Ready for Your Close-Up?

Yes, interviews, the face-to-face time that probably concludes the days or weeks of informal e-mailing or phone calls with the possible boss. My interview here was actually after months, but hopefully that is a rarity (unless you're going for sensitive clearance, then get ready for a very, very long process with a minimum of maybe 6 months). After interviewing for the other positions, I learned a lot coming into the Justice Department, but every one is unique.

1) Dress! Obvious one, I went for nice pants and a blouse. Don't go to either extreme- full tux or jeans and sneakers leave at the door.

2) Prompt- I came about 15 minutes early, but in actuality I had to wait in front of the security gates while they called my boss, so it was right on time.

3) Comfort-While I was waiting the secretary asked me if I needed anything, and I went for water, which according to my Internship Professor was a good choice. A flat-out refusal is a little standoffish and off on the wrong foot.

4) Even if you've discussed some questions and answers already prior to the interview, this is the best chance to reiterate. Instead of saying things like "Well, like I said before" as if the interviewer had forgotten, I said things such as "My past experiences had taught me ...", etc.

5) I asked a few questions while we were walking visiting where I would work- I hope it showed I was definitely interested and wanted to learn more.


This week was a lot of fun- we started putting together a monthly report of all the cases that came through for our office. This is much more substantive since we have to discuss the case and what it means for appealing. And I found out in one of my classes all the cases we're going to be working on this semester are all cases attorneys in my office worked on, so I will definitely be asking them about their experiences!