Watson Farley & Williams Interview

[Jaysen]

When was your Watson Farley & Williams interview?

August 2017

What was it for?

Training Contract

Please describe the interview process at Watson Farley & Williams.

There is a group exercise, a written advice task, another group exercise and a proof reading exercise.

What advice would you give to future applicants for the Watson Farley & Williams interview?

For the group exercises, make sure you contribute and don't only address one person when speaking. For the written advice use clear language and have a logical structure with an introduction and a conclusion. When completing the proof reading, read the document at least twice.

 

[Jaysen]

When was your Watson Farley & Williams interview?

February 2018

What was it for?

Vacation Scheme

Please describe the interview process at Watson Farley & Williams.

There had already been a video interview. There were seven applicants on this day, six hours overall. Written exercise, proofreading exercise, office tour, lucnh with two trainees, group exercise discussing which company would be the best investment, second group exercise making a presentation about WFW. No individual interview.

What advice would you give to future applicants for the Watson Farley & Williams interview?

There is no individual interview and two group exercises for a reason: they really want to see how you work together with people. Working in a group of seven made it hard to reach consensus (everyone kept agreeing with the last point made!) but at some point you need to reach a decision. Make the most of the initial reading time to pick out crucial points, and share anything important with the group as soon as possible. Try to keep the group discussion as structured as possible (bring it back to the key points), speak up but don't dominate. It's a long day and you'll get to know the rest of the group well! The written exercise is straightforward if you keep an eye on the time and a tight structure. The proofreading is quite long, but also straightforward if you read carefully.