Graduate Interview Preparation

Having recently left university with little experience outside of academia, the prospect of job searching and interviews, in what is being described as one of the toughest times for young people to do so, filled me with dread. Having got myself a telephone interview with one of the big four audit firms, I went to Peter to pre-emptively show me where I was likely to go wrong.In just one day he was able to tear down my hesitant, textbook approach to answering questions and really help build and convey the unique character and skills I should be emphasising, while highlighting the less desirable aspects of my responses.Now, having gone through all the phases of the graduate programme application, I have been told I have a position within the company. That was the first job interview I have ever attended. Not a bad hit rate, and I have no doubt that it is predominantly down to Peter.

Any graduate trying to secure a training contract with the top city law firms will know the competition is tougher than ever The number of applicants has soared even as contracts have become scarce. It’s not uncommon for a firm to interview 250 applicants for 50 places. For my top-choice firm I knew I had to do something special. In the week prior to I-day, Peter gave me two telephone interviews. The first took me to pieces: it showed me all the gaps in my knowledge and the inadequacies in what I’d genuinely thought was my in-depth interview preparation. I had to go away and do some serious work. By the end of the second interview I felt like I could handle whatever trick questions a panel of partners could throw at me. I knew what I wanted to say, what was special about me and how to get that across. The confidence he gave me was invaluable. The firm offered me full sponsorship and a contract within a week.

Having to face roughly 4000 other applicants from all over Europe for 370 places, I knew that my 2.1 in International Relations from Royal Holloway was not sufficient to beat the competition and that I had to go the extra mile. For this reason, I contacted Peter, who used his experience to help me draft my CV, my personal statement and to refine my interview skills. When I finally got the letter confirming my place at the College, I knew that Peter’s professional touch on my application and his impact on my interview skills had been fundamental to my success. I truly cannot thank him enough and I would strongly recommend anyone in my position to take full advantage of his interview preparation services.

After recently graduating from a Russell group university I knew what direction I wanted to go in but was uncertain how to get there. I had got the experience but didn’t know how to present this. Peter completely re-worked my CV and covering letter into a far more concise format that targeted exactly what employers wanted. In addition Peter prepared me for interviews and gave me a huge amount more confidence for when I found myself in that situation. Within only a few weeks I had secured the summer internship and graduate job that I wanted. Overall I cannot recommend Peter’s comprehensive interview preparation service enough.