How to Stand Out in Interviews After Your Master of Laws in International Dispute Resolution

Leveraging your LLM degree in interviews can help you catch the attention of employers

As a qualified legal professional, you already have ample experience overcoming challenges to meet your goals, whether they are academic qualifications, professional exams, or landing coveted jobs. This means that you know the importance of being well-prepared for moments that are critical to your career.

For many, job interviews are often one of the most challenging hurdles to overcome in order to reach their goals. When you are so close to achieving your next career move, you want to be sure that you are not undermining your efforts with simple mistakes. Instead, you want to stand out from the crowd and use an interview to demonstrate the strength of your candidacy. Read on to learn more about a few ways that you can excel in interviews after your LLM in International Dispute Resolution.

Do Your Research About the Interviewing Firm After Your LLM Degree

While you, as the candidate, are the main subject of any interview, it is crucial that you do careful research on the organisation – and, if possible, the individual – you are interviewing for. This will help you provide more well-rounded and informative answers to basic interview questions.

For instance, you are likely to be asked why you are interested in the position. If your answer is generic and revolves entirely around your own professional goals and experience, it may give the impression that you are looking for any job. Instead, you can tailor your answer to the employer’s needs and strengths. For example, if you are interviewing at a firm that specialises in investment treaty arbitration, you could mention how you chose your LLM degree specifically to develop expertise in this area, and that you wish to continue to do so in your work. 

Showing that you have researched the interviewing organisation can make you a stronger candidate

Emphasise Your Master’s Degree in Law When Narrating Your Career Trajectory

One of the most important things you can do to prepare for a successful job interview is to develop a coherent and compelling narrative of your career thus far, and where you want it to go. A narrative is essentially your story – how you explain the professional and educational choices you have made so far, and how the role for which you are interviewing fits with them.

This gives you the opportunity to highlight your strengths and contextualise any weaknesses you have as a candidate. Discussing your Master of Laws in International Dispute resolution can help you contextualise your change in specialties, and demonstrate that you are seriously invested in your chosen career path.

A compelling career narrative can help interviewers understand your choices, progress, and goals

Ask Specific and Relevant Questions to Demonstrate Knowledge and Enthusiasm

Finally, remember that an interview is a two-way street. While your interviewer will be asking most of the questions, it is nonetheless important that you have a few questions about the organisation, the job, or the industry it relates to prepared in advance. This is important for two reasons. First, it provides further evidence to the interviewer that you are well-prepared, and have given the employer and the position a lot of thought.

Second, it is an opportunity for you to demonstrate that you are knowledgeable about the industry and practices relevant to the position by asking targeted questions – knowing what to ask can be just as revealing as having good answers to questions. By drawing on the knowledge you will have developed in your LLM degree, you will be able to demonstrate a level of preparedness, focus, and insight that is sure to impress potential employers as you search for the perfect opportunity.

Do you want more information on how to propel your career after a Master’s Degree in Law?

Contact Queen Mary University of London Online to learn how our course helps students reach their professional goals.