THE LAW SOCIETY OF NSW and COX PURTELL - Interview Guide - Top 5 Interview Tips

Sep 25, 2026

Uploaded by Angel

Interview guide for students and early career lawyers from The Law Society of NSW and Cox Purtell. Covers top interview tips: review your CV, plan travel, arrive at least five minutes early, research the organisation via its website and professional platforms, and discuss company fit with your consultant. Provides guidance on quantifiable achievements, professional body language, and how to ask thoughtful questions. Also includes a behavioural interview section using the STAR technique and example question categories with sample prompts.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

Top 5 Interview Tips

Prepare

Research

Achievements

Body Language

Ask Questions

Top 8 Interviewee Questions

Behavioural Techniques

What is a behavioural interview?

Use the STAR technique

Examples of behavioural interview questions

LS4023 THE LAW SOCIETY OF NSW and COX PURTELL CAREERS RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS AND EARLY CAREER LAWYERS Interview Guide /lawsocietyofnsw /lawsocietynsw /company/law-society-of-nsw /lawsocietynsw LS4023 TOP 5 INTERVIEW TIPS Prepare -Read your CV and know it front to back -Look up location of your interview and plan your trip -Ensure you are at least 5 minutes early Research -Understand the company you're interviewing for -Look at their company website, blog, LI, Facebook, Glassdoor -Ask your recruitment consultant about the company! Achievements -Have examples of quantifiable achievements from your previous roles -Eg, Implemented [x ] policy, which led to a profit margin increase of [x ] percent. Body Language -Non verbal communication is just as important as verbal -Stand upright, shoulders back, arms unfolded, and make regular eye contact Ask Questions - If you're seriously considering the role, you should be asking questions that reflect that interest -Think: company culture, challenges, training, development etc. Level 1, 3 Spring Street, Sydney [careers@coxpurtell.com.au 02](careers@coxpurtell.com.au 02) 9220 3400 COXPURTELL. COM.AU [LinkedIn. com/company/Cox Purtell](LinkedIn. com/company/Cox Purtell) instagram . com/Cox Purtell facebook. com/Cox Purtell twitter . com/Cox Purtell LS4023 TOP 8 INTERVIEWEE QUESTIONS What's the history of this position? What about this position is most important? How does it support management and serve direct reports? What are the day to day responsibilities of this position? What is the most challenging part of this position? How would you measure my success, and what could I do to exceed expectations? How is the feedback process structured? What opportunities are there for learning and growth? Is there anything I have said that makes you doubt I would be a good fit for this position? [LinkedIn. com/company/Cox Purtell](LinkedIn. com/company/Cox Purtell) instagram . com/Cox Purtell facebook. com/Cox Purtell twitter . com/Cox Purtell BEHAVIOURAL TECHNIQUES What is a behavioural interview? A behavioural interview is a structured interview that is used to collect information about past behaviour. Past performance can be used as a predictor of future behaviour, and a behavioural interview attempts to uncover your past performance by asking open-ended questions. Each question helps the interviewer learn about your past performance in a keyskill area that is critical to success in the position for which you are interviewing. Use the STAR technique: The STAR technique is a useful way to frame the answers to each question in an organised manner, which will give the interview the most information about your past experience. As you prepare to answer each question, consider organising your response by answering each of the following components of the STAR technique: Situation or Task Action Taken Results Achieved Describe the situation you were in or the task you needed to complete Describe specific events or situations, not a generalised description Be sure to give enough detail for the interviewer to understand The situation can be f rom a previous job, volunteer experience, or any relevant event Describe the action you took and be sure to keep the focus on you Even when discussing a group project or effort, describe what YOU did, not the efforts of the team Don’t tell them what you might do, tell them what you’ve already done What happened? How did the event end? What did you accomplish? What did you learn? Level 1, 3 Spring Street, Sydney [careers@coxpurtell.com.au 02](careers@coxpurtell.com.au 02) 9220 3400 COXPURTELL. COM.AU [LinkedIn. com/company/Cox Purtell](LinkedIn. com/company/Cox Purtell) instagram . com/Cox Purtell facebook. com/Cox Purtell twitter . com/Cox Purtell LS4023 BEHAVIOURAL TECHNIQUES Examples of behavioural interview questions: Co

FAQs

What should you do before attending the interview according to the guide?

Read your CV front to back, look up the interview location and plan your trip, and aim to be at least five minutes early.

How should you prepare your interview answers using achievements?

Bring examples of quantifiable achievements, such as a prior policy implementation that led to an increase in profit margin by a measurable percentage.

What is the STAR technique and how do you use it in behavioural interviews?

The STAR technique frames answers about past performance using Situation or Task, Action Taken, and Results Achieved. Organise your response with specific events, focus on what you personally did, and describe what happened, what you accomplished, and what you learned.

Sep 25, 2026

Uploaded by Angel