A sit down interview with Bethan Waters
Bethan Waters is our Graduate and Solicitor Apprentice Recruitment Partner. She is also a partner in our Banking, Financial Services & Insolvency team and a member of our recruitment panel.
In this interview, Bethan shares with us what she most enjoys about the recruitment process for our trainees and solicitor apprentices as well as tips for future candidates.
What do you enjoy most about the recruitment process as Farrer & Co? Meeting all the amazingly talented candidates (of course) and the opportunity to interview with my colleagues from all corners of the business.
What do you look for in successful applicants – is there anything in particular that helps them to stand out? There are a number of criteria that must be met by everyone, including strong academics, but we also look for someone who is driven, hard-working, well-researched, and committed to a career in law and with us. Additionally, we want people who are interesting and interested, personable, and good communicators. People who are aware of the world around them and thorough and specific in the answers they give.
Why do you think our retention rate is so high? There are many reasons. We have a small intake, we are quite unique in our practice areas, trainees have comparatively high levels of responsibility and everyone is very friendly. We also work on an assumption that all our trainees will stay on qualification, which I don’t think all firms do any more.
If someone has previously applied and hasn’t been successful, what advice would you give them? Seek feedback on the interview process and try to take that constructively. Use the feedback as an idea of what you might need to do to be more successful in the future. Also try not to be too despondent about it. We have such a limited number of places and see so many brilliant candidates, but we really can’t take everyone.
A re you part of any of our affiliation programmes, and if so what have you enjoyed about being a part of this? In my role as Graduate & Solicitor Apprentice Recruitment Partner, I am involved with lots of these programmes and it is great to see and meet so many ambitious and committed people from a much wider pool than we have done in the past and tell them about our firm and what we can offer them.
What tips would you give to someone prepping for an interview with Farrer & Co?
- Make sure this is what you want to do. It might sound stupid, but it is very easy to spot people who haven’t quite decided if this is the right career for them or the right type of firm for them.
- Do your research on the firm, the interviewers, the work we do, as well as things in the news.
- Be honest and be yourself. Law is as much about people as it is about paperwork, meaning that many of your experiences (even if they’re not legal) could be valuable in demonstrating the skills that we look for.
- Don’t be too scripted. It is also often easy to spot if someone is just telling you what they have pre-prepared or think you want to hear. We need you to be able to think on your feet, argue a point and respond to challenges you haven’t been able to prepare for.
How did you find your journey to partnership – is there any advice you would give to someone aspiring to a career similar to yours? As Barack Obama says, just get stuff done. Try to do what is asked of you well, whether that’s photocopying or drafting a document. Once people see you can do what they need well, they’ll trust you with more complex and rewarding tasks. Try and meet as many people as possible, absorb what they are doing and listen to what they tell you, this will help build your network and your knowledge. Treat people the way you’d want to be treated. The legal world is smaller than you might think, so burning bridges is never a good idea. Be respectful to everyone in your organisation, as a successful business is the sum of all its parts.