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TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

emily3827

Distinguished Member
Premium Member
Feb 2, 2024
62
57
Hey!

I'd recommend emailing them now rather than waiting. Firms will usually prefer the transparency, and it's much easier for them to move you into a different pool of candidates rather than trying to reorganise when they've given out offers (as at that point, they may need to ask people to swap to the other scheme if there are set numbers for each).

If you politely explain that you have have another WVS and would like to be considered for the spring scheme instead, they're normally understanding - I did this last cycle and asked to be considered for the spring scheme instead, and still ended up receiving an offer.

I would just send a polite and appreciative email, as I'm sure it is unlikely to be a problem :)
perfect, thank you so much !!
 
  • 🤝
Reactions: Abbie Whitlock

Prudentia

Well-Known Member
Oct 21, 2025
24
31
I'd say I hope they all move to something more like Amberjack if they really wanna keep online assessments. The options are more sensible and not as much of a false dichotomy as they are in Cappfinity imo but as long as VSs/TCs remain this competitive, they're gonna use whatever they can to filter people out.

It's such a shame as well because promising candidates get tripped up by these false dichotomies esp in Cappfinity tests. Take the slider questions where you get examples like "I'm practical and down-to-earth vs I'm thoughtful and reflective" (I've learned the hard way that you get better scores if you hard commit to one side rather than sit in the middle). In this example, I'd say being thoughtful and reflective can lead to you becoming practical and down-to-earth. The Cappfinity reports don't give useful, quantifiable, or seemingly substantiated feedback (as compared to e.g. Amberjack's pillars) either.

These companies must really have some excellent salespeople considering they earn millions in revenue by essentially scamming major employers within the the market for "screening high volumes of applications". Ironically, after being tripped up by a lack of clarity on the ranking questions (it didn't state if 1 was best/most likely or worst/least likely) in a non-law test once, I've been asking the firms that use Cappfinity if they've looked into this before I even make an application, and a couple of firms did say that they spotted that and made sure to adjust the wording on their tests lmao.

Really does feel like we're all being made to jump through fiery hoops and walk across trapezes on our hands to even get to an AC these days. I do hope, at the very least, that law firms move away from Cappfinity.
I don’t think the purpose of these tests (Cappfinity, Watson Glaser, etc) is to find the best candidates (regardless of what the marketing says). I think they’re purely meant to knock as many candidates out as possible to reduce the number of applications needing human review. Law firms can’t manually review thousands of applications, so an easy way to massively reduce that number is to introduce an online test they know will trip a lot of people up.
 

User2640

Active Member
Premium Member
Jul 19, 2024
11
4
Hey!

I totally understand how you feel - whilst I've never been to an industry-specific event, I felt a similar way (and often still do!) before most networking events at firms so I can share what has helped me! People don't expect you to know everything - they just appreciate genuine interest in the area.

The easiest way to handle conversations is to focus on their experience, not on applications. I would start with something simple such as "I'm a student interested in this field, and I was wondering if you'd be happy to share what the work actually looks like day to day". This way, you give them some context on your background but it allows them to tell you about their career as well.

One of the key things to remember about networking events (both generally and industry-specific) is that the majority of people at them will genuinely enjoy their career, and will be more than happy to chat to you about it! Some starting points for conversations could be:

1. Ask what's changing in the industry and how it affects their clients
2. Ask what parts of the work they find most interesting or surprising
3. Ask how different teams work together on matters in that sector
4. Ask what they wish they'd known earlier about the practice area

These questions feel natural, don't put anyone on the spot, and give you a really good sense of the firm's culture and the type of work they do. Above all, have a think about what genuinely interests you about the industry and what you'd like to know more about - frame your questions around those things!

I would also try not to stress about being awkward (easier said than done, I know!). At these events, people are used to explaining what they do and they go to these events to talk to people who are interested in the area too - a bit of curiosity can go a long way!

I hope that helps, and best of luck with the event - I'm sure it'll go great! :)
Ah this is so specific and helpful, thank you so much Abbie!
 

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