Video Interviews: 5 Mistakes Every Aspiring Solicitor is Making and How to Avoid Them

Oct 26, 2023

Written By Nandini Jadeja

Video interviewing took centre stage during the pandemic, and a lot of firms have continued to use video interviews during their application process. Success during these interviews is crucial to progressing to the next stage of the application process. So, how can you ensure that you pass your video interview with flying colours? By avoiding the mistakes laid out in this article.

Mistake 1: Poor setup

There are some things that you can do before your interview even begins to ensure it runs smoothly. This includes your computer set up, internet connection, removing background distractions and poor lighting.

Test your internet connection over a zoom call with a friend or family member prior to the call, and shut other tabs on your laptop to reduce distractions and help with the network bandwidth. Use the ‘test’ video to check your background and lighting – is your background messy or distracting? Experiment with different camera angles and lighting settings, or even try out different locations, such as a library or university meeting room.

Need help preparing for a video interview?

Take part in this FREE video masterclass to discover how you can ace your video interview.

JOIN NOW

Mistake 2: Inadequate preparation

Any interview will end pretty quickly if you are inadequately prepared, but things can get especially awkward over a video setting as you have a time limit. Lack of knowledge about the firm, failure to anticipate common interview questions and providing unstructured answers all lose your points on your interview, and are a surefire way not to be progressed.

You can avoid this pitfall by preparing answers to common interview questions, researching the firm and using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Response) acronym to help structure your answers. It is important to remember that knowledge of the firm itself is not sufficient, you should be able to link your research to your own personal experiences to justify your motivations for a career in law, and a position at that firm.

Mistake 3: Weak communication skills

Communication is important in any interview, but is especially important when you are not in the same room as the interviewer. Aspects such as eye contact, negative body language and mumbling are just as obvious over video as they are in person, and while it may be more difficult to make direct eye contact, it is a good idea to try and position your laptop camera in line with your eyes. You can do this by placing your device on a couple of books or a box to ensure that you can make eye contact as much as possible.

Body language and clear, confident speech are also vital during a video interview; you should sit up straight with your shoulders back, and talk clearly. It is easy to talk fast when you are nervous, so make sure you are aware of your pace – slowing down can really help with the delivery of your answer and the impression it leaves on the interviewers. If you struggle with this, place a post-it with ‘Slow down!’ written on it somewhere in your eyeline, so that you can see it when answering a question.

Mistake 4: Not demonstrating relevant legal knowledge

This ties into Mistake 2, being inadequately prepared. As well as questions about your CV and motivations for applying, legal knowledge will crop up sooner or later in the interview. Providing generic answers or not demonstrating commercial awareness shows that you have not prepared sufficiently for the interview, or even that you are not aware of what being a lawyer really involves.

Ways to avoid this include knowing the firm’s recent deals and practice areas. You should also read up on commercial awareness so you can understand the context in which firms operate, and how their deals are influenced by the commercial climate.

Mistake 5: Not handling anxiety and nervousness

This may sound like an obvious mistake, but there are several ways that anxiety and nervousness can manifest during an interview. Talking fast, stumbling over words or repeating yourself unnecessarily are just some of the common ones, but you may also have nervous habits, like playing with your hair or fiddling, which can show your anxiety to the interviewer.

Some strategies for managing nervousness include deep breathing and visualisation, and practising answering questions over a video setting. You can even record yourself answering some questions and see if you have any nervous habits, so you can correct them prior to the interview. Alternatively, you can do a mock interview with someone who has already been through the process. These are a valuable source of feedback, and a way to see where the gaps in your knowledge and preparation are. Try and plan something fun to do after the interview to give yourself something fun to look forward to.

Conclusion

The five key mistakes to avoid are: Poor setup, inadequate preparation, weak communication skills, not demonstrating relevant legal knowledge and not handling anxiety and nervousness. By avoiding these mistakes, you can excel in a video interview and progress to the next stage of the application process!

Video interviews do not have to be the most difficult part of the application process – by following the guidance outlined in this article, you can make the most of video interviews and secure your legal career.

Selection & Assessment