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10 Interview Tips for Aspiring General Counsels
August 23, 2024
August 23, 2024
For those who aspire to it, securing a general counsel (GC) role is a significant milestone in one’s career. The position requires not only legal expertise but also a keen understanding of business strategy, leadership, and organizational dynamics.
We asked Jorge de la Osa and Susan Seah, both highly accomplished former GCs who are now part of Latitude’s client service and recruiting teams, for advice and tips to help you succeed in the interview process and position yourself as the ideal candidate for the job. Whether you’re preparing for your first GC interview or seeking to refine your approach, these insights will help support your journey to securing your dream GC role.
Jorge’s Path to General Counsel
Jorge didn’t initially plan to become a lawyer, let alone a general counsel. In fact, he started working as a financial analyst but came to discover that finance wasn’t his true passion. “I loved business and really enjoyed analyzing problems and issues,” Jorge recalled. “So, I started reading up and decided law could be a way to channel those interests and formulate a successful career.”
After completing law school, Jorge joined Orlando law firm Baker & Hostetler LLP. He always had his sights set on returning to the corporate setting and a mentor at the firm offered Jorge advice that has guided him throughout his career: “Work hard, and the opportunities will come.”
Four years later, Jorge had the chance to move in-house as Corporate Counsel at Tempus Resorts International. Then, he took on the role of Corporate Counsel at Sol Melia Vacation Club, a relatively small but fast-growing company.
Later, Jorge transitioned to Wyndham Vacation Ownership, first as Senior Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, and later as Executive Vice President and General Counsel. Just prior to his current role at Latitude, Jorge served as Executive Vice President, Chief Legal and Compliance Officer with Bluegreen Vacations, where he managed a 20-associate legal department and successfully navigated a $1.5 billion sale to Hilton Grand Vacations.
Susan’s Path to General Counsel
After graduating from law school, Susan joined Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur, a law firm at which she had previously worked as a summer associate. She then had an opportunity to run legal affairs for her family’s business operations in Asia but came to recognize that she needed to gain more sophisticated experience to excel in such a role.
She returned to the United States and joined Jenner & Block as an associate in the corporate and securities department. “I was able to really learn the ropes, learn from a lot of the partners, and I was very glad to have that opportunity,” Susan reflected.
After a couple of years, Susan decided to explore in-house opportunities and contacted a local recruiter. This led her to a senior attorney position at Technology Solutions Company, a publicly traded tech firm, during a time when the tech industry was booming. “I was thrilled to be part of that industry. I worked at the company for years, building trust and really enjoying the team,” Susan shared.
As the company grew, one of its divisions spun off, and Susan became associate general counsel (AGC) of the new entity, eLoyalty Corporation. Several years later, the opportunity arose to interview for her first GC position at ACTIV Financial Systems, Inc., a privately held tech company.
After a time, Susan co-founded a boutique business law firm, where she acted as outside general counsel and Head of Legal for multiple technology companies. During this time, she held a couple of long-term fractional leadership roles, including fractional general counsel at Exony Limited for six years and Head of Legal for eGain Corporation for over seven years.
1. Seize Opportunities to Learn and Develop Skills
Remain open to opportunities that will help you learn and develop skills that will support you in a GC role. Whether by seeking to learn more about other business functions and job roles within your organization or by seeking mentorship opportunities or additional training, these efforts will prepare you for future leadership positions.
When he first joined Sol Melia Vacation Club, Jorge was the only lawyer working at the company. He had the opportunity to lead and grow the legal department and he encountered a wide range of issues, both legal and business in nature. “At that point in my career, I didn’t necessarily have my sights set on becoming a GC,” he shared, “I just wanted to work hard and be part of a team working toward a common goal to make the company’s mission successful. Looking back, that experience trained me to become a GC without me knowing I was training to become a GC.”
Susan also welcomed opportunities to develop new skills. She expressed gratitude to her leaders at Technology Solutions Company for helping her transition from a law firm environment to corporate legal department. “The general counsel and associate general counsel were incredibly supportive and helped me understand how to work effectively within a corporation and how to be a better business attorney – providing succinct advice in a way that makes sense for the business and collaborating with numerous stakeholders.”
