Interviews can vary, depending on the nature of the role, your seniority, the stage in the interview process, and of course, who you are meeting. It helps to be adaptable and to adjust your style in each interview but being yourself is important. We value a genuine, authentic approach and we hope to offer the same in return.
There are, however, steps you can take in preparing for your interview to give yourself the best possible experience. Here are a few of our top tips from the recruitment team but it is best to speak to us or your recruiter for more tailored advice. If you need any reasonable adjustments at any point in the recruitment process, please let us know.
Preparation is key
There is a lot you can do in advance. Research is time well spent – there is a lot of material about RPC including sources beyond our website, such as Legal 500 and Chambers. LinkedIn can be a great place to find out more about the team and the people you are meeting. If you know someone at the firm, they may be able to share valuable insights. You will be able to find out lots about RPC, our culture and values, our expertise, our clients, and our people.
Make it personal
When researching RPC, you'll find out more about why it might be the right place for you. Interviewers are keen to understand about your interest in RPC, the role and the work they do. It is a chance to explore why you have applied to us. You may not be able to list everything but a well thought out answer can really help.
Know your CV
If something is on your CV be prepared to talk about it. Understand what you did and why you did it. Think about how you would explain your career and what you have done so far in a few sentences.
Competency based interview questions
Competency based questions can also be described as structured, behavioural, or situational questions. It is about understanding and applying your skills and experience; think about the structure of your answer, using relevant examples and clearly explaining the situation (e.g. when it took place, what you did and the outcome). You can draw on all your experience, inside or outside of work. The interviewers are keen to hear detail but remember to keep your answer relevant and concise.
Your interview style
Be yourself – we are looking forward to learning more about you and we hope you'll learn more about RPC.
Think about what you want from the interview
Preparing a few questions will help with this. You'll need to adapt the questions you ask depending on the interview. Your questions might relate to the team, the work, the role and learning and development. Perhaps you are keen to find out more about our culture and responsible business. Questions can be a great way to find out information, showcase your enthusiasm, experience and research. Quality over quantity is useful here.
What should I wear
At RPC we dress for our day, using professional judgement to dress appropriately. We embrace hair worn in all styles as well as religious and cultural dress. For an interview, we expect people to choose more traditional business wear although a suit is not required. If you have any questions about dress and/or hair styles at any stage of the recruitment process, please contact our recruitment team.
A few housekeeping tips
If you are attending an interview in person, ensure you know where you are going and leave plenty of time. If your interview is virtual, please ensure that you are somewhere quiet and that you have tested your connection ahead of the interview time. If there are any technical problems, either let your recruiter or the interviewer(s) know.
We hope this helps – our interviewers want to welcome you and for it to be a positive experience.
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