In yesterday’s Platforum9 Session for law students and early career professionals, Andre McClean, a legal recruitment specialist with over 10 years of experience in London’s competitive legal market, shared some valuable insights on preparing for training contract interviews. Drawing from both his expertise as a headhunter and his personal journey from student to Magic Circle lawyer and beyond, McClean offered practical guidance on crafting compelling narratives that resonate with interviewers.

The Three Questions in Every Interviewer’s Mind

According to McClean, interviewers typically have limited time—often just 20-40 minutes—to assess candidates. During this brief window, they’re trying to answer three fundamental questions:

1. Does this person know their stuff?

2. Why are they here?

3. Do I like them?

Understanding these key questions allows candidates to structure their preparation and responses effectively, particularly when addressing the pivotal opening question: “Tell us a bit about yourself” or “Why are you here today?”

Crafting Your Personal Narrative

McClean emphasised that the story you tell about yourself is perhaps the most critical element of interview success. “If I’m prepping people for interview, I will ask them, ‘Why are you here?’ And they’ll come up with something and throw a few bits and pieces in, and then they’ll realise that unless they’re one of the top 10% who’ve really thought about it and drilled down, they need to go away and just do a bit of thinking around that.”

He advises candidates to avoid generic, inauthentic responses like “I have always been passionate about corporate law since I was seven”—statements interviewers hear repeatedly and find difficult to believe. Instead, McClean recommends developing a conversational, authentic narrative that explains:

· Your educational journey and what you’ve valued about it

· What research you’ve done on the firm and legal sector

· The skills and qualities you bring (with evidence from academic or extracurricular achievements)

· Why you believe you’d be a good fit for this particular firm

This narrative should be concise—ideally one to two minutes long—and rehearsed enough to sound natural without seeming scripted.

Research Beyond the Website

While firm websites provide useful information, McClean cautioned that they can have a “blinding effect” with their polished marketing presentations that make it difficult to distinguish between firms. “If you read the website of any law firm in the top 200, it’ll all come across as really good. They’ve got good marketing teams… it’s all glossy, it’s all super positive.”

To develop more meaningful insights, he suggests:

· Focusing on specific practice areas that interest you

· Reading recent press coverage of the firm’s deals and cases

· Exploring legal publications like Legal Cheek for insider perspectives

· Using LinkedIn to research the firm’s culture and people (with a professional, appropriate profile of your own)

Perhaps most valuable is talking to someone with direct experience: “If you have spoken to someone… you can say, ‘I’ve done my homework, I’ve read the press, I’ve seen some of your deals. But actually, I also know someone who has worked here and they had really positive things to say about the firm and their experience.’” McClean said that this demonstrates serious research effort and provides a positive experience that can’t be disputed by interviewers.

Show Your Preferred Career Direction

When candidates are inevitably asked where else they’re applying, McClean advises transparency within sensible parameters. “What they don’t want you to say is ‘I’m applying to you, but I’m also applying to Clifford Chance, and I’m also applying to High Street Firm in Newcastle,’ because that’s three very different cultures, three very different firms.”

Rather than listing every application, focus on firms with similar profiles but also emphasise what specifically attracts you to the firm where you’re interviewing. This demonstrates direction and purpose while avoiding the impression of a “scatter-gun approach.”

McClean shared his own experience of being challenged during an interview at Linklaters when he stated his interest in corporate law: “The partner just turned around to me and said ‘How do you really know that for sure that you want to qualify into corporate?’” His response balanced confidence with humility: “From what I know of corporate law I think it would be a good match for how I like to work… when the work’s

on, it’s all hands on deck. The impression I get is that there is a real culture of teamwork and the idea of buying and selling companies is really interesting to me… but I also said, ‘Look, I can’t possibly be 100% sure that is where I’ll end up, I’m 22, I haven’t begun a first seat yet. There is no guarantee that my head won’t be turned by employment or litigation during the course of a 2 year training programme. But I’m willing to learn and from what I know now, corporate seems to be a good match.’” This authentic answer acknowledged his limited experience while showing thoughtful consideration of the career path.

Managing Challenging Questions

Interviewers often test candidates’ thinking abilities through hypothetical scenarios or by probing potentially weak areas of an application. McClean stressed the importance of addressing potential concerns proactively and dealing with any ‘potholes’ in the CV: “If I was sitting in your shoes, one of the things that I would have questions over is the fact that I’ve got a 2:2 from second year…It’s definitely a year where I didn’t get the balance right on academics versus extra curriculars. What I would say, however, is that only 9 people out of 80 law students achieved a 2.1 that year. The rest of us got lower grades; partly down to a tough land law course and partly due to the fact that year didn’t count toward our final degree mark. I rectified the balance and achieved a first in third year .”

This approach demonstrates self-awareness and honesty—qualities that interviewers value highly. Similar strategies can be applied to other potential concerns, such as gaps in experience or unusual career paths.

For technical questions or scenarios, McClean noted that while you may not have all the specialised knowledge yet, you can demonstrate your analytical approach and awareness of key concepts. For example, in a scenario about taking on a new client with urgent work abroad, mentioning considerations like “know your customer” requirements and anti-money laundering checks would show understanding of professional responsibilities even without detailed procedural knowledge.

The Art of Asking Questions

The final moments of an interview, when candidates are invited to ask questions, present a crucial opportunity that shouldn’t be wasted. “Whether you think you’re being polite respecting their time, they will want you to ask them a couple of questions,” McClean explained.

He recommends thoughtful questions that demonstrate interest in succeeding in the role rather than just securing it: “at the end of the six-month training seat, if one of today’s interviewees was sitting with you, what would success in the role look like?

What would they have to have done in those six months for you to turn around and thought, ‘I’m really glad we hired this person’?”

This approach shifts perspective from self-interest to considering the firm’s needs, showing that you’re thinking about how to contribute value rather than simply what you can gain from the position. Similarly, questions about what keeps a partner engaged after several years with the firm can provide genuine insights while demonstrating interest in long-term commitment.

Beyond Preparation: Making a Connection

While thorough preparation is essential, McClean emphasised that the final element—making interviewers like you—comes down to genuine interaction: “It’s a two-way thing. They’ll have questions for you. You’ll have questions for them too.”

Simple practices like making eye contact with all interviewers present, listening attentively, and responding thoughtfully all contribute to creating a positive impression. McClean also noted that sometimes unexpected connections can make a difference, sharing the story of a candidate who secured a training contract at Slaughter and May after discussing Leeds United’s insolvency, which he read about as 11-year-old football fan when his team got relegated. It was an unusual approach for the candidate to use the application cover letter to deal with this pretty niche topic (!) but it made them stand out and it did answer the question about how they started to learn about law. The tactic worked. The student won the contract. They later discover the interviewing partner’s office was filled with sports memorabilia!

Summing Up: Be Authentic and be Prepared

The overarching message from McClean’s session was that successful interviews balance thorough preparation with authentic self-presentation. While the process can be demanding—from completing numerous application forms to facing unexpected challenges during interviews—each experience builds skills that serve candidates throughout their careers.

By developing a compelling personal narrative, researching beyond surface-level information, addressing potential concerns proactively, and engaging genuinely with interviewers, candidates can maximise their chances of success in the competitive training contract market.

As McClean concluded, “You will have bad interviews,” but with persistence and refinement of approach, candidates can develop the skills needed to effectively answer that crucial question: “What’s your story?”