Key Takeaway: Embrace opportunities that challenge you and broaden your skillset. These experiences will deepen your experiences and grow your confidence to help you step into a GC role.
2. Research and Prepare for Every Interview
Before any interview, do your homework. Ensure that you have a comprehensive understanding of the company’s business, industry challenges, competitors, and legal issues. This knowledge will help you to tailor your responses for the job and company and assess whether the role aligns with your skills and aspirations.
Jorge advises, “Understand the company’s mission, where are they in their lifecycle. For example, is it a startup that has a very entrepreneurial spirit, or an established company with policies and procedures that you can interpret? Determine the makeup of the C-suite – is it an established team or is it fairly new? These factors present different challenges, and you need to be true to yourself about what you’re looking for and where you might excel.”
Key takeaway: Tailor your interview preparation to the specific company and be ready to share stories or give examples that demonstrate how your background aligns with their needs.
3. Build Relationships
The GC interview process can be extensive, potentially spanning several months and involving multiple stages. Be prepared to meet with multiple stakeholders, including recruiters, legal team members, executives, the CEO, and board members. Each stage is an opportunity to showcase your abilities and build relationships with key decision-makers.
Susan approached her interviews for her first GC role at ACTIV Financial Systems, Inc. with this in mind. She recognized that the CFO, who had been handling much of the legal work herself (with the help of outside counsel), needed someone who could quickly take on those responsibilities and provide strategic business and legal advice.
“I knew the GC would report to the CFO,” Susan explained, “so I knew coming into my interview that it would be important to build a strong rapport with her. My experience spoke for itself, so I was able to speak more to my business and strategy strengths to showcase how I could take on this role and collaborate effectively with her [the CFO] and align with the company’s strategic goals.”
“My next interview was with the CEO,” Susan continued, “and it was more big picture. CEOs are more focused on strategy so I really wanted to understand what his business strategy was long-term and how I could be an impactful contributor the success of the company if I were hired.”
Key takeaway: Focus on building strong relationships with key stakeholders by aligning your approach to the interview with their specific needs and strategic goals. Be authentic and let your personality show.
4. Highlight Your Business Acumen and Collaboration Style
As a GC, you’re more than just a legal advisor, you’re a strategic partner to the C-suite. During the interview it’s important to show your ability to collaborate with executives and contribute to the company’s success.
One of the key lessons Jorge learned along his career journey was the importance of humility and continuous learning. “You need to learn about the business,” he emphasized. “Knowing the law isn’t the issue if you’re applying for a job at this level. The challenge becomes fit and having confidence in knowing what you know and what you don’t know.”
Jorge believes that humility, combined with a strong work ethic, are key to earning the respect and influence necessary to lead a legal department effectively. “As GC, you’re there to remove obstacles for your team, not to be an obstacle,” he advised. “That requires balancing legal responsibilities with business considerations, knowing when to wear the legal hat and when to wear the business hat.”
Key takeaway: Demonstrating your ability to collaborate with the CEO and other executives is key to positioning yourself as a valuable addition to the leadership team and begin building trust with those you’ll support as GC.
5. Ask Thoughtful Questions
The questions you ask during the interview are just as important as the answers you provide. Thoughtful questions about the company’s goals, challenges, and expectations for the GC role showcase your strategic thinking and genuine interest in the position.
In her interview with the CEO for her first GC role, Susan came ready with several questions about the company’s long-term strategy and goals. “The questions you ask can demonstrate how you think in that strategic business leadership mindset,” she explained. “It’s a way to put your best foot forward and demonstrate the value you can add. Then they can see you more like a C-suite partner, rather than just a lawyer.”
Some sample questions might be:
These questions not only provide valuable insights but also demonstrate that you’re thinking strategically about the role and how it fits into the broader organizational context. Moreover, the interviewer’s responses may offer you the chance to further highlight the value you can bring to the role.
Key takeaway: Prepare questions that help you learn more about the organization while also demonstrating that you’re thinking strategically about the GC role and how it fits into the broader organizational context.
