TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

[VMS]

For something like Chambers or Legal 500, don’t use the student pages. Use the rankings. Then pick a particular practice area or sector you are interested in and then look at their profile for this area - for instance:

Baker McKenzie, Banking & Finance | Chambers UK Profile

Gain insights on the legal knowledge of Baker McKenzie in the practice area of Banking & Finance department and discover their rankings.

chambers.com

This then lists some of the clients they have worked with and what specifically on, and this tends to be fairly high profile matters for it to be listed in the profile.

Thank you very much!

 

[Lawyer500]

I submitted mine literally at the 11th hour so I very much doubt rolling basis applies for OC.

Congrats for getting the AC!! Was that you submitted the application or online test?

 

[futuretrainee2024]

If just generally during the day, not at all. If during an interview cut can be a concern if no questions were asked at the end (shows a lack of curiosity) but isn’t necessarily a straight no.

It was after a written exercise

 

[trainingcontract]

This is an out of the ordinary post for myself, but I wondered how people best deal with "imposter syndrome" and nerves before an AC.

I don't usually consider myself a nervous person, but I think with the drain of this being my 4th cycle and wanting an offer so badly, I'm putting too much pressure on it. Worst off, I don't think I'm good enough, which I know is the wrong mentality. I'm looking at LinkedIn pages of trainees at my AC firm and I'm seeing people who went to Harvard, started businesses, and are just generally outstanding candidates. I don't see myself as having a selling point.

The commercial part of the interview and the unknown of that also terrifies me. I think my commercial awareness is decent. I've done an M&A course, try and follow the news etc, but I just know there's someone better.

I know going into the AC with this mentality will make me fail before I've even entered the room, so has anyone else felt similar and how did you effectively deal with it? Any advice would be appreciated

just to add to the conversation, I personally find it really hard to not feel like an imposter, so the way I work around it is by giving in and accepting that I might be one. So maybe I am less qualified to do this AC than everyone else, so what? So someone on the graduate recruitment team made a mistake, but it's working in my favor. I am in the same room as the Harvard grad and the entrepreneurs, at the same stage of our applications. We both have an audience with partners of the firm. I have as good a shot as them to make an impression, as long as I put more work in. Maybe I'm not clever enough to get a vacation scheme, so what? Plenty of people are in positions of power that they have no business being in, and yet they make do and everything's fine. I don't need to be "good enough" to get a TC. I just need the right sequence of people in the right places to believe that I'm good enough.

Of course I'm not saying that either of us are actually not good enough. You have earned every AC that you get, and so have I. But for me, understanding on some abstract level that I have passed some metric to get here doesn't help when I don't feel like I should be here. So this is how I get over the mental block. Added benefit of making me feel a little cheeky and anti-establishment while grovelling for a job lmao, but YMMV

 

[legallyad]

"Tell us about any open days and events that you have attended in the legal sector."
How would you answer this if you really haven't been to any events? It was impossible to get on any through my uni's law soc and I just didn't realise I needed to honestly but this is a 250 word question on a firm's application.

have you been to any firm events with legal cheek or virtual law fairs? i think these would suffice as well as they’re ‘events’ !!

 

[Sunshinepink]

Does anyone know if I can apply for the Insight event at Howard Kennedy AND the Training Contract or if it must only be one or the other?

 

[ia1234555]

Davis Polk sent me a PFO a few minutes ago. They said my application was "impressive" but that they are "unable to invite" me to an interview (probably copied and pasted given the different font sizes).

Disappointing as I thought I had a really strong application.

same!!!

 

[Dae]

has anyone heard back from Freshfields post AC?

 

[Jessica Booker]

It was after a written exercise

Not an issue at all then. You’d only be expected to asks questions at the end of an interview.

 

[laby201]

I have definitely felt the same, last year I had 6 post-AC/interview rejections with a lot of feedback about lacking confidence. I started to think I could never be good enough and that made me even more nervous going in. I finally got a VS offer at the end of last year and the main difference was putting less pressure on the interview.

I know it’s easier said than done, but one thing I was told was to not build it up so much, to make it less important. It would be great to get this one, but it’s not your last chance. If you don’t get it, you’ll still have other opportunities! It took me a long time to accept this advice, but once I did, it took some pressure off and I enjoyed the AC experience more.

Also the day before make sure to take a break and do something you enjoy (I spent half a day singing, annoying my family 😂) You’ve probably done a lot to prep and there’s not much else you can do. I think remembering that you can never predict everything that could come up forces you to stop trying to know everything.

