The upcoming recruit is probably one of the nerve-wracking and anxiety-inducing times of your legal career. However, there are ways to approach the upcoming recruit with intention and preparation.

Over these few weeks, we’re going to highlight some of the various lessons taken from our recent interview + OCIs workshops.

Lesson 1: Warm Up

I cannot stress how important an intentional warm-up routine is. The issue here is that many of us treat OCIs like we treat law school. We study profiles of our interviewers, we take copious notes on what we want to say and we research, research and research.

Spending countless hours researching the firm is akin to spending countless hours researching how to play tennis. It is not the same thing.

What if you treated this upcoming OCI recruit like a sport, how would you approach it differently?

For starters, you would warm up. You would try to get in as many reps as possible before the big day. This means practicing with a good friend, practicing with your career services office, or practicing with us at Beyond the A. It doesn’t matter, you have to practice, practice and practice.

Let me ask you this.

How badly do you want the job? If you want the job, you have to treat this recruit with a higher level of intentionality like an Olympic athlete. And this means relentless focus, action and discipline.

Is there a way for you to warm up on the day of the interview? Is there a local coffee shop where you start up a conversation with the barista (of course, be wary of COVID restrictions) or can you book an informational interview via Zoom?

The more that your brain is warmed up and ready to go, the more that you’ll be ready to tackle your upcoming interviews. Instead of just “winging it”, you have to approach this upcoming recruit with intention and purpose.

Because if you want to set yourself apart from your peers, this is what it takes to succeed.

If you want to elevate your interview skills to a new level, learn more about our coaching program here - http://beyondthea.co/coaching.

At Beyond the A, we understand that anxiety and mental health is a serious issue. While we do not purport to be experts, our mission is to open up the conversation and provide you with the tools and resources to excel in your career and beyond. If you are seeking immediate help, please contact a healthcare professional or access our resources page.

Given the sensitivity of the topic, we are always open to further conversation about it. Email us at info@beyondthea.co and someone from our team will get back to you.

Interviews and OCIs | Warm Up