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| Josue Aparicio |
LCD Graduate Fellow
In order to help you prepare for the upcoming Summer Job Fair, GGU will host the Mock Interview Program on August 9th. At the event, attorneys will be paired with students to conduct a series of 20-minute, one-on-one practice interviews and provide individual feedback on performance. This is an excellent opportunity to ensure that you excel in your actual interview this summer by working on your interviewing skills with real attorneys in a low-pressure environment.
It is a proven method for success. In fact, one J.D. candidate even landed an internship at a top law firm with one of the mock interviewers at last year’s event.
Here’s how: “I treated it like a real interview,” explains Josue Aparicio, GGU J.D. Candidate (May 2017). “But it was still low pressure.” The key to success: “I told [the mock interviewer] about myself and things I wanted to do, such as diversifying the legal profession, pro bono work, and how I wanted to grow as an attorney. He agreed and had similar values on the topics I was bringing up. He then told me he knew I was interviewing for his company in a few weeks and asked if I had any questions about the process. He also told me that I could meet with him prior to the interview. I did that, and he answered all of my questions. It gave me a lot more confidence for when I went into the real interview.”
Aparicio further explains the value of GGU’s Mock Interview Program: “It was great because I was paired up with attorneys in a lower pressure situation,” he says. “When you go into the interview for a real position, it’s a very high pressure situation—and there’s a lot of nerves. But with a mock interview, you get to meet with attorneys and you don’t expect to get job from them. You can then really practice your interview skills.”
In addition: “These attorneys work at various law firms around the city and are interested in helping you. You get face time and it’s a great networking opportunity. They’re nice, they give you their business cards, and you can follow up add them to your network.”
The mock interviewers also give great feedback, Aparicio stresses. “They all participate in interviews at their own firms. They have also interviewed for a lot of jobs themselves—and they give you that perspective and feedback. At GGU’s event, I got good feedback from three interviewers, as well as suggestions on different approaches I could take. One interviewer gave me a really honest opinion on one of my answers and how I could approach the question differently.”
Aparicio also offers tips for students and alumni on informational interviews: “I like to target someone who’s a GGU alum,” he says. “On any firm’s website, you can usually find what schools the lawyers went to. If not, the GGU career counselors can give you a list of alumni. Then I email those lawyers explaining that I’m a second-year law student at GGU and I’m interested in their firm, and ask them if they would be interested in getting coffee and talking about the firm. They’re usually very responsive—I rarely get ‘no’ for an answer. GGU alums are usually willing to help in any way they can. Often, they will email their recruiting person, and I’ve received interviews like that.”
Below, Aparicio offers more tips and advice for interviewing and landing the job:
1. Customize your application materials. “I’m not a big fan of submitting 20 different resumes to 20 different firms,” he says. “I’m a bigger proponent of targeting five or six places you really want to work at and focusing all your attention on those. Make all your materials—resume, cover letter, writing sample—focused on that firm and that area of law and your connection to that firm. Any way you can stand out from the rest of the crowd will be to your benefit.”
2. Be prepared. “Preparation is key,” he underscores. “The way you speak has to be very polished, and you have to show the best representation of yourself that you can. Do mock interviews with law career development and learn about the firm. Make sure you know their history, what type of law they do, and what type of law you want to do. You don’t want to go to a firm that doesn’t do business law and say you want to do business law. Do your research properly.”
3. Know who you’re interviewing with in advance. “Try to get the names of the attorneys interviewing you beforehand,” he suggests. “Look at what they’ve published, the schools they went to, and anything you have in common. You can throw those tidbits out during the interview.
“For example, after my 1L summer, one of the attorneys I interviewed with for a summer position started out in the position I was interviewing for. I brought that up and asked if she had any advice for transitioning from that position to the actual job. They were impressed with that. So a little extra effort and being prepared goes a long way.”
Take Aparicio’s advice to heart and send in your RSVP to GGU’s Mock Interview Program by August 3—as your resume will be provided to the interviewers prior to the program.
Best of all, following the interviews, GGU will be hosting a casual networking reception with delicious food and beverages. You don’t want to miss this event, so RSVP today.
