?  “Give an example of ..”

Competency-­based  questions  often  involve  you  demonstrating  these  key  attributes  so  really  think  about  the  answers  you  give  and  explain  your  examples  in  full.  Examples  should  have  a  clear  structure  to  highlight  your  skills  and  achievements  but  remember  to  answer  the  question  succinctly.  If  you  need  help  with  structure,  you  may  want  to  think  about  the  STAR  technique:

• Situation
• Task
• Actions
• Results

A  good  way  of  dealing  with  this  type  of  question  is  by  using  the  CAR  approach.  CAR  stands  for  Context,  Action,  Result.  It  helps  you  to  structure  your  answer  as  a  convincing  way.  The  CONTEXT  forms  an  introduction,  describing  the  scenario  you  faced,  date  and  place.  The  ACTION  forms  the  main  body  and  should  be  the  longest  part.  The  RESULT  is  the  conclusion,  and,  like  the  introduction,  should  be  quite  short.

Other  aspects  might  include:

• Try  to  give  quantifiable  results  if  possible.
• If  the  result  was  negative,  then  say  what  you  learned  from  the  experience,  and  what  you  would  do  differently  next  time.    Sometimes  interviewers  will  ask  you  about  a  situation  where  you  were  unsuccessful.  This  is  an  excellent  opportunity  to  demonstrate  how  well  you  learn  lessons  from  failure,  but  also  to  demonstrate  qualities  such  as  resilience  (to  bounce  back  and  try  again);  determination;  strength  of   character  (when  the  going  gets  tough,  the  tough  get  going!);  flexibility; initiative;  and   lateral  thinking.  There  is  a  saying  that  “The  most  successful  people  have  failed  the  most”   as  the  best  way  to  learn  is  via  your  mistakes.
• Don’t  go  into  too  much  background  detail  –  keep  to  the  point!  Often  there  isn’t   enough  room  to  use  the  CAR  approach,  but  it’s  still  worth  keeping  in  mind  when  you   prepare  your  draft  answer.   Think  of  the  most  relevant  examples,  rather  than  the  most  “impressive”.
• Use  action  verbs  to  improve  your  content.

?  Background

“[X]  has  minimum  academic  requirements,  so  before  completing  our  application  form  please  give   careful  consideration  to  the  following  questions:

Do  you  have  3  A  levels  at  grades  A,  B,  B  or  equivalent?  (N.B.  Taken  in  one  sitting  and  NOT  including  General  Studies.

Have  you  gained  or  are  you  realistically  expecting  to  gain  a  minimum  2.1  honours  degree  or  equivalent?

Have  you  previously  made  an  unsuccessful  application  to  []?”

?  Languages

Multiple  languages  can  be  added  by  selecting  the  language,  and  fluency  levels.

?  Education

Percentage  grades  are  now  required  for  undergraduate  and  postgraduate  subject  results.  You  are  required  to  ensure  that  your  institution  details  and  results  are  correct.  You  must  include  at  least  one  secondary  and  one  undergraduate  record  (including  all  results).  You  are  also  obliged  to  provide  a  complete  breakdown  of  all  your  grades  by  subject,  obtained    during  secondary  school  and  university.  Please  list  your  all  of  your  GCSEs  and  A’?  Levels  or  international  equivalent.

?   “How did you hear about us?”

Various  options  are  given.  See  also  the  section  on  “Firm  choice”  below.  

?  Referees

You  are  normally  required  to  enter  details  of  two  employers  at  least,  sometimes  one  academic  and  one  vocational.

? Other details

Excluding motor offences not resulting in a custodial sentence or disqualification from driving, have you ever had a criminal  conviction (including  any spent conviction which, by virtue of the Rehabilitation of Offenders (Exceptions) Order 1975, should  be disclosed)?

You  will  need  to  disclose  any  criminal  convictions  anyway  if  you  wish  to  gain  student  enrolment  with  the  Solicitors  Regulation  Authority  to  do  the  Legal  Practice  Course.

Do you have any disability for which you require  any assistance for during the selection process?