6. Evaluate the Role’s Fit for You
While the company is evaluating you for the role, it’s equally important to assess whether the position aligns with your personality and career goals by understanding the company’s mission, culture, and the personalities of its leadership team.
Jorge suggests meeting and/or interviewing with as many of the C-suite leaders as you can. “If you have the opportunity, I think a dinner interview or meeting allows everyone to feel comfortable and see maybe more personality and interpersonal dynamics, but even just meeting over a video call can give you a feel for ‘do I really feel comfortable with the company culture and this team?’”
Key takeaway: Prioritize understanding the company’s culture, mission, and leadership team to ensure the role aligns with your values and goals.
7. Leverage Your Current GC’s Insights
If you aspire to a GC role, having open conversations with your current general counsel can provide valuable guidance.
Jorge shared a time in which he supported a VP on his team who aspired to become a GC. “He would be considered a potential successor for me, but because I was relatively young as a GC, he realized he couldn’t wait ten-plus years in the company for the role to open up. We had frank conversations, and I told him that if he ever found an opportunity that felt right, I’d support him 100%. About a year later, he found a great opportunity and he came to me for advice, and he jumped and became GC of a company.”
Key takeaway: Seek mentorship and advice from your current GC or other experienced professionals (like Jorge, Susan, or any member of Latitude’s team) to help guide you in your search process and interview preparation.
8. Approaching Fractional GC Roles
With experience as both a permanent and fractional GC, Susan has a unique perspective on interviewing for each. “In either situation, your legal experience really speaks for itself, so you can focus more on speaking to the business strategy and how you can use your skills to be an impactful leader and contributor to the success of the company.”
Her advice specific to those exploring opportunities as a fractional or interim GC is to understand the company’s needs, their goals, and their expectations for the person coming in. “Map it out with the team ahead of time. Ask questions early on like, ‘During the six months you’ll have an interim GC, what are the top three goals you want that person to achieve?’ Susan advised. “That way you’ll understand the bigger picture and what you would be trying to accomplish in that role and have alignment with their expectations.”
Key takeaway: If you’re applying for a fractional GC role, prioritize understanding the company’s immediate needs and strategic objectives. By aligning your approach with their expectations, you can effectively position yourself as a valuable and impactful contributor, even in a temporary capacity.
9. Ask Your Recruiter
If you are working with a recruiter, leverage their expertise throughout the process. They can provide detailed insights about the company and role and offer strategic advice on navigating the interview process.
“At Latitude, for example, we take the time to really understand both the company and the interviewers well,” explained Susan. “They’ve shared with us their goals and expectations for the GC role and the ideal candidate. If we’ve recommended you for the job, we already know you and the potential employer are a match and can offer suggestions to highlight those qualities in your interview.”
Key takeaway: Use your recruiter as a resource to ensure you’re fully prepared for each stage of the interview process.
10. Reflect and Improve
Post-interview reflection is important for growth. Record notes on what went well and what could be improved. Note any follow-up questions you have, new insights about the company or role that you learned, and how you might prepare for the next stage.
“There’s always something you can learn from each interview experience,” shared Jorge. “Even if you don’t get the job this time, you’ll learn something valuable for next time.”
Key takeaway: Continuously improve your interview technique by reflecting on your experiences and applying those lessons to future interviews.
Final Thoughts
For those aspiring to become general counsel, Jorge passes down the same advice once given to him: “Work hard and the opportunities will come. When they do, decide which are the right ones for you and take the leap.”
Both Jorge’s and Susan’s stories exemplify the blend of preparation, adaptability, and strategic insight needed to succeed in a GC role. By following their tips and approaching the interview with confidence, willingness to learn, and a strategic business mindset, you can position yourself as a strong candidate for your dream GC role.
At Latitude, we understand first-hand the unique demands of legal department leadership roles. We offer a wide range of permanent and flexible opportunities for attorneys and other legal professionals. Whether you’re aiming for a GC position or exploring other paths for your legal career, our legal market expertise helps us place you in the role that’s right for you. View Latitude’s open positions to find your next opportunity today.
Whether you're an attorney or legal ops executive looking for legal talent to assist your team or you’re a legal professional looking for a substantive yet flexible role, let us find a solution to meet your needs.