TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2024-5
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Funnily enough it tends to be the opposite, such as for example with Hogan Lovells' 40 TC places, 38 go to London and 2 to Birmingham
I think you have missed my point. Those London places will have always been London places.
I am unsure why a wow face has been given to my comment . For the avoidance of any confusion I meant that usually if you apply for a regional place they aren't able to switch to London and indeed it is generally discouraged. Firms do not like people applying to regional offices in the hope they can change to London. The example that the poster gave didn't address a switch merely that HL have 38 London spaces but only 2 Birmingham spaces. This does not indicate that switches were made after offers of TCs were made and most likely is indicative of the spaces they had available for each office.
Completed Hogan Lovells WG Feb 13 - still no feedback! Anyone else?
I don't think HL London gets 19 times more applicants though.
I meant the opposite with regards to it being harder not easier to go for regional offices.
Yes I think candidates mistakenly think it may be easier and on occasion it may be because there may indeed be fewer better candidates applying depending which office. Also I know some regional firms look for ties to that region as part of their criteria when assessing applications. This is because they dont want people to train with them and then go off elsewhere as soon as they qualify having invested heavily in them. This was explained to me by a partner at a regional firm I did an insight week at. So having been accepted because of having ties to the region then asking to be switched after TC offer to London which would have different salary, and maintenance grants etc it would not be considered by that firm and he said by most firms.
Also they will have assessed the regional applicants against each other and it may be that there were better London applicants who didn't get offers because they were judged against other London applicants so it would not be fair.
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On the reverse side, does this mean that as someone based in the regions, I will have a higher chance of succeeding if I go for firms HQed near where I am as opposed to London offices or regional firms based elsewhere?
Tbh, it’s my first tc cycle so I’m trying to only concentrate and only applying to firms’ london offices as I would see myself there long term but @3000to1shoteverytime is right, I had done a one year placement at an international law firm in my third year and was told the same by the emerging talent team.
If I am unsuccessful in this cycle I would apply to a mix of regional and london offices of firms (linking would be the difficult part for me as I’m an international and the only link I can show is that I went to warwick uni which is very close to Birmingham and I like the city/spend a lot of time in the city but nothing else😂)because london may be more competitive and there may be stronger and a lot more candidates applying to the london office which can make a candidate unsuccessful for the london office but may get an offer from a regional office with that same application/ ac performance. Also worth noting that for some firms, regional office may be more competitive or as competitive as the london office so I’d try to manage my applications accordingly, i.e., in such cases apply to the london office and where I think competition may be a bit less for a regional office, I’d try to apply for the regional office tc. This is ofc subjective to each person (Again, these are just my thoughts in relation to what I am writing in the second half)
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I honestly don’t think it is easier which ever location you go for. You are going to be assessed to the same level whichever office you go for. Just because there could be fewer or more candidates doesn’t make the process easier or difficult.
I stress to people time and time again that you should apply to the location you want to work in. Trying to gamify the system will not work unless you can play the long game and wait until you are qualified to move.
People think they’ll be able to convince HR to move them at some point in the recruitment process or during training, but this rarely happens. Even when you have trained with a firm, moving office upon qualification is also unlikely, and so moving is more likely to happen if you change firm.
I never had moving in mind as I would personally prefer to be in the regions.
two PFOs in one day! one from my top firm after interview with HR, and one immediately post application. #super
Withers test! I've never done a law firm test so any tips would be much appreciated
Is it still worth applying to still open DTCs as a non-law grad at this stage? E.g Baker McKenzie and Ashurst which I've seen are still open.
The alternative is to not apply and see if you get the TC that way...
(I'm obviously being facetious, but it's as simple as you have to be in it to win it, so yes, it's worth it).
Any tips on Ashurst’s psychometric test? Done it a couple of times. Very difficult and have never passed. Should I ask for reasonable adjustments? Could they reduce the test’s importance? It’s putting me off applying there. Funny how these things work sometimes. US firms with no tests whatsoever. Other firms with tests like Ashurst’s. Hence my differing success rate historically. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
So they've recently changed their test to Cappfinity I think, at least for the direct TC. Just fyi in case you weren't aware. They mentioned this was very new at a careers event.
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