When was your Dentons interview?
March 2018
What was it for?
Vacation scheme
Please describe the interview process at Dentons.
There is just the one interview for the vacation scheme, conducted by a member of HR. It took no more than 45 minutes overall.
What advice would you give to future applicants for the Dentons interview?
It wasn’t a standard HR competencies-only interview; along with the typical competency questions, there are some requiring you to demonstrate commercial awareness (somewhat akin to what you might expect from a partner interview elsewhere), as well as situational judgment problems. Prepare widely and make sure you know the firm (+ competitors + general business model) very well!
When was your Dentons interview?
January 2018/April 2018
What was it for?
Easter Vacation scheme/Training Contract
Please describe the interview process at Dentons.
The Dentons first interview is an hour long interview with a member of HR. This interview has a structure that the interviewer follows and mainly focuses on motivation, competency and about Dentons. It took three weeks for me to hear back. The TC assessment centre involved multiple elements. A case study interview, where we had 5 minutes to read over the brief, before meeting with two partners who took us through the case study and introduced more information as we went along. This lasted around 45 minutes. We then had a few competency questions and motivation questions with the partners. After this there was a written exercise and ‘role play’ exercise related to the case in the written exercise. We had one hour to write and prepare for the role play, which took place after the writing period ended.
What advice would you give to future applicants for the Dentons interview?
A good knowledge of the firm, what they do and why in particular I was interested in training with them was essential. It was important to have a good idea and understanding of commercial trends, as this informed all elements of each task at both assessment centres.
The Dentons training contract AC was more theoretical than I was expecting, but this guides on this website were monumental in helping me prepare and in helping me answer the case studies confidently. I would therefore 100% suggest reading this website over and over again!! Once I understood more I was able to make more links. It was also very helpful having taken part in the vacation scheme, I used my experience in various departments to suggest relevant responses, and occasionally they were not the exact answer but the partners said that they appreciated the ability to draw on learning experiences. Although the day was very full on, I would advise not to dwell on a minor mistake in one aspect and try and move on to the next task whole-heartedly as you cannot afford to get lost in thought. Also, try not to look ahead at the day but take each hour at a time! Both the partners who interviewed me were lovely and interested in listening to me, but equally were excited to answer the questions I asked them about their time with the firm so definitely ask questions at the end, even if you think the question is basic, they definitely like to see you are taking advantage of every opportunity to learn.
When was your Dentons interview?
March 2018
What was it for?
Vacation scheme
Please describe the interview process at Dentons.
My Dentons interview was heavily focused on competencies. I felt that it came off as rather artificial and quickly descended into a box-ticking exercise. The interview lasted roughly 45 minutes, and the only questions that stood out, beyond the typical competency questions, was which practice areas and sectors am I particularly keen on exploring at Dentons. I was also asked about a developing story that was of interest to me and how it might affect Dentons.
What advice would you give to future applicants for the Dentons interview?
[Not provided]
When was your Dentons interview?
February 2018
What was it for?
Vacation scheme
Please describe the interview process at Dentons.
Hour-long interview with one HR representative. CV-blind: lots of questions about experience. Structure tended to be asking about each job or piece of experience, then asking what you learned from it, e.g. what was this job like, then what did you learn from working abroad there. Mid-interview, there was a short situational judgement scenario: the printer has broken down so can’t print crucial documents, other side on important deal just arriving, your supervisor is stuck in traffic – what do you do? Final section was about Dentons’ competitors, why do you want to work here, how do you feel you’d fit in, any recent work you’re interested in. Friendly interviewer but she was an external recruiter so could not answer many questions about the firm. The questions asked were from a strict list so conversation could not veer off very far.
What advice would you give to future applicants for the Dentons interview?
Make sure you know what Dentons’ distinguishing features are: they want to hear a lot of enthusiasm for the (quite distinctive) strategy as well as an appreciation for how the polycentric model affects client service/gives a broad service for multinational clients, the tech innovation. Be prepared to talk through your previous experiences and draw out points which show how each has made you a better candidate: dealing with a high volume of work, time pressures, working with other people. Since it is just a one-on-one chat, it felt quite informal: try to treat it like a friendly conversation!