As  well  as  being  a  practical  point  such  that  “reasonable  adjustments”  can  be  made  for  any  assessments  you  do,  including  for  online  assessments,  the  law  firm  will  be  interested  in  issues  of  accessibility  for  the  place  in  which  you  have  your  interview/other  assessments,  or  any  necessary  adjustments  (e.g.  special  lighting,  ergonomic  chair)  consistent  with  the  Equality  Act  [2010].

?  Work experience

Please  set out details of your work experience. (Normally 4 + “others”)

Many  large  solicitors’  firms  run  formal  work  experience  schemes,  generally  known  as  vacation  placements.    As  well  as  shadowing  solicitors  and  completing  small,  discrete  tasks  there  may  well  be  presentations  about  the  firm  and  its  work  and  a  number  of  social  events.    Unsurprisingly,  vacation  placements  are  extremely  popular  –  it  can  be  harder  to  get  onto  one  than  to  get  a  training  contract.  Most  vacation  placements  will  have  fixed  closing  dates.  As  well  as  spending  time  with  a  solicitors’  firm,  other  good  forms  of  legal  experience  include  volunteering  at  a  Citizens  Advice  Bureau  or  law  centre.

? Detailed questions

? Activities, interests, positions of responsibility

Please  give brief details of your key non-academic extra-curricular hobbies, activities, leisure interests, highlighting any positions of responsibility whether at school, university or otherwise.

Describe  your biggest achievement and/or most demanding position of responsibility you have held to date; why did this achievement stand out for you, and what did you learn  from this?

This  question  is  trying  to  assess  how  you  manage  your  time.  What  have  you  been  or  are  you  doing  whilst  studying  at  university  or  Law  School?  If  you  are  involved  with  any  sporting  or  charity  work  tell  them  all  about  it  -­ be  specific.  Talk  about  what  you  have  done,  what  contribution  that  has  made  and  what  you  gained  from  your  involvement.  These  activities  provide  opportunities  to  develop  skills  that  will  be  useful  at  work  and  your  response  should  show  that  you  understand  this.  A  simple  list  of  things  that  look  good  is  less  important  than  offering  evidence  of  what  you’ve  gained  from  them.  If  possible,  show  how  your  interests  have  developed  your  skills,  for  example  in  teamwork,  business  awareness,  or  communication.    Try  to  show  results  in  terms  of  objectives  set  and  achieving  improvements.  These  sections  are  often  quite  tight,  so  some  say  it’s  permissible  to  provide  an  answer  in  note  form.

? Prizes

Please  provide details of any academic prizes, distinctions, skills, scholarships and any other noteworthy achievements. In the case of skills please specify level of proficiency.

Sometimes  the  question  will  specify  which  “level”  of  your  education  these  refer  to,  e.g.  school,  college  or  university.

? Firm specification

Please  explain  why you think you are well suited  to [], and have chosen  to apply to [] for a training  contract or vacation scheme placement? why you think you would  make a successful trainee?

[X] is a leading  UK law firm. How do you think we are distinct from other law firms?

All [X] trainee  solicitors are based in our [Y] office. Please give your reasons for choosing  to live in or around and train at the [Y] office.

Again  this  question  is  trying  to  determine  your  commitment  to  a  career  and  specifically  your  commitment  to  their  particular  law  firm.  Recruiters  look  for  motivation,  commitment  and  enthusiasm.  So,  why  have  you  chosen  them?  Is  it  because  you  have  spoken  to  trainees  and  like  the  sound  of  the  firm’?s  working  environment?  Have  you  researched  their  work  and  found  a  specific  case  /  area  interesting?  Do  you  have  relevant  industrial  experience?  Do  you  have  a  language  or  are  from  a  country  that  they  have  clients  /  offices  in?  Is  there  something  particular  about  their  training  that  appeals  to  you?  Show  that  you  have  done  your  research  about  the  firm  and  that  you  are  genuinely  interested  in  them.

Apparently most  law  students  do  extensive  research  in  fact  into  their  choice  of  firm.   It’s  also  worth  noting  that @AllAboutCareers  and @AllAboutLaw  are  very  helpful in this regard, as well as “The Training Contract Handbook”.

