BT In-House Training Contract Application Questions and Answers
Question 1: Heart
Why have you chosen to apply to the Legal Graduate Programme? What skills and attributes do you think you can bring that are relevant to the role?
I have chosen to apply for the Legal Graduate Programme because it will present me with an optimum working environment where I will be exposed to a highly innovative telecommunications sector which will require me to think on my feet and constantly deliver cutting edge solutions. I can bring good problem solving and communication skills which will enable me to find solutions to highly complex problems and deliver them in simple language. I am a team player can think laterally which will enable me to operate in diverse teams and deliver fresh and forward-thinking perspectives in order to meet BT’s objectives. I can bring commercial acumen and enthusiasm to this role which will enable me to proactively make decisions on a daily basis that will help to further BT’s commercial objectives. I always go out of my way to help others and take on extra responsibility in order to result the best results. I possess very good leadership and organisational skills which will enable me to manage my workload effectively and inspire others. I have very good client facing skills and can deliver pragmatic solutions that are in line with the client’s objectives as well as forge a positive rapport with the client to support them every step of the way.
Question 2: Helpful
Describe a time when you went out of your way to help someone when you didn’t have to.
• What was the situation?
• Why did you decide to get involved?
• What did you do to help?
• What obstacles did you encounter and how did you overcome them?
• What was the outcome?
• What feedback did you receive?
During my first week at Freshfields, I was given a pack of materials to read through to familiarise myself with the facts of the case before embarking on the project. During my induction, when I was given all the materials, a solicitor referred to one thin folder and joked that we did not have enough case law on one of the legal principles. I decided to go out of my way and conduct research to find more case law that would help to strengthen our arguments and bring new perspectives to the case. During my research, I found it difficult to match some cases to our facts since I had no knowledge of the more technical and intricate details. To get a sense of direction, I spoke to a solicitor on the case and asked him about the more technical aspects and then made my suggestions to them. The solicitor was very keen to see my research, and having sat down and discussed my results with them, we have discovered another point of law relevant to our issue. All my findings were incorporated into our submissions and as a result made our case stronger. The solicitors told me that they were pleasantly surprised that I managed to make a substantial contribution during my first week and as a result decided to give me more responsibility over the case.
o Helpful - Working together collaboratively is vital in a big company like BT. You need to be able to show us that you're a team player, and can take responsibility for getting the best out of others and yourself.
o Inspiring - We're always looking for new ways to improve our business. Can you challenge existing thinking and bring fresh, forward-thinking ideas to the table?
o Straightforward - Can you translate complex theories or ideas into simple terms that others can understand? Being straightforward is just that - removing the jargon and keeping things simple.
o Trustworthy - Our customers rely on us every day. We need to create trust and integrity by keeping our promises, and delivering what we say we will.
o Customer connected - Customers are at the heart of what we do. You need to demonstrate you can deliver excellent customer service. A customer can be anyone that has asked you to deliver something for them - anything from a corporate client, to a university society you manage, to a customer you serve in a shop.
o Bottom line - BT have shareholders who expect us to make a profit and have a healthy share price. You need to show us that you can act in a commercially sound way, and make decisions that would have a positive impact on BT's bottom line - our profit.
o Drive for results - In a fast-paced industry, it's important to stay one step ahead of the game. You need to demonstrate that you're able to use initiative, take considered risks, and set and achieve targets to help meet your objectives.
Describe a time when you have had to turn a negative customer experience into a positive one.
• A customer can be anyone you have done work for at university, in a job or in a team.
• What was the situation?
• What did you do?
• Why was it important to turn the experience into a positive one?
• Why did you do what you did?
• What was the outcome?
• What feedback did you receive?
Whilst working on a litigious case at [law firm], I was asked to urgently deliver some bundles to the client who was about to give evidence in court in several hours time. I was given the materials by my colleagues who worked frantically the previous night to prepare them. Having taken the bundles to the client, the client discovered that the documents in the folders related to another witness. I felt very uncomfortable and embarrassed, but with no time to be lost, I suggested to the client that the only the key documents are printed out. Whilst the documents were being printed at the office, I noticed that the client was very nervous so I decided to engage them in a light conversation. I shared my sporting experiences and managed to motivate and put the client at ease. It was important to turn this experience into a positive one because the entire case depended on how well the client gave evidence. I decided to engage in a conversation with the client in order to offset the shortcomings from our team and deliver a good client service to help them succeed in the case and meet their commercial objectives. The client approached me after the hearing and told me that they appreciated my support before giving evidence and found it invaluable. The legal team was also very happy and impressed that I displayed initiative and turned the negative customer experience into a positive one.
