A&O Shearman Associate interviews, decoded.

I was lateral from overseas and used a recruiter to help me arrange interviews. First round was a remote interview with two partners, each for less than 30 minutes. Then I happened to travel to Singapore and met with one of the partners and an associate in the team in person. I also did a written test that took less than 3 hours. Overall smooth experience. Questions were generally not too difficult to answer.

First, I had an in-person meeting in Perth. Then, I had two more virtual meetings with the Belfast office team, which Perth HR organized. The process went well even with the time difference between Perth and Belfast. Everyone involved explained the role and expectations clearly. It was one of the better-organized interview experiences I've had.

Had 2 interviews, each with 2 people (a partner and an associate). It was a good experience getting to know them. They asked about my past work and my reasons for applying to the firm.