Tell me about a story you have found interesting and why?

[emilybuttrick]

With application season on the doorstep, I would love to know peoples thoughts on the following interview question – “Tell me about a story you have found interesting and why?”.

Like many other people, I used to find this question a bit tricky, but I have developed a few ideas that helped me answer this question.

Firstly, I would always recommend choosing a commercial awareness topic or theme that genuinely interests you, maybe an emerging trend that you’ve identified and followed.

Secondly, I think it’s a good idea to choose a story that has some correlation to the firm you are applying to.

And thirdly, personally I have found by staying up to date with Watson’s Daily, reading and talking about trends, I am able to identify, follow and gain an in-depth analysis of key stories.

I would love to hear your guys opinions!

[Peter Watson]

You are spot on with the first two, Emily. I couldn’t possibly comment on the third point 😁. I’d say that the main thing is to concentrate on what’s important for the firm you are applying to. At the end of the day, your job will be all about listening to what your client wants and delivering rather than necessarily delivering what you want to the client. If, however, it happens to be something that interests you then that’s great. However, if it’s something that REALLY interests you then you should be wary because if you have a great depth of knowledge and confidence in something, there is a big chance that you might have to stop yourself going off on one! Make sure that you stick to the point! At all times, it is imperative that you listen to and understand your audience. Then you can deliver what they want in the way they want it 👍

[avlasova]

Thank you Emily and Peter very much for the advice, a super useful point to remember that it is all ultimately about the client, their commercial goals, and the business that you are applying to!

I find it helpful to ask myself further questions in preparation to see if some topics work better than others, because most likely the question will have follow-ups such as “how does this affect our clients/firm” or “what do you think will happen next”, where they get you to analyse the topic beyond the information you’ve read in articles and often to link it to other news. The Watson’s Daily “So What?” section of the stories is very useful as an example of the analytical and “bigger-picture” thinking that they want you to engage in when discussing the news.
So I really recommend picking a juicy topic that you could confidently analyse and that has potential implications for the firm and their clients, including through a wider socioeconomic ripple effect.
A second recommendation is picking something original that would make you stand out (in a good way!). While many of the bigger news stories trending at a certain time are fascinating and complex, there is a high chance that many others will pick the same one and end up clashing. So, without going obscure, picking a topic unique to you and that supports your application or otherwise differentiating yourself, like through picking a new angle at a popular story and linking it to your own experience and ambitions, improves your chances of standing out. Hope this helps and eager to see what other tips everyone has!

[Alinakazmi]

Hi Emily,

I completely agree with you.

I also try to link wider commercial trends to the story I find interesting. For example, how Covid-19 is impacting the shift towards EVs.

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