Advice on coping with interviews when your expertise is a bit rusty (in my case, law)

[CAS77]

Wasn't sure where to post this but will try here first.

I'm an employment lawyer, currently on mat leave. I have an almost 4 yo and a 7 month old baby. Baby is a terrible sleeper (not slept through once, and wakes numerous times in the night). I do more or less everything for the children (dh works full time and out the house from 7 - 7, not much other help). Result is (i) I am chronically sleep deprived; and (ii) I have had no real opportunity to keep on top of my practice area and so feel out of touch, rusty, loss of confidence etc.

I had an interview with my current employer for a new role (PSL) a few days ago. I fulfill alll the criteria on the job spec and know that I can do the job. But, after 3 hours sleep the night before (dh helped btw, but both kids were up several times and being v noisy) coupled with the "out of touch" feeling...I really didn't perform well. I was waffly, vague, a bit flat. I'm pretty sure that I won't get the job.

It is a bit gutting really but I am trying to see the positives and think about how I can improve my interview technique. I have 2 x interviews for similar roles next week. I know I need to get a good night's sleep the night before (tell that to the kids!) but how can I get over the out of touch feeling. I just feel like a fraud and that I don't know anything. I know this is ridiculous as once I'm back and have the time to re-engage with the law, I will be fine. But, that doesn't help me right now. I am trying to read up on stuff before to help build confidence but, to be honest, I have so little time and am so bone tired, I'm not sure it is really going in (or, at least, not so that I can talk about it in a sophisticated way at interview).

I am coming to the conclusion that the best thing I can do is be upfront and say that I am on ML and that I don't have the technical stuff at my fingertips as I usually would, but that I will get that back quickly.

Has anyone been through similar and got any tips for presenting well at interviews and heading off this problem? I know I can do these jobs, I just don't know how, at this particular moment in time, I can convince someone else of that. Thanks in advance.

Do you have to feed the baby during the night? If not then the night before the interview then you sleep in a different room with good earplugs in and DH will have to do all the nighttime stuff. You do it for him every day so he can do it for you before an interview.

Secondly, interview skills can be learnt (or relearnt). Get a couple of books out of the library about interviews. Think of questions that came up in your interview that you didn't have good answers for, or questions that are likely to come up, and prelearn those answers e.g. what effect do you think the governments proposed changes to the Employment Tribunal Rules of Procedure will have? Even if they don't ask these questions, there will likely be some commonality with the questions they DO ask i.e. they might ask about new developments in the law that interest you.

Thirdly, practice - you are likely to do much better in your next interview purely because you have already done one. Once you have learnt your answers to some interview questions, get someone who is used to doing interviews to interview you.

There are some things that sway interviewers that can't be learnt - enthusiasm - what do you / would you love about this job? What interests you? Confidence (again I think this will come with practice).

You can do this, you are not out of touch, you are coming to this job with fresh eyes and new ideas again, and probably better stress management, emotional resilience and time management skills.

First of all that's a really awful unfair set up you have there. Why isn't your husbnand doing the nights too? I did the first year and he did the 3 after - every time they woke. You need to ensure tehre is no existm in the marriage and you will be much less tired. If I can be up a lot in the night and do a job at least as demanding as his sunny Jim can be made to whether he likes it or not.

Have you thought about a mock interview? My firm got my maternity coaching from a company called Talking Talent who deal with a lot of lawyers. Having a practice would give you a lot of confidence. Otherwise, maybe you could ask a friend in the same field to give you an interview? The other recommendation I would strongly make is to get someone (husband/family member/paid help/whoever) to look after the kids for a day while you go to you local library or similar and read up the last few months of employment law updates. Feeling that you have mastered the technical stuff will give you so much more confidence. Then spend the afternoon buying a fantastic interview suit and new lipstick.

Good luck anyway (don't write off the interview either - they are your current employer so will know you can perform better than you did on the day and it may well have goe better than you thin). If nothing else, interviews (however bad) are always good experience/practice for the next one.