The fact that you’re making it to AC means that you are good enough! They get hundreds-thousands of applications and usually the % that get through to AC is quite low. The firm has seen something they like and they just want to make sure it comes across in person too.

In terms of a selling point, everyone has a different background and things you might not think of as important could stand out to the firm. If you look through your experiences is there anything you’ve done that you’re particularly proud of? (Doesn’t have to be work/uni related). Try to bring it up if you can. Look back through your application and see if there’s anything more you could highlight about your skills.

Commercial awareness is one of my weaker areas, but my advice would be to talk through things as logically as you can. If you can show your thought process that can go a long way.

Also, I deleted LinkedIn for a while. It’s helpful for reaching out to people/keeping up with firm news but it can be difficult to see everybody’s success when you’re struggling. So if it’s doing more harm than good maybe take a break.

Good luck with the AC!

(Just realising how long this is 😅)

Thank you so much, this really helped. Think relaxing and taking a step back/putting less pressure on it is probably the number one thing, rather than letting it consume me.

I think it’s not wanting to let down family members etc - I think they underestimate how different the process is to a lot of professions and don’t understand the level of competitiveness.

But honestly thank you so much for the advice ❤️

 

[laby201]

I’ve seen conflicting thoughts about this, but is it ill-advised to mention pro bono as a motivation for “why this firm?”

I’m genuinely drawn to the firm’s pro bono practice, the fact they have a pro bono secondment, and a particular initiative. It does seem like a “big” part of the firm.

However, others have said to focus more on culture and work and pro bono is a weak point because all firms offer it in some way.

It would be my last of three points so far from my main reason but would you stray from this and find alternative points?

Tagging @Jessica Booker and @axelbeugre as figured you might know!

 

[yasmars]

I’ve seen conflicting thoughts about this, but is it ill-advised to mention pro bono as a motivation for “why this firm?”

I’m genuinely drawn to the firm’s pro bono practice, the fact they have a pro bono secondment, and a particular initiative. It does seem like a “big” part of the firm.

However, others have said to focus more on culture and work and pro bono is a weak point because all firms offer it in some way.

It would be my last of three points so far from my main reason but would you stray from this and find alternative points?

Tagging @Jessica Booker and @axelbeugre as figured you might know!

Which firm is this out of interest?

 

[Jessica Booker]

I’ve seen conflicting thoughts about this, but is it ill-advised to mention pro bono as a motivation for “why this firm?”

I’m genuinely drawn to the firm’s pro bono practice, the fact they have a pro bono secondment, and a particular initiative. It does seem like a “big” part of the firm.

However, others have said to focus more on culture and work and pro bono is a weak point because all firms offer it in some way.

It would be my last of three points so far from my main reason but would you stray from this and find alternative points?

Tagging @Jessica Booker and @axelbeugre as figured you might know!

You can mention it, but just don’t make it the first reason or dedicate a lot of word count to it. Even though pro bono might feed through to lots of different initiatives, it is only going to be something you do occasionally - it is like an extra curricular rather than it being a key part of what you will be doing each week.

 

[laby201]

Which firm is this out of interest?

HSF

 

[laby201]

You can mention it, but just don’t make it the first reason or dedicate a lot of word count to it. Even though pro bono might feed through to lots of different initiatives, it is only going to be something you do occasionally - it is like an extra curricular rather than it being a key part of what you will be doing each week.

Thank you! Would be planning to do it in an interview answer - main point is international work, second dispute strength and final would be mentioning pro bono. I feel those are my core motivations but perhaps trying to mention the culture/another aspect of the work/strategy would be more effective or tailored?

 

[sarahhhh]

Anyone applied Reed Smith's first year scheme have heard back?

Applied but nothing heard back yet: do they suppose have an online assessment. And when this event supposed to be held? (like which date on July) I am also waiting so hope you get good news soon.

 

[Cynthia14]

Applied but nothing heard back yet: do they suppose have an online assessment. And when this event supposed to be held? (like which date on July) I am also waiting so hope you get good news soon.

They have a online assessment but I still haven‘t receive yet. I’m not really sure about the date

 

[attempting law]

Is the OC virtual AC the last stage or no?

 

[bella98]

Is the OC virtual AC the last stage or no?

I’m confused as well, it seems like it is not —> https://join.osborneclarke.com/apply#application

 

[attempting law]

I’m confused as well, it seems like it is not —> https://join.osborneclarke.com/apply#application

Yeah but then all the other sites for this year make it seem like it is?