Selling Yourself At A Non-Legal Jobs – Do’s And Don’ts

Once you have taken the decision, and obviously it is the right one, that you are not going to stay routed in the erroneous belief that law school students must end up as lawyers, convince yourself that you are better equipped than most others for non-legal jobs.

The first foothold that you will get into your new career is through the interview. All other preparations that you make to crack that interview are all yours – the interview will be the first time that someone else will be making a decision whether you fit the bill, so be well prepared.


Prepare for every interview. Close the sale here. Every step in the strategy is taken in order to sit for an interview. Research high-profile fields and careers; identify leading edge companies; writing introduction letters and resumes and develop a network of contacts. Remember it is the interview that lands you the job. It is the deciding event in the job search process.

Approach Each Interview with These Points In Mind:

The interviewer usually decides about you in the first five minutes of the interview. He or she spends the rest of the interview justifying that first impression. Your negatives influence the interviewer more than your positives and that interviewers assess your interpersonal skills by how you act at the interview.

Some graduates have an idea of what to do, but most of them are ill-prepared. Most recruiters find the process very tiring. Few applicants prepare for an interview. Most are not really sure what it is they can do or what they want to do. It's no wonder college grads have such a tough time landing a first job.

The interview is where you sell yourself, in person, to the company. It is not where you rehash your introduction letter and resume. Nor it is merely a time to answer questions that an interviewer throws at you. It is for presenting the facts in an organized, confident manner.

Which facts do you stress? Remember that your negatives speak louder than your positives and you will not have much time to mute them. Success or failure is a function of how you address these negatives. Initially, the interviewer will view your legal training negatively. He will assume that you are just waiting to practice law somewhere and will leave at the first opportunity to do so. However, you will have to convince the interviewer in person.

You want to come across as confident, knowledgeable, and professional. Do not count on charm to carry the day. Most people will tell you they are not at their best during interviews. By preparing for an interview, you will be calmer, more organized, and sound better during your actual presentation.

With so much at stake, anxiety causes people to perform poorly. Recheck your web to learn anything new about the company and, if possible, anything about the person who will be interviewing you. Look for information you can use to make yourself sound more knowledgeable, more interested, and better than the other applicants.

The Interview:

Remember, the first five minutes determine your fate. Know what you are going to say before you sit down to the interview. Take what you have learned from your research and form your responses accordingly. Practice responding to the interviewer's anticipated questions and concerns so that your responses become second nature. Interviewers typically focus on, in this order: your liabilities; your interpersonal skills and lastly, your strengths. If you handle the liabilities part well, the other too will be a cakewalk.

Handling Liabilities:

A liability is any attribute or experience hindering your chance of being offered a job. Now you may consider the attribute or experience a strength, but the interviewer sees it differently. Never ignore or shrug off a perceived liability. Likewise, never apologize for a perceived liability. Excuses, sob stories and apologies for liabilities never improve your chances in an interview.

Through his persistent questions the interviewer is gauging your interest level and vocational maturity. You must show that you have a high level of both. Focus initially on neutralizing the interviewer's concern. Then quickly go on to show your perceived liability actually will bring value to the employer.

Half the battle is one if you can neutralize the employers concern that you are just biding time until you can land a lawyer job by explaining that you attended law school to prepare for a business career. Most people who didn't attend law school are somewhat intrigued by it. They have an idea of what you learn, but they are really not sure. It's really up to you to educate them about your education. Most of them are impressed once they realize the broad range of expertise related to business you have. But, again, you have to explain that you do because they do not know. Put your background into terms they understand.

Changing Careers:

What if you are a practicing attorney looking to change careers. Then your answer that you studied law to do business will not hold. The interviewer will be wary of you in two ways: one that that your desire is only temporary; and/or you do not have adequate business skills.

Discuss, generally, why you are leaving. Next, discuss specifically how your background skills will benefit the employer. You may want to expand on what you wrote in the introduction letter. Again, you have to know about the job to make this work. This is why it is important to research the company and the business sector. Annual reports, trade magazines, and research material are just some of the information that you should have studied. They provide useful material to dialogue over and show the interviewer that you are a knowledgeable business person. Many business people do not like lawyers. They think they keep the deal from getting done and all that lawyers do is obstruct.

How to Say What You Know to Say:

Most interviewers report that candidates do not sell themselves strongly enough. Instead of taking charge and selling themselves, they only answer questions. They do not really dialogue. You have prepared and practiced and now it is the time for the actual meeting. Your demeanor is all that is left to work on. The underlying precept is to act professional and confident. Bring your notes to review while waiting. Do not just sit there and stare into space. Always bring extra copies of your introduction letter and resumes. This shows the interviewer you plan for contingencies.

Start the interview with a warm but professional tone and maintain it throughout. Speak firmly and confidently. Maintain an upright posture. Do not slump in your chair. You must exude poise and assertiveness during those critical first few minutes. This does not mean trying to control the interview. It just means actively participating in it. Pay attention and you will discover that certain nuances, thoughts, and opinions more strongly impress than others. When the interview is over, it is those subtle connections, as much as the right answers, that the interviewers remember. With preparation and practice in hand, you should be beaming with confidence.

Questions Are Just as Important as Answers:

The interviewer expects you to ask some questions. Not doing so usually leads to a rejection. It implies you require very little information to make a career decision, and maybe, very little to make a business decision. Utilize the research you have done about the company and formulate three or four questions specific to the company. Most interviewers find it disheartening when they ask the job-applicants if they have any questions and they just shake their heads.

Again, you are striving for dialogue, not a question and answer session. Do not ask anything about salary or benefits. Once you get an offer, you can talk about those things. Most interviewers are not up on the benefits package anyway. Show interest in the company's success through your questions. Remember, you are still selling, even now.

Close the interview by reiterating how interested you are in the job and how you appreciated the opportunity to talk about your merits. Do not let your energy level drop here. Leave a positive impression.

Getting Ready for the Next One:

What if the interview went poorly? Well, if nothing else, a bad interview prepares you for the next one. You do not become an expert interviewer after just one interview. It takes a while before you become comfortable with the process. Learn from your mistakes and do better the next time. There will always be more opportunities. The dynamic business sector makes certain of that.

The Thank You Note:

The reasons for writing a thank you note are that most inter-viewers expect it. Three brief paragraphs will do. The first thanks the interviewer for seeing you. Do not overdo it. Next, succinctly recap how you specifically can help the company. Lastly, inform the interviewer you will be calling on the phone. Give a date on which you will call. Do not let more than one day pass without writing the note.

Your Reward:

You have had a great interview. The job seems perfect for you and you perfect for it. A few days later, the interviewer calls you and offers you the high-profile job. Congratulations! You have done it! You have shown there is no substitute for a well thought out plan and hard work in getting a job. This is certainly true once you are on the job.

The Final Step: Follow Through:

Once you are in your new career, follow through on what you said. Hopefully, this will be your ending. You have a great background and a big world in front of you. Take advantage of it.

It is up to you to adapt the information presented herein to your own personal situation. The solution is not quick and easy. It requires quite a bit of work. However, intuitively you know there really are not any shortcuts when it comes to important areas of your life. Your career is an important facet of your life. In part, it will describe you. You are responsible for your career. No one has as much interest in the outcome of it as you. No one has as much control over it as you. Make it the career you want.

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