“Interview? What will they even ask me in that? How do I even prepare for it?” says every student who aspires to be in the stream of law and has to go through an interview round to secure a seat in their desired college. If you are one of them, take a deep breath and let us help you by giving you some useful tips that you can do before you sit for that nerve-wracking interview for admissions into law courses.
While some universities do not conduct Personal Interview (PI) round before admitting students into law courses, but some Indian as well foreign universities do believe that Interview rounds are rather important in ascertaining which candidate is fit for the course, and has the caliber and potential that they are wanting their potential students to have. This article is dedicated to all those students, who are preparing for their law admissions and need to sit for an interview in the near future. We have tried to give 10 best tips that will help you prepare for your interview and ace it like a pro! Read on:
1. Research about your course and the college
The first step when it comes to preparing for an interview for admission into any college is to always make sure that you have read about the college and the course that you are opting for. Some of the most widely asked questions are “Why did you choose this college?” and “Why did you opt for this course?”. The answers to both these questions require you to have sound knowledge of the college, its basic history, as well as about the course you have selected. You should also be knowing about Law and about the subjects that you will be learning under it. Not only does it prepare you for your interview, but also helps you find interesting aspects of your would-be college and the course which gives you an extra sense of motivation. When you are motivated about something, it shows and lets others know how much you want to be part of an institution and the course!
2. Learn to introduce yourself efficiently and uniquely
Even before the real questions start pouring in during the interview, you will be asked to introduce yourself. Believe it or not, telling about yourself in front of someone is not as easy as it seems. Saying too much and too little about yourself will not leave a good impression on the interviewers. So practice introducing yourself, about your schooling, the stream you took, your areas of interest, etc. Remember to not over-share and keep personal things strictly related to yourself. The interviewers want to know about you, and not your pet dog who you adore a lot!
3. Brush up your basic Law knowledge
It goes without saying that you need to have some basic idea about the field of Law and all that it entails. Interviewers want to make sure that they choose a candidate who truly understands this field, possesses what it requires, and is cut out for this field. They might ask your favorite subject in Law, or the recent news that is revolving around Law, your views on some famous cases in history, or even your favorite attorney! Be prepared to encounter such questions with ease and confidence.
4. Practice having a good body language
Law courses produce millions of lawyers, judges, etc. every year. This field requires you to be confident and have a good body language. The last thing that your interviewers want to see is you slouching on the seat in front of them, keeping your hands all fisted, exuding nervousness, sitting with your legs all over the place, and continuously moving around in your seat! Practice having a good posture, and a body language that exudes confidence and calmness.
5. Have a ‘Self reflection’ session
Not only what you say during the interview matters, but also how you say it. It is a very beneficial practice to stand in front of the mirror and rehearse speaking about yourself. When you do so, you get to see your body language, and your expressions while you speak. You should look too dull or too excited. You need to find a perfect balance between the two, and carry yourself in that manner. You should be graceful, confident, and have the perfect tone of voice. You want to make sure that you are not speaking too low or too loud. Talking in the mirror helps to take care of the tone of speech, as well as your expressions during the delivery of answers.
6. Practice your answers for the commonly asked questions
There are some questions which are bound to be asked during any kind of interviews, like “Tell us about yourself”, “What subjects did you take up in school?”, etc. It is always better to prepare answers to these types of questions and practice speaking them fluently. Sometimes due to interview nervousness, you might even stumble answering even the simplest of such questions. It is better to keep the answers to generally expected questions ready so that no time is wasted thinking up the answers during the interview.
7. Do not make it seem staged
While the purpose of this article is to help you prepare for your upcoming interviews, but ironically one of the most important tips is to not over-do it. Interviews are meant to know students who will be part of the college, their areas of interest, calibers, and goals. They want to know you better and the questions are asked in a very natural-flowing and conversation manner. You never know what can be asked of you, but it is always better to prepare a little. Going overboard with interview preparation can make it look staged, and give a false impression of “trying too hard to please” to the interview takers.
8. Practice how to control your nerves
We know that interviews can be a daunting process and can make anyone nervous since you don’t know how it is going to go, and what is going to be asked of you! But the key to acing all interviews is to use these nerves and turn it in for your advantage. It is very important to control your nerves and try to remain calm and collected. When you fret and fidget too much, you will forget whatever you have prepared to speak in the interview, which is the opposite of what you want. So, practice deep breathing exercises, and remain calm. Confidence is always an attractive trait and gets you a point instantly!
9. Take help of friends and family
You can have Mock Interviews in front of your family and friends, who can give you good suggestions on where you lack and what areas you can improve upon. Doing this also improves your confidence and also shows you your weak areas that can be worked upon before the real interview arrives!
10. Do not be afraid to ask questions
Lastly, it is okay for you to ask questions too! An interview does not mean just answering questions after questions, but you can use this opportunity to ask any doubts and questions that you might have regarding your course and the college. This shows the interviewers how much effort you have put into preparing for this interview and how involved you are in the admission process.
There is no fool-proof preparation that you can do but can always try for the best. Interviews are a great way to showcase your reasoning skills and personality to the interviewing panel. They are conducted to know you and see whether you have what it takes to be in the challenging and vast field of Law. We hope that you use these simple tips in your preparation and leave the interviewers impressed with you. All the best!