? Career motivation

 What qualities do you think you possess  to be a successful lawyer in location [X] with [Y]? Which areas of law interest you and why?

Please  explain  what attracts you to a career as a solicitor at an international business  law firm, with reference to other careers  that you might have considered and why you chose  not to pursue them.

This question tries to determine your commitment to a career in law: the thinking and research you have done about the profession and what you want from a career as a lawyer. Can you demonstrate enough commitment and interest in law to persuade the firm to invest money and time in you for the Graduate Diploma in Law, Legal Practice Course and/or training contract? This may seem an obvious question but do you really know why you want to be a solicitor or barrister – think hard about it, this may be asked at interview.

If you can produce a convincing answer to this question you’re one step ahead. Think about what first sparked your interest in law, or what you like most about it. Maybe being a solicitor was your childhood dream, or maybe it runs in the family. Whatever the case, you need to show that you are passionate about the law. With all the academic requirements and vocational training, becoming a solicitor is a long-term project. To be offered a law training contract you need to show that you have the passion and the drive to see it through to the end.

Be specific in your reasons for choosing a legal career. Have you had any relevant work experience that has helped you to see first hand what a lawyer actually does? Have you had any personal experience of the work of a lawyer – perhaps through family or friends? Even if you have done pro bono in a law centre or a CAB, has this experience been useful in you understanding generic skills such as teamwork, communication or meeting deadlines? Has your law course or degree furthered your interest and commitment to law? Have you developed a substantial interest in access-to-justice? Have you had any relevant experience that has developed skills that would be easily transferable to a career as a lawyer?

The work of solicitors is more varied than you might think. There are a number of different settings in which solicitors work, for example commercial, private or in-house practice. You should be aware of the differences between the various settings, but if you’re not, do some research. Find out about the kind of role you might find yourself in if you were to go for commercial practice, for example. Is this what you hoped for when you embarked upon your law studies? If not, look into the other options. Being aware of your preferences is vital when choosing a firm with whom you want to carry out your training. Not only will it make what you learn more worthwhile, but you will find it easier to choose a firm. The firm will also find it easier to choose you.

For most training contract applicants, the choice boils down to the simple question: “Do I work in London, or do I work for a local regional firm? This is something of a personal choice, with implications that will affect your quality of life and your career. The largest firms are based in London and the legal market which circles the capital’s financial services industry is one of the most lucrative in the world. This translates into higher average pay packets for London solicitors. Aside from the careers benefits to choosing London, trainees can enjoy all the social and cultural activities that the cosmopolitan city has to offer. However, the cost of living is higher in London and you will have to content with the traffic and rush hour crushes on the tube. Working hours are often longer at London firms and you may find a more attractive work-life balance at firms outside of the capital. The choice, as always, is yours.

? Commercial awareness

Identify a current  commercial article that you read  or a recent  event  from the business  world which has attracted your attention recently.  Why do you consider  it to be significant? Who are the key stakeholders in this situation and what are the implications for those concerned?

Business  acumen and commercial awareness are important elements to becoming a successful solicitor. Please outline, in your opinion, why you think this would  be important and tell us about a time  when  you’ve demonstrated your abilities in this area. What was the occasion and what impact did possessing this awareness have over the final outcome?

Choose  a sector group of the firm and summarise the biggest challenges and opportunities they will face in the future.

Commercial  awareness  is  something  that  firms  almost  without  exception  mention  as  a  desirable  quality.  Commercial  awareness  is  generally  defined  as  a  candidate’?s  general  knowledge  of  business.  It  can  be  summed  up  as  an  interest  in  business  and  an  understanding  of  the  wider  environment  in  which  an  organisation  operates:  its  customers  and  competitors.  For  corporates,  this  is  about  establishing  “competitive  advantage”,  and  it’s  often  interesting  to  work  out  how  companies  enter  new  markets  (especially  the  BRIC  emerging  economies),  and  what  barriers  there  might  be  for  companies  competing  effectively  in  critical  markets.

