Why Hire This Lawyer?

Question
I am interviewing for an attorney position with a litigation firm that my recruiter coordinated. I am not prepared for the question, “Why should we hire you?” I have been litigating for four years, but I don’t know what to say. Please help me.

Answer
by David Sandusky, Founder/President of Your Brand. LLC

Your question is a very important one, not only for the interview process, but for your continued success in gaining clients and promotions. Do your homework about the firm so you can ask great questions and demonstrate that you are doing due diligence on the firm’s culture to identify whether or not you are a fit.

So why should they hire you? Take a hard look at your litigating and any other relevant experience. What value did you bring? List your skills and core competencies; core values; and your personal vision of a great attorney. Package all of these into a story with the firm and their clients in mind – help them be confident in your passion.

Ask yourself what value you bring to your new position that is above and beyond what your competition will likely bring? By doing your homework on identifying who you are and why that matters to your prospective employer, you should be able to help them feel good about hiring you!

David Sandusky is the founder of Your Brand, LLC, like an ad agency, but for people. For information on personal branding and the Personal Board of Advisors online tool, visit YourBrandPlan.com.

Susan Ireland’s Two Cents
Here are two blog posts you might find useful:
The Rules of Legal Job Interviews
Take This Lawyer’s Advice

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