Interviewing and Advising Mock

I did say I would do a teeny post after the mock so here it is. 

If you have been keeping up with my blogs you will not be surprised to learn that I was just a tad nervous about today. 

On the day of the exam you get to receive your "instructions" as a trainee up to 35 minutes before the start of your interview. You can then use your materials to prepare some questions/law that you think might be relevant. I turned up in my lovely new suit (courtesy of Barclaycard...woops) but was so busy faffing about and getting flustered that I lost 5 of those precious 35 minutes prep time. No matter, there really isn't a lot you can do with the minimal information you are provided: client name and details, one or two lines on why they are visiting, conduct issues (none in my case), your fees and supervisor name. So I busied myself with finding the most relevant of my 3 prep sheets, 1 of which can be taken in, ("leaving a partnership" in my case) and then tailoring it as much as I could to suit what I knew about my client. 

I got to the room on time and was relieved to find that the assessment is conducted by just one person, who also acts as your client. 

The assessor leaves the room and tells you to come and get your "client" when you are ready. I was pretty nervous so treated it like a band-aid and got straight into it. I have heard that a few lingered to review notes but I can only imagine this increases the nerves.

I managed to remember to shake her hand, introduce myself, invite her in and SIT DOWN LAST! I also remembered the pesky small talk. However, after this well rehearsed routine (I practised it over and over in the days leading up) I suddenly had an extremely dry mouth and blank mind... 

... A quick glance at my prep sheet allowed me to ask an incredibly wide open question and gain 30 seconds of client talking time to compose myself. 

The rest went swimmingly, and you'll be pleased to hear I was found to be Competent. I am also proud to say that my section on Law/Advice received the top grade of "Good" throughout. I did, however, receive a few "Poor" grades - I didn't tell the client I was a trainee, I forgot to show the client out properly (opening and closing the door for them), and  I didn't adequately outline the costs of the interview. I received a grade of "Fair" on a few other things. The great thing about this assessment is that you receive your feedback immediately after and get a good 15 minutes to discuss your performance with the assessor, a great opportunity to iron out any issues and get some honest critique on your interviewing style. 

My interview lasted 16 minutes and I spent 10 minutes completing my notes sheet (which is also included in the assessment marks). We were advised in the workshops that anything below a 15 minute interview probably means you have missed some vital information so I was just within this section. After 30 minutes you must stop interviewing/writing.

Overall, most of my friends managed to pass the assessment with only 2 not achieving a Competent grade. Not too bad. 

Now for a celebratory cup of tea and a chocolate biscuit. And to ponder whether I will ever get the guts to watch the recording of the assessment... What a wild life I do lead!