Commercial  awareness  generally  means  an  understanding  of  a  client’?s  business  and  the  industry  or  sector  in  which  it  operates.  It  is  a  key  competency  for  applicants.  It  involves  not  only  keeping  up  to  date  with  commercial  issues  and  it  is  also  about  being  able  to  demonstrate  commercial  awareness  through  any  business/work  experience  and,  specifically,  the  applicant’s  understanding  of  the  type  of  firm  to  which  they  are  applying.  Clients  seek  business  solutions,  presented  in  a  way  that  makes  sense.  An  understanding  that  a  law  firm  operates  in  a  competitive  industry  is  also  considered  as  being  commercially  aware.

As  a  result  you  may  be  expected  to  demonstrate  an  understanding  as  to  how  the  firm  or  chambers  markets  itself  to  its  clients.  To  know  who  the  firm’s  main  competitors  are.  To  explain  how  you  would  attract  a  potential  client  by  explaining   the  unique  selling  points  of  the  firm  (USPs).  For  example,  if  you’re  applying  to  a  foreign  firm,  it’s  not  inconceivable  you  could  be  asked  who  the  major  players  are  in  that  particular  market  (e.g.  the  US  market).  In  addition  to  this  you  will  be  expected  to  know  about  the  practice  areas  in  which  the  firm  or  chambers   operate  and  to  be  aware  of  key  changes  in  legislation  and  the  economic  market  which  may  affect   the  way  in  which  they  operate.

Have  you  done  a  LL.M.  in  international  commercial  law  where  you  might  have  gained  important  experience  in  drafting  or  case  analysis  in  this  particular  field  of  law?  Have  you  even  done  a  M.B.A.  where  you  have  studied  business  management  in  great  detail?  You  could  also  think  about  participating  in  any  student  societies  where  you  are  doing  the  GDL  or  LPC  –  these  are  very  active  the  vast  majority  of  “learning  providers”.

Mention  any  business/commercial  experience  you  have  had,  including  non-­legal  work  and/or   roles  which  involve  dealing  with  clients  or  members  of  the  public.  Have  you  ever  been  a   Director  of  a  private  limited  company  yourself?  This  can  highlight  your  awareness  of  customer   needs  and  expectations.  Were  you  ever  given  the  task  of  improving  a  current  service  or  product?  Did  you  add  value  to  it?  If  so,  how  did  you  go  about  it,  what  factors  did  you  have  to  take  into  consideration?  Are  you  able  to  identify  the  long  term  and  short  term  goals  of  an  organisation  or   a  project?

Thinking  in  terms  of  a  SWOT  (the  strengths,  weaknesses,  opportunities  and  threats)   analysis  of  the  firm  or  legal  sector  can  be  helpful.

Did  you  have  a  key  role  in  any  society  committees  at  school  or  university?  Were  you  given  a  financial  role?  Any  of  these  can  be  good  indicators  that  you  have  had  to  think  about  different  perspectives  in  the  market  place.

Have  you  ever  raised  money  for  a  charity,  secured  sponsorship  for  an  event?  What  process  did  you  go  through   to  secure  the  funds?    Read  the  business  press  regularly.  Try  to  know  something  about  current  leading  stories/issues,  and  how  they  might  have  an  impact  on  the  firm’s  clients.  Look  out  for  stories  that  will  affect  the  firm  to  which  you  are  applying,  or  its  clients,  directly  or  indirectly.

Look  at  the  BBC  news  and  business  website.  Read  also  publications  like  the  Financial  Times,  the  Economist,  and  The  Lawyer.  There  are  business  related  programmes  on  BBC  Radio  which  are  also  available  to  listen  again  on-­??line  and  as  podcasts  such  as:

The  Bottom  Line  (with  @EvanHD)  http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/bottomline    “Insight  into  business  from  the  people  at  the  top.  Evan  Davis  meets  influential  business  leaders  for  a  round  table  conversation  about  the  issues  that  matter  to  their  companies  and  their  customers.”

