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TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

The Civil Service one allows people with previous qualifications as long as they are non law or not achieved recently and qualify you for the graduate apprenticeship. So as I only have a non law degree, I will be learning new material meaning I can do the scheme. I have confirmation from them that I am eligible.
Interested in everyone's perspective here, but what is the better option here?

context: 25 year old non law grad already working in Civil service.

Option A) 37k solicitor apprenticeship w/ the civil service for 6 years (salary rises throughout reaching roughly 60-70k at the end)

Option B) Traditional TC route which would take at least 4 years to reach NQ (assuming no extra exams taken)
Please provide any insight!!

My main concerns are to do with renumeration and WLB.

I know if I go direct TC i will stick to leaving for the civil service/in house because of the WLB.

A lot of seniors have told me being young and from a low income background it makes more sense to go where I am best paid. Especially as I want to live in London and i have a massive loan debt from SFE.

I think the work wherever you end up is great tbh, and much of the enjoyment will be to do with the culture of your team more anything. But interested in how people tackle the idea of pay when it comes to private v public sector work.
 
Please provide any insight!!

My main concerns are to do with renumeration and WLB.

I know if I go direct TC i will stick to leaving for the civil service/in house because of the WLB.

A lot of seniors have told me being young and from a low income background it makes more sense to go where I am best paid. Especially as I want to live in London and i have a massive loan debt from SFE.

I think the work wherever you end up is great tbh, and much of the enjoyment will be to do with the culture of your team more anything. But interested in how people tackle the idea of pay when it comes to private v public sector work.
I am also from a low income background (I earn good money now), so I’ll give my two cents. When I was looking for my current role, I had multiple offers from the civil service. I ended up choosing my current role at a large bank, even though I found the work less interesting. I haven’t regretted it at all. The opportunities I’ve had since then have been insane, and the money/benefits package is something the public sector could never match. Like you, many seniors have told me to train at the best law firm I can because that gives you more options later. It seems like it’s easier to move from, say, a MC/US/SC/international/large firm into in-house/civil service than the other way round. Of course, this also depends on the type of law you want to qualify into, but that’s the general advice. Organisations like the Civil Service will always be there, but the opportunity to make a life changing amount of money may not be.
 
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BACK AFTER AGES!!!

A long break from the forum as been trying to process this cycle. Finally been rejected from all Vacation Scheme applications for this cycle so my cycle has come to an end with 0 offers. For context I do not come from a privileged background nor did I attend a Russell Group university. Would look for any advice on what to do as the post AC rejection from SPB and another firm hit me a lot.

Application summary (I did have a list of 12 applications when I made my application strategy in August)

Applications made - 30
Applications with tests and no application questions - 14
Post application rejections - 6
Test rejections - 10
Video Interview rejections - 10
AC rejections - 2

I am thinking of the positives about how I have developed this cycle and the experiences I have learned.

Finally the friend or friends I have made on the forum shows how some people are willing to help.

Anyone reading this and has not progressed past the application stage my advice is the applications I reached far I wrote those applications from my heart and did not use any AI tools to draft any of my applications.
 
Interviews are definitely my downfall. I know this and I've had coaching, mock sessions, listened to feedback and still keep getting rejected.

I am neurodivergent (ADHD) and am beginning to wonder if it is a little more to do with this. I can ramble a lot, struggle to remember things on the spot etc. I've done a lot of work on this, lots of practice for interviews etc. It's something I've only recently been diagnosed with though and so I'm still navigating what it all means. If anyone else also has ADHD and is willing to share techniques that have helped them or accomodations they've been able to ask for I would be really appreciative.
 
Interviews are definitely my downfall. I know this and I've had coaching, mock sessions, listened to feedback and still keep getting rejected.

I am neurodivergent (ADHD) and am beginning to wonder if it is a little more to do with this. I can ramble a lot, struggle to remember things on the spot etc. I've done a lot of work on this, lots of practice for interviews etc. It's something I've only recently been diagnosed with though and so I'm still navigating what it all means. If anyone else also has ADHD and is willing to share techniques that have helped them or accomodations they've been able to ask for I would be really appreciative.
Honestly, the best advice I ever received was to take a sip of water before answering so that I could gather my thoughts. I think it has helped a lot. Also, as soon as I catch myself rambling, I just finish my sentence and basically tie it back to the original question.
 
Hi @Abbie Whitlock or anyone else that is aware,
Do you know if Reed Smith individually benchmarks pillars in the Amberjack?
For reference my grit was 3/9 but overall 25/36 the rest were all above 6 and my VI I thought was alright.
As someone who got through to AC stage for Reed Smith for the vac scheme at least, I got 3/9 for one pillar. And while I don't know exactly how it works, I was told in a virtual event with they kind of separately assess the VI, and they have a different weighting for VI and test. So a good test can offset a bad VI, and vice versa.
 
So far from this forum it seems people invited to the VI/TI submitted their applications around the deadline, please correct me if I am wrong!

I submitted my app 24 April and completed the SJT 25 April. I got to the final interview for the spring VS last year so really hoping they are sending VIs in batches… 😵‍💫
 
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Hi, hearing a lot about how the W&C VI is quite difficult. I applied on the deadline but haven’t heard back yet, but in the meantime, can those who gave it/ advanced to the next stage give any insight or advice into the VI and how to best prep for it? Did it contain any curveball questions?
 
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BACK AFTER AGES!!!

A long break from the forum as been trying to process this cycle. Finally been rejected from all Vacation Scheme applications for this cycle so my cycle has come to an end with 0 offers. For context I do not come from a privileged background nor did I attend a Russell Group university. Would look for any advice on what to do as the post AC rejection from SPB and another firm hit me a lot.

Application summary (I did have a list of 12 applications when I made my application strategy in August)

Applications made - 30
Applications with tests and no application questions - 14
Post application rejections - 6
Test rejections - 10
Video Interview rejections - 10
AC rejections - 2

I am thinking of the positives about how I have developed this cycle and the experiences I have learned.

Finally the friend or friends I have made on the forum shows how some people are willing to help.

Anyone reading this and has not progressed past the application stage my advice is the applications I reached far I wrote those applications from my heart and did not use any AI tools to draft any of my applications.
Hey!

Welcome back! Thank you for sharing this so openly, and I'm sorry to hear that this cycle has ended this way for you. I'm the first in my family to go to university, and I went to a non-Russell Group university too, so I completely understand how disheartening it can be when it feels like you get so close at the AC stage after making it past the first few rounds.

Submitting 30 applications and making it to multiple video interviews and assessment centres is no easy feat and shows that you had a strong cycle overall, even if the end result doesn't feel like it. It shows that your applications are working to a point and you are clearly competitive enough to get through those early stages.

I'd definitely avoid viewing it as a "0 offers = no progress" situation - like you've said, you will have developed a lot of this cycle and built lots of experience. The jump from getting interviews/ACs to converting them is often the hardest part, but very learnable and coachable and this was definitely the bit I struggled with last cycle too!

In terms of next steps, I'd probably try not to see this as a reset to zero situation! You've now got a much clearer idea of which stages are tripping you up