I applied online. The process took 3 months. I interviewed at Freshfields (London, England) in Feb 2020
Interview
It was a good assessment centre. Started with a written exercise (just an email chain with some requests; follow every direction and have a really sharp eye for grammar and spelling), then general partner interview that went over your CV and background, and some situational questions. We then did the commercial awareness/analytical interview, where we had 40 minutes (I think?) to read an article and write our notes, which we then got to take in and talked about it. I found this one a bit more tricky, but just try to think awareness, not argumentative. They asked me to consider the impacts of various commercial and tech changes on Freshfields and their clients, and talk more in general about commercial trends in the world.
Situational question: what would you do if you had too much work and a lot of deadlines, and the only other trainee who could help left early without an explanation.
The analytical interview was about an Economist article about the future of self driving cars. They asked what other industries have been massively changed by technology in the last 10 years.
The interview process began with an online application. This was followed by an initial phone screening with HR. Next, there was a technical test. Finally, I attended an in-person interview panel with multiple interviewers, including a manager and team members. The process focused on technical skills, problem-solving, and cultural fit. Communication was clear, and feedback was provided after each stage.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Question
Q: What was the one thing that they asked you?
A: "Describe a time you solved a complex problem at work."
Simple application process - easy to complete. Starts with application form, then next stage is a psychometric test and then they decide to proceed to next stage or not. Not a long waiting time.
Two interviews: one personal and competency based, one focused on commercial awareness.
The first interview involves discussing motivations for joining the company and the industry, then how you would deal with various scenarios you might face during the job.
For the second interview, you're given a piece of commercial writing, which you have half an hour to analyse. The interview then tests your analysis and understanding of this piece.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
What would you say your biggest failure has been, and how did you respond to it?