? Proactivity

 Describe  an occasion when  you spotted an opportunity to make an improvement in ‘going the extra mile’, and took action without being asked  to do so. What steps did you take? What was the outcome? Explain why you think this attribute is relevant for a solicitor.

This  question  is  testing  your  problem  solving  ability.  Detail  what  the  issue  was,  why  it  was  difficult  and  then  what  you  did  to  resolve  it.  If  you  are  talking  about  a  group  activity,  do  not  put   ‘?we‘?  -­  they  are  interested  in  what  you  did.  As  with  all  your  answers  use  this  question  to   differentiate  yourself  i.e.  make  it  personal  and  substantiate  what  you  say  with  specific  examples.

Aspects  of  a  good  answer  might  be  as  follows.

• Use  initiative  to  act  on  opportunities.  Become  a  leader  before  other  people  view  you  as  one.  Healthy  organisations  often  reward  those  who  take  the  lead,  not  just  those  with  formal  management  roles.
• Take  responsibility  for  own  objectives:  set  priorities.  Display  a  “?can  do“?  attitude  even  in  demanding  situations.  Try  to  solve  problems,  rather  than  to  pass  them  on  to  other  people.
• ?Go  the  extra  mile?  when  asked  to  do  tasks.  Go  beyond  your  job  description.  Do  work  that  gets  you  noticed.  Show  enthusiasm:  this  will  be  noticed  and  you  will  eventually  be  rewarded.
• Take  ownership  of  problems:  anticipate  potential  problems,  take  pre-­emptive  action  and   act  quickly  to  resolve  problems.  Develop  innovative  practices.  Value  innovative  thinking.
• Learn  new  skills  that  will  enhance  capability.

? Flexibility  

Describe  a time that you have had to change your approach to a project or task halfway through. What changes did you have to make? Why did you need to make these changes? What was the outcome?

This  means  that  you  are  able  to  modify  your  approach  to  achieve  a  goal,  and  you  are  open  to  change  and  new  information;  you  can  rapidly  adapt  to  new  information,  changing  conditions,  or  unexpected  obstacles.  Legal  recuiters  are  often  looking  for  the  following  aspects.

1.  Values  need  for  flexibility:  

• Accepts  that  other  people’s  points  of  view  are  reasonable  or  valid.
• Acknowledges  that  people  are  entitled  to  their  opinions,  and  accepts  that  they  are   different.
• Steps  into  colleagues’  tasks  when  needed  or  required.

2.  Demonstrates  flexibility:  

• Works  creatively  within  standard  procedures  to  fit  a  specific  situation.
• Understands  policies  and  can  work  within  them  to  meet  office,  work  group,  team  or   individual  goals.

3.  Adapts  approach:  

• Changes  one’s  approach  as  required  to  achieve  intended  outcomes.
• Prioritises  actions  effectively  in  order  to  respond  to  numerous,  diverse  challenges  and   demands.

4.  Adapts  strategy:  

• Changes  the  overall  service  plan  and  implements  new  practices  when  original  approach   and  assumptions  are  no  longer  valid.
• Able  to  shift  strategic  focus  and  activities  quickly  in  response  to  changing  organisational  priorities.

? Teamwork

Teamwork  is  considered  crucial  to  functioning  well  as  a  trainee/junior  in  a  corporate  law  firm.  

Please  give an example of a situation where  you were required to work in a team to accomplish an important objective and describe your role in achieving  this objective.

A  law  student  who  is  good  at  teamwork  might:

