Mock Interviews and Puppies – a Winning Summer Combination!

On Thursday, July 20th, SVUDL students, alum, and staff met with lawyers and summer law associates at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe in Menlo Park for an annual gathering and an Interview Skills Workshop.

After taking some time to get to know each other with ice breakers and an introduction, Orrick staff walked SVUDL students through the process of preparing for an interview - whether that interview is for college admissions, a scholarship, or a job.

Before the interview, they recommended that the students think backwards and try to prepare for what they think the interviewer might want to know. Students should think about how to draw parallels between their current experiences and what the job itself might require of them, and how those things align.

After they went over these tried and true interview best practices, the summer associates took the students into groups and conducted short interviews to give them the opportunity to practice what they learned.

Chloe Truong, rising junior at Independence High School, shared that in addition to the interview strategies she learned, she appreciated the opportunity to “talk about career paths as well, and how certain influences come from other aspects of your life and following passions makes the work easier.” In anticipation of a future career in the legal field, Maridel de los Reyes (SVUDL alum) welcomed the opportunity to spend time with the summer law associates, who are all currently enrolled in law school. Maridel left the experience learning more about the ins and outs of “law school and how lawyers study.”

The group finished their visit with a chance to play with some therapy puppies who were visiting the law firm from a local adoption shelter. Thank you to the team at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe for hosting our SVUDL students and alum!