Body Language and Demeanor

You can give the best, the most correct, and the most prepared answers to the interviewer's questions. But you will still sound bland and boring if you do not interject personality into your answers.

During her clerkship interview, Karen impressed the judge with her professional attire, her confident demeanor, and her resume. Sadly, Karen lacked the ability to tell a coherent story. Every time the judge asked her a question, Karen found a way to give short answers, often stopping with a yes or no, and sometimes even using inappropriate informal tone by answering with a “yeah.” Despite Karen's stellar credentials, the judge did not extend her an offer because Karen's short and unprofessional answers made it difficult for the judge to relate to her on a personal level.

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Be a storyteller during your interviews, and your interviewers will listen with great interest. If you can, accompany certain answers with examples. For example, if your interviewer asks you about your clerkship, tell him or her how your judge loved to put his feet up while talking to you about the law, and how much you had learned on those occasions. If your interviewer asks you about your previous job experience, mention the time you received a call from a very important client and had to handle an urgent matter by yourself while the partner was out of reach. The stories you tell will convey a much better picture of what you have learned, who you are, and why you should get the job. They will engage your interviewer in a way straightforward answers cannot.