• Believe  that  working  together  with  others  or  in  teams  gives  higher  synergies  to  self  and   the  teams,  and  therefore  is  positive  and  enthusiastic  about  teamwork  and  team  building.
• Contributes  significantly  when  working  as  a  member  of  a  team  or  when  working  as  a  team  leader  to  build  a  strong  team;  respects  all  the  members  of  the  team  and  cooperates  with  every  team  member  and  the  team  leader.
• Provides  help  and  support  to  those  team  members  who  are  in  need  of  help  and  support,  and  shares  relevant  knowledge  and  information  with  all  the  team  members  including  the   team  leader.
• Maintains  the  required  level  of  communication  in  terms  of  quality,  quantity  and   timeliness  with  the  team  members  and  the  team  leader.
• When  working  as  a  team  leader,  facilitates  developing  team  goals  with  team  members’  participation.
• Motivates  the  team  members  while  working  as  a  leader  of  the  team  or  even  when  working  as  a  member  of  the  team,  building  up  high  team  morale;  creates  a  sense  or  feeling  of  cohesiveness  among  the  fellow  members.
• Is  good  at  resolving  the  conflicts  that  might  arise  due  to  diverse  personalities  of  various   team  members.
• When  the  members  seem  to  err  from  the  shared  mission,  goals  and  priorities,  brings  them   back  on  the  desired  focus.
• Seeks  for  each  and  every  member’?s  active  and  enthusiastic  participation  all  the  time  and  accordingly  motivates  the  members  who  seem  to  be  getting  disinterested  or  tuned  out  from  time  to  time.
• Makes  every  member  feel  that  each  one’?s  work  or  contribution  is  equally  important.
• Shares  credit  for  success  of  team  with  all  the  others  in  the  team.
• Celebrates  the  team’?s  success  together  with  all  the  others  in  the  team.
• Makes  sure  that  the  various  teams  do  not  become  islands  in  themselves  and  form   unnecessary  boundaries  around  them.

? Defining qualities of the candidate

 What can you tell us about yourself that sets you apart from other applicants, and which are convincing reasons why we should  recruit you?

In  a  sense,  your  answer  to  this  question  is  to  some  extent  governed  by  your  personal  qualities  not  covered  elsewhere  in  the  form.  Here  are  some  further  competences  which  might  be  relevant  here.

Integrity

A  trainee  will  be  expected  to  upholds  the  principles  of  the  current  SRA  Code  of  Conduct. Some   aspects  might  include:

•  Holds  to  a  laudable  value  structure  all  the  time  and  in  all  the  situations.
• Practices  integrity  while  dealing  with  everyone  and  therefore  is  regarded  as  trustworthy   person.
• Does  not  turn  and  twist  the  information  to  gain  something  or  to  score  a  point  in  an   underhand  manner.
• Uses  confidential  information  confidentially.  Does  not  divulge  the  confidential  information   even  under  any pressure.
• Does  not  indulge  in  any  kind  of  corruption  or  corrupt  practices.
• Motivates  others  to  practice  integrity  by  being  an  example  to  others.

Leadership

Some  aspects  might  include:

•  Can  envision  the  advancement  and  growth  opportunities.
• Possesses  abilities  for  high  degree  of  conceptualization,  strategising  and  analysis.
• Demonstrates  high  achievement  orientation.  Therefore,  emphasises  commitment, accountability,  action  orientation  and  results.
• Adept  at  interpersonal  relationships  and  puts  emotional  intelligence  in  action.
• Excellent  communicator.
• Uses  his  excellent  influencing  skills  for  bringing  out  the  desired  consensus,  decisions  and   actions.
•  Very  good  at  decision  making  processes  and  once  decisions  are  reached,  displays  firmness  and  decisiveness  in  implementation.
• Displays  required  flexibility  and  adaptability  in  different  situations  and  times.
• Is  great  team  builder  and  team  player.  Provides  necessary  support  and  cooperativeness.
• Possesses  high  commercial  awareness  and  business  acumen.
• Develops  many  next  line  leaders.

? Communication skills

 All solicitors at [X] work with a wide range  of people so need to be able  to persuade, influence and display effective communication skills. Describe  a situation when  you have had to communicate effectively.

You  should  think  of  various  forms  of  effective  communications,  e.g.  oral  presentations,  written  papers,  written  papers,  drafting,  interviewing  or  advising  (on  the  LPC),  practical  legal  research  (on  the  LPC),  blogging,  participating  in  podcasts,  and  how  you  have  adapted  your  method  of  communication  according  to  the  target  audience.  Your  answer  is  bound  to  be  more  compelling  if  you  can  give  concrete  examples.  Some  related  specific  competences  are  given  as  below.

