The war - but who won?

So interview 2 with a firm we'll call WeDoLaw LLP.

Like last time, I'm early. Like last time, I'm kept waiting. Eventually I'm met. I stand up, try to walk, and have to struggle to move my right foot as it got stuck to some chewing gum embedded in the carpet. Great.

This time, arrogant partner isn't there, but is replaced by a stunning partner who had some kind of fascination with my hands.

The usual questions were fired at me, "How do you handle stress?", "Why do you want to work here?" etc etc. They told me about the position, and I have to be honest, it sounded exciting. The department was in its youth, and I would be able to shape it and I already had ideas...the first was to build up a non LSC funded case load as currently, that was the only way they made their money and I knew they were missing out on making a reasonable wad, and also giving a their clients a service that didn't leave them high and dry on the date of their final hearing.

They liked me, but reasonable partner says, "Well obviously you tick lots of our boxes but there are some things which are still missing. Firstly, you have some skills sets we need to work on" This was a reference to me not knowing how you turned a fixed fee funded case to an exceptional case so you could charge the LSC hourly rate for the work done. "Sorry Mr Reasonable, but I don't think that is a skill set I'm missing, but rather guidance I need to read on the parameters within which LSC funding worked." All it was was some reading I needed to do.

"The other concern is that you'll have a 3 hour commute. You're going to get here and obviously not be at your best." My commute has always been around that much, plus why would they want someone who wasn't their best when they got into work? Plus there are ways to manage poor performance.

"In terms of salary, we're thinking £20k" I'd done my homework, and considering the travel, considering the long office hours (which I'm not at all afraid of), and considering they wanted me to commit to staying with them for a number of years, I said "I've read some salary surveys and they put the average in this kind of area, doing this kind of work, at £28k, but I'd be happy with £25k which I think is reasonable".

Usually reasonable partner says something about how they'd invested good salaries in NQs before, and they'd either been crap at their job, or been good and left after a year. And they wanted me to stay for more than a year on £20k? I didn't get it.

"Plus our current 3yr pqe solicitor is on £28k"
"Sorry, Mr Reasonable, if I can expect to be on £28k at 3yr pqe, this isn't the place for me."

Reasonable partner shuffles a bit, and muffles something about the solicitor being a locum, and to make up for the low starting salary, they'll give me an extra review in 6 months (rather than an annual review). I asked about the bracket within which my salary may go up and they couldn't tell me. So I asked about the commission/bonus structure, as Rec Con told me that they had a great scheme, and again, ums and arrrs. That said it all.

I told them that although it sounded like a great opportunity and the kind of work and challenge I'd love, that without an idea of how I'd be rewarded for my hard work, I would be cheating myself by accepting. They wanted someone to stay for a number of years, and I could not commit to that without knowing how much I could expect to be earning. Plus they'd already pre-judged me. Because they'd had bad solicitors who they paid well in the past, they were not going to give me a clean slate and this offended me.

For the first time ever, I'd not sold myself short. I know that we're in the midst of an economic crisis, and maybe I should have just snapped it up, but I knew I was worth more than being pre judged or working for people who already had low expectations of me, and would happily see me work all hours for an unknown reward.

And you know what? I was more afraid of what people would say or think about me when I told them that I turned it down, than of the prospect of still being unemployed today. I still am worried, but I know that I made the right decision.

An Interview!

I should be happy right? If for nothing else, it was my first and it would be good experience.

I make a few calls to rearrange my day, so that I can “prepare”.

The importance of preparation was drummed into me at a course I attended aimed for out of work professionals. Not only should I look the part and wear a suit (who would turn up for an interview in anything else?!) but I should practise.

I look up my course notes and start to jot things down.

1. Prepare adjectives that describe you.
Approachable, adaptable, cooperative, capable, credible, determined, discreet, diligent, efficient, responsible, sincere, trustworthy…gosh I sound boring…
2. List your strengths and weaknesses – weaknesses must be turned into positives.
Strengths: Approachable, adaptable, cooperative, capable, credible...... (you get the jist right?)
Weaknesses: Erm...hmmmm...dislikes having to make lists? Will that do?
3. Think up examples to demonstrate core competencies.
Core competencies are VERY important for anyone applying for jobs and attending interviews. I found this very helpful website http://www.interview-skills.co.uk/competency-based-interviews.aspx

Anyone who is preparing for a job interview, knows that preparation in advance is a good way to practice what you will say so that you don’t feel like you are suddenly being put on the spot, and this will help keep those nerves at bay.

So I continue my prep, but after about an hour of thinking about what I wanted my prospective employer to know about me, I had a reality check and realised that I wasn’t interviewing for a position at Linklaters. This was an interview with a little place in suburbia which dealt purely with publicly funded work. They just wanted to know that I could keep the machine well enough oiled to have the LSC cash pumping in.

Was I right? Well this is how it went…