Answering Questions about Expected Time Commitments during a Law Firm Interview

Dear LawCrossing,

I've been doing some interviewing and a few times the interviewer has asked me if I'm willing to work long hours. One interviewer actually came out and said, "Are you willing to work 80 hours a week?" How should I respond?


TL, New York

DEAR TL,

Well, if you are willing to work 80 hours a week, by all means say "Yes." But LawCrossing has a hunch that the reason you're asking is that you'd rather eat dirt than work 80 hours a week, and you're worried that if you say that, you won't get the job. Is LawCrossing close, TL?

So what should you do? As the Director suggests, "If you don't want those hours, you really have to say 'No.' But don't end your answer there. Go on to say something along the lines of 'I wouldn't clock 80 hours a week just to do it. Instead, I'm more oriented towards projects than hours. I have always met deadlines. And in a limited situation, like a big trial, I would be willing to put in long hours. But on a routine basis, no. I can't imagine I would be a good lawyer if I worked 80 hours a week every week-I would burn out.'" In other words, don't suggest that you're not willing to kick in and be a member of the team-ooh, there's that word 'team' that employers love so much. Team team team. Mention it in interviews as often as you can, TL. But don't lie and pretend that you're willing to accept a time commitment that you are truly unwilling to tolerate.

Having said that, take what employers suggest as time commitments with a grain of salt. As the Director points out, "Some firms like to come off as though they're the Navy SEALS, and that you've got to be a 'real man' to make it there. It creates a kind of mystique for them. In my experience, the ones who suggest that they're really tough aren't as tough as they seem. And on the other end of the scale, firms who market themselves as humane may really consider themselves less than that." Instead of focusing on hours, TL, Susan Weinberg suggests that you focus on questions like "Did you like the people? Or the work?" And do all the research you can ahead of time about any particular employer. Talk to your career services director and/or alumni relations director at school, and ask if they know what kinds of time commitments are involved with different employers you're considering, or if they know anybody who might know. You can't ask about hours in an interview, because you'll sound like a slacker, but you can be sly and go the career services route ahead of time. And once you have an offer, all bets are off; go ahead and query young associates about the kinds of hours they put in, if it's important to you.

If you have significant time commitments outside of your career, TL, you can easily weave that into your job search scheme. For instance, if you really only want to work 30 to 40 hours a week, those legal jobs do exist, but there are usually sacrifices to be made in terms of upward potential. Such jobs can be wonderfully fulfilling, and you may enjoy them very much, but again, it's a tradeoff only you can make, TL. After all, the only kind of job that has guaranteed punch-in-punch-out times is an hourly job. When you think about it, as Susan Weinberg points out, "When you're talking about a salaried job, it's very rare to find one that requires a basic 40-hour week."

And frankly, even though LawCrossing realizes you might not look at it this way right now, an employer who comes right out in an interview and asks you that might be doing you a favor. After all, if the job requires 80 hours a week and your concept of your dream job requires many fewer hours than that, the interviewer is really telling you, "If we make you an offer, for God's sake don't take it!" You'll be miserable, TL, and LawCrossing doesn't want you to be miserable. She wants you to be brilliantly happy. If you are honest with yourself about the commitment you're willing to make (both in terms of hours and results), you research employers to see who fits that profile, and you think expansively about the sacrifices you're willing to make for the hours you want to work-you will be brilliantly happy!

See the following articles for more information:
 

• 21 Major Interview Mistakes to Avoid at All Costs
• The Best Way to Prepare for a Job Search and Interviews
• How to Talk About Other Interviews in Your Interviews
• How to Answer the Tell Me About Yourself Interview Question
• How to Answer the Do You Have Any Questions for Me Interview Question