Persuasion

One  scenario  where  persuading  skills  can  be  important  is  the  job  interview,  but  the  following  tips   are  valuable  in  many  other  settings.

• Focus  on  the  needs  of  the  other  party.  Take  time  to  listen  to  them  carefully  and  find  out  about  their  interests  and  expectations.  This  shows  that  you  are  really  interested  in  them  and  they  are  then  more  likely  to  trust  and  respect  you.  It  will  also  make  it  easier  for  you  to  outline  the  benefits  of  your  proposal  in  terms  they  understand.
• Argue  your  case  with  logic.  Do  careful  research  on  your  ideas  and  those  of  your   competitors  (if  there  are  any)  and  make  sure  that  any  claims  you  make  can  be  verified.
• Use  positive  rather  than  negative  language:  instead  of  saying  “?You’?re  wrong  about  this”?,   say  “?That’?s  true  but  ….”?,  “?That’?s  an  excellent  idea,  but  if  we  look  more  deeply  …..”?  or  “?I   agree  with  what  you  say  but  have  you  considered  ….”?.  

Listening

Some  aspects  might  include:

• Believes  that  listening  strengthens  the  quality  of  communication,  interpersonal  relations,   human  relations,  emotional  intelligence,  conflict  management  and  team  management.
• Every  interaction  requires  one  to  respond  and  since  the  quality  of  response  depends  on   the  quality  of  listening,  tries  to  improve  quality  of  his  listening  constantly.
• Thus,  listens  to  understand  the  other  person  and  not  just  to  react,  reply,  control  or  manipulate  the  other  person.  By  understanding  the  other  person  properly,  can  respond  or  act  in  the  best  possible  manner.
• Generally  respects  other  people  and  demonstrates  openness  and  trust  through  his  body   language  and  spoken  words.
• Then,  paves  way  to  influencing  the  people  in  right  directions  by  diagnosing  the  issues  and   concerns  of  others  in  a  better  way  for  effective  problem  solving.
• Promotes  a  more  participative  style  of  managing  by  involving  people.

? Conflict and pressure

The success  of [X] is built on the self-motivation and applied  effort of all its employees, as demonstrated by their ability to work through setbacks coping effectively with conflict and pressure.  Describe  a situation when  you have had to deal  with conflict and pressure. Which other people involved?  What did you learn about yourself?

Some  aspects  might  include  the  observations  that  the  law  student:

• Recognises  the  fact  that  conflicts  are  quite  natural  in  any  organization  and  yet  these  need  appropriate  redressing  to  move  on  with  apt  solutions,  thereforeis  willing  to  take  up  the  responsibility  of  managing  and  resolving  the  conflict.
• Can  think  through  clearly  in  a  conflicting  situation.
• Keeps  his  eyes  constantly  on  the  desired  goals  and  therefore,  does  not  drift  away  from  them  despite  conflicting  arguments  and  points  of  views.
• Listens  well  and  patiently  all  the  conflicting  arguments  and  presentations.
•  Controls  the  people  and  their  communication  patterns  in  the  discussions  that  takes  place   when  resolving  a  conflict.
• Facilitates  the  innovative  and  creative  thinking  of  the  people  caught  up  in  the  conflict.
• Does  not  take  sides  of  any  particular  set  of  people  or  their  thinking.  Rather,  tries  to   facilitate  working  out  genuinely  appropriate  and  optimal  solutions.
• Contributes  his  own  inputs,  ideas,  creativity  and  analysis  to  supplement  the  missing  or  erroneous  information  and  thus  uncover  the  real  issues  and  reasons  that  led  to  the  conflict.  Then  proceeds  to  help  find  the  answers.
• Gains  agreements  without  leaving  behind  any  bitter  taste  or  disrupting  the  human   relationships.
• Is  proactive  and  as  far  as  possible  anticipates  the  conflicting  situations  and  dissolves  them   well  before  they  turn  into  conflicts.

