Getting a callback to interview for law school is incredibly exciting. How should you prepare for NUS/SMU/SUSS law school interviews? 

1. By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.
It is common sense to prepare for the interview. But what exactly should you do? 

First, get acquainted with the subject matter - law. Start with the broad basics. Read about Singapore's legal system (read a quick primer, figure out the difference between common law vs. civil law legal systems, what is the rule of law?). The good news is that information is available online about virtually everything these days, so there's no excuse not to do some background preparation and reading! 

You don't need to know everything about law (that's what law school is for), but you do need to know something. 

If you have more time, borrow a book from the library about any area of law. Choose a beginner text. You don't need to be an expert, you just need to dip your toes in the water. 

If you have less time, but still want a measure of depth, read a court judgment about an exciting case. Choose an area you're already interested in, and follow that trail to find out more - it could be criminal law, intellectual property, contract law etc.

Check out what's happening in the news. There's always something exciting happening - and you will quickly realize that everything is linked to the law. 

Make sure you are aware of contemporaneous events in the legal sector as well (i.e., important news, big developments, major reform & legislation etc.) This is also an excellent way to come up with good questions when your interviewer asks you if you have any questions at the end of the interview. 

1. Who is giving it? (and Why?) 
​The first thing to consider is who the giver of advice is - and his/her intentions. 

Generally, you want to be taking advice from (1) trustworthy people you know (2) people who know more than you. 

Everyone has an opinion, but it doesn't mean you have to listen to them. In times of crisis and problem-solving, be selective about whom you get advice from. ​

It also depends on your personality type. Are you the sort that is easily swayed? In that case, don't just ask anyone and everyone, and take Google searches with a pinch of salt. Make sure you curate who you are seeking advice from. 

​If you have a clear head and logical mind, you can cast your net wider. Just make sure you digest the advice and think twice before you act on anything. 

1. Narrow down the root cause
If you're feeling unmotivated and unhappy in your job, examine the root cause. Is it really your job that is making you unhappy or is it some other personal factors? Only by deeply examining the root cause, you can then fix it by taking inspired action. 

What exactly makes you unhappy about your job? Is it the work environment, the people, your colleagues, your boss?  Is it the lack of recognition? The disorganized workflow? Too much or too little responsibility? Or the compensation and benefits?

By narrowing down the source of your discontent, you can take inspired action to target the cause. If it's the work environment, this can sometimes be easily solved by having an honest chat with your colleagues or bosses. If it's compensation, maybe you need to ask for a raise. If it's stress from the amount of work, maybe you need to ask for help. If it's the nature of work itself, this may require a deeper think and a serious talk with your bosses to get into the type of work you want to do, or even contemplate switching jobs or industries. 

A recent career survey with 1,000 executives showed that they had no regrets making these career moves. 

1. Quitting a job they didn't like - 56%
Life is too short to be stuck in a job you hate. 

While you shouldn't up and quit with no savings or back-up plan, you should take steps to shift gears if you feel that this job is not for you. 

When there is a will, there is a way. With today's fast-changing economy and job climate, changing jobs is no longer a big hassle. Spruce up your CV (How to upgrade your CV here) and get in touch with some recruiters. As long as you take the first step, there is no holding you back. 

2. Changing fields or industries - 41%
Similar to the above, if you truly dislike the current field or industry you are in, or see no long-term potential, sometimes it's best to bite the bullet and just go for the change. Looks like the 1,000 executives agreed as well. 

No change is too big, there are success stories of people going back to their school in their 40s and becoming a doctor. Ultimately, you are in charge of your own life. And we don't want to die with regrets. 

In this series, SuccessGoGo interviews successful professionals from banking, consulting and law to provide helpful insights on climbing the corporate ladder. In this interview, SuccessGoGo sat down with Michael, an investment banker at a leading investment bank in Singapore.

What's the best part about being a banker?
The width of exposure to multiple industries and businesses, interaction with leaders of industry and c-suite level management very early on in career and learning from senior bankers.

Did anything at school help prepare you for the job?
The soft skills you learn (teamwork, communications, project management, etc) in school probably matter a lot more than whatever is officially taught as part of your degree. The caveat is that you will also polish your technical and financial skills and knowledge to the level needed to pass the interviews and start on the job.

In this series, SuccessGoGo interviews successful professionals from banking, consulting and law to provide helpful insights on climbing the corporate ladder. In this interview, SuccessGoGo sat down with Mel, a litigation lawyer who is a senior associate at a leading firm in Singapore.

What's the best part about being a lawyer?
The intellectual challenge, cases / disputes are interesting, and other litigation lawyers make fun colleagues.

Did anything at school help prepare you for the job?
The law clinic module at NUS was helpful! For general litigation, contract, credit security, torts, equity and ICA modules were useful. Moots are also useful experience for litigators / good for your CV and definitely do internships during vacation time.

In this series, SuccessGoGo interviews successful professionals from banking, consulting and law to provide helpful insights on climbing the corporate ladder. In this interview, SuccessGoGo sat down with Shelby, a private wealth banker at a leading bank in Singapore.

What's the best part about being a banker?
Talking to people! People are fascinating, everyone has different thoughts, desires, retirement goals and their own definition of happiness. You also get to understand their perspective on family life and career and truly respect what they have build for themselves.

Did anything at school help prepare you for the job?
Not directly. I studied neither finance nor majored in economics. What prepared me was being open to trying new things and learning how to look at things in multiple perspectives.

In this series, SuccessGoGo interviews successful professionals from banking, consulting and law to provide helpful insights into climbing the corporate ladder. In this interview, SuccessGoGo sits down with Rachel, a management consultant who has worked in consulting firms in both London and Singapore.

What's the best part about being a consultant?
The best part is working on a variety of cases across industries and functions, and having wide exposure and experience in a variety of sectors. It is very empowering not to be pigeonholed into any single sector, and fuels my excitement to learn more and experience more.

I am also very grateful that in this field, I am able to deal with senior management from client companies from the start, whereas in other careers, you typically would not be able to interact with senior management at a junior position.

I also enjoy traveling for work and the excellent networking opportunities that I get from the constant exposure to new people on the job.

 1.       Know what you are good at and don’t give up 

Mr Ang Chin Koon is the CEO of myCK, a budget-friendly retail outlet chain around Singapore with 19+ outlets. His story in business is one full of roller-coasters, from reaching incredible heights with an almost IPO, to a nasty fall-out with family members in their family business, personal bankruptcy and an incredible rise from the ashes (a real fire was involved).
 
After a drawn-out family feud and bankruptcy, Mr Ang has this to say:

"I decided to go back to what I'm good at, which is to sell things. It was the only skill I had." - Mr Ang Chin Koon, CEO of myCK

From there, he re-built his retail roots and created myCK, which is doing better than ever. What we can learn from this? Even the biggest setback should never get you down. Being self-aware of your own strengths and weaknesses is important. Stay positive and re-build from the ground up by focusing on your strengths. You can achieve whatever you set your mind to.