f*#k it up. 

And to those who’ve faced rejection this year: It’s not the end. 

Learn from it. Grow from it. Come back stronger. 

I’m rooting for you, and I know your dream role is out there waiting for you to claim it. 

Let’s make the Chinese astrological Year of the Snake the one where we see more candidates shine. ✨
 

#LegalRecruitment #CareerAdvice #InterviewTips #LegalCareers #ProfessionalGrowth #JobSearch 

The above opinion piece was first posted the writer's LinkedIn page in February 2025.