? Commitment to excellence

Describe  an occasion when  you have demonstrated commitment to a task or project  that resulted in you exceeding expectations either for yourself  or others. What steps did you take? What was the outcome?

You  will  be  able  to  achieve  the  excellence  in  any  skill  or  competency  only  if  you  rehearse  or  practice  the  learned  skill  a  large  number  of  times.  Knowledge  alone  is  no  guarantee  for  achieving  great  levels  in  skills  or  competencies.  For  example,  only  if  you  start  swimming,  you  will  become  a  swimmer;  mere  knowledge  of  swimming  or  great  theories  of  swimming  will  not  automatically  make  you  even  an  ordinary  swimmer.  Knowledge  surely  helps  and  is  a  must  but  without  doing,  it  is  of  no  use  to  you.  Implementation  of  knowledge  is  the  name  of  the  game.  Wisdom  is  in  knowing  what  to  do  and  how  to  do  but  the  virtue  is  doing  it.

It’s  said  that  you  should  become  both  consciously  and  unconsciously  competent  in  your  strive  for  excellence.  Consciously  competent  means  gaining  the  knowledge  about  the  skill  to  be  mastered  and  begin  practicing  the  knowledge  gained  (example:  gaining  knowledge  on  how  to  swim  using  proper  styles  of  swimming  and  start  swimming  using  the  right  styles  of  swimming).  On  the  other  hand,  unconsciously  competent  means  keep  practicing  the  knowledge  gained  till  you  gain   mastery  in  the  skill  (example:  you  have  now  become  an  expert  swimmer  since  you  have  been   swimming  using  the  proper  styles  of  swimming  over  number  of  hours  and  you  can  now  give  yourself  9  on  10  or  even  10  on  10).  For  greater  success  in  life,  you  should  try  to  reach  the  unconsciously  competent  level  in  the  skills  required  by  you  for  your  professional,  personal,  family  and  social  activities/tasks/projects.

? Personal challenge

Describe  a significant challenge that you have faced  outside of your academic studies ideally from the last 2 years. How did you initially analyse the challenge? What approach did you take to solving it? What did you learn from this challenge?

• Successful  answers  to  these  sorts  of  questions  need  to  be  as  concrete  as  possible.  Supply  specific  detail  on  the  situation,  the  actions  taken  and  the  results  achieved.  Figures  can  be  particularly  useful  in  this  context.
•  Your  example  need  not  be  very “significant”.  Go  for  something  you  genuinely  believe  to  be  a  real   achievement  rather  than  give  them  something  you  think  they  want  to  hear  -­ it’ll  be  more  convincing.  The  important  thing  is  to  set  it  in  context.  Explain  why  it  was  significant  to  you  -­ if  you’re  unsporty,  uncoordinated  and  broke  your  leg  six  months  previously,  learning  to  stay  upright  while  sliding  a  few  hundred  metres  downhill  may  well  have  been  a  major  achievement.    
• A  useful  device  is  the  Trojan  horse  technique,  which  allows  you  to  smuggle  in  other   examples  as  in  “  I  considered  selecting  one  of  several  achievements,  including  x  and  y.  However  I   have  chosen  z  because…....”    

Aspects  of  a  convincing  answer  might  include  the  following.

1.  Recognises  Lack  of  Success:

Acknowledges  areas  where  expectations  are  not  met,  and  provides  reasons  which  may  or  may  not   involve  self.

2.  Remains  Positive:

Re-­energises  after  loss  or  failure  or  after  encountering  a  significant  hurdle  to  readdress  the  situation  and  to  overcome  it;  approaches  new  situations  with  continuing  positive  outlook,  despite  previous  disappointments.

3.  Takes  Responsibility:

Acknowledges  personal  responsibility  for  outcomes,  even  when  not  all  elements  of  a  situation  are   within  direct  control  but  could  have  been  personally  managed.

4.  Learns  from  Mistakes  and  Successes:

Analyses  situations  on  an  ongoing  basis  to  improve  own  performance;  designs  a  personal  action   plan  to  address  own  issues  constructively  and  decisively.

5.  Shares  Learning  with  Team: