Mastering the video interview | A&O Shearman careers

Our video interview questions are designed to give candidates an opportunity to showcase their potential beyond what can be captured on paper.

Your journey into a legal career is about more than just academic achievement; it’s about demonstrating your drive, motivation and communication skills, each of which is essential for success in a commercial law environment. Video interview questions allow us to see your personality, hear your motivations, and understand how you approach challenges - helping us get to know the real you.

What we’re looking for

Our assessors use a clear set of criteria to evaluate your responses. We’re interested in more than just what you say - we’re looking at how you structure your answers, and the examples you choose to share.

Here’s what we focus on:

Drive and motivation: We want to understand why you’re interested in a career in commercial law, and, specifically, why A&O Shearman appeals to you. Strong candidates can clearly articulate their motivations and demonstrate an understanding of the legal industry.
Key skills and qualities: We look for evidence of the skills and attributes that make a successful commercial lawyer such as teamwork, problem solving, resilience, and communication. The best responses include specific examples from your experiences that demonstrate these qualities.
Resilience: The legal profession can be demanding, so we want to see how you’ve handled challenges or setbacks. We’re interested in the steps you took, the skills you used, and what you learned from the experience.
Communication: Clear, confident, and well structured communication is vital. We assess how you organise your thoughts, the clarity of your delivery, and your ability to engage the listener.

Our top tips for success

Prepare, but avoid a script: Take time to reflect on your motivations and experiences before recording. Make notes or bullet points to guide you and avoid reading from a script; this can make your delivery sound flat and disengaged.
Use the STAR technique: When answering questions about your experiences, structure your response using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). This helps you provide clear, concise and relevant examples.
Be specific: Generic answers won’t stand out. Draw on your unique experiences - whether from work, study, volunteering, or extracurricular activities - to illustrate your skills and qualities.
Show your enthusiasm: Let your passion for law and for A&O Shearman come through. We want to see what excites you about the profession and our firm.
Practice makes perfect: Record yourself answering practice questions to get comfortable with the format. Pay attention to your body language, tone and pacing.
Check your tech: Ensure your camera, microphone and internet connection are working well. Choose a quiet, well lit space where you won’t be interrupted.
Stay calm and take your time: If you stumble, don’t panic. Take a breath, gather your thoughts, and continue. We’re interested in your potential, not perfection.

Remember, the video interview is your chance to bring your application to life. We’re not looking for polished actors, we’re looking for authentic, motivated individuals who are ready to take the next step in their legal career. Take the opportunity to show us who you are, what drives you, and why you’d excel as a trainee at A&O Shearman.

What’s law got to do with it?

You don’t have to study law to be a lawyer. Hear from some of our people as they explain how their degree skills transferred to a career in commercial law.

These videos, originally produced under the A&O legacy, authentically showcase the experiences and opportunities synonymous with A&O Shearman.

History

What do pirates, smuggling and witchcraft have to do with law? Watch as Euan explains how transferable skills - including persuasive writing, evaluating sources and understanding motivations behind action - have been essential to his career at A&O Shearman.

Mechanical engineering

Imagination and collaboration are as essential to mechanical engineering as they are to a career in law, explains Jade. Find out how a growth mindset has been applicable to becoming a trainee solicitor at A&O Shearman.