How to prepare for a Marketing Executive interview in a law firm

Interviews can be scary enough without having to worry about what questions to focus your time and effort on during your prep!

So we've compiled a list of the main questions you should perpare for if you are interviewing for a Marketing Executive role within a law firm.

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‘Why do you want to work for the firm?’

To answer this question, you need to have done thorough research. Don’t just look at the company website, do as much wider reading as possible. It is easy to get caught up with the answer and go into why the role appeals, however, it is key to keep these questions separate.

Pick out some key points about the firm that really stand out to you, for instance have they won any awards? What position are they in the rankings? Are they known for their culture? Do they focus on a sector which you are particularly interested in? Have they published anything in the press recently?

Good sites to look at include Chambers and Partners, Legal Week and The Lawyer, as well as the firm's LinkedIn company page.

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‘Why does this role appeal to you?’

For this question It is important to draw parallels with your CV and the job description as much as possible.

Think about how this role would be relevant to your skillset and discuss how your previous experience or education has provided you with the foundations to excel in the role!

It is also very important to demonstrate that you are keen to learn and build upon your current experience.

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‘What is the difference between Marketing, Business Development and Communications?’

You want to make sure you are going into the interview having a good idea of how these areas work together within a law firm and the differences between each.

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‘How do you manage your time and prioritise duties?’ 

Organisation and time management skills are always important to highlight for any role. This could be as simple as coming to your desk first thing and writing a to do list in order or priority, or blocking out time in your diary each day to do certain tasks.

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‘What are your key strengths?’

For this question it is important to highlight strengths which are relevant to the role, mention what you feel you are really good at and proud of and give detailed examples.

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‘What are your weaknesses?’ 

Discuss something you feel you aren't as confident in but put a positive spin on it by explaining what steps you are putting in place to overcome it. Avoid mentioning skills which are essential to the job you are going for; these are usually mentioned in the job specification.

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Behavioural questions:

For behavioural questions such as the interviewer wants to gain an insight into your personality and how well you get along with others. Some examples include:

'Can you name a time when you had a disagreement with a colleague and how you overcame this?'

Or:

'Can you give an example of a time when you had to push back on someone more senior than you?'

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The STAR approach may prove helpful when answering this type of question. This acronym stands for:

• Situation: Briefly explain the issue you were dealing with in a positive, constructive way.

• Task: Describe your role in the situation.

• Action: Discuss what you did to resolve or address the situation.

• Result: Emphasize what you learned and how your actions had a positive outcome.
  

Make sure your answer is structured with a clear beginning, middle and end.

‘Any questions?’ 

Asking lots of questions is always very important, this shows you are really interested in the role/firm and want to learn more!

Some examples of questions you could ask include;

• ‘What is a typical day like in this role?’

• ‘What do you enjoy about working here?’

• ‘What would be expected of me in the first 6 months?’

• ‘What is the structure of the team?’

• 'What are the ideal qualities you are looking for in the successful candidate?' (then demonstrate how you have these qualities).

​Make sure you turn up to your interview on time, dress smartly take a deep breath and go for it!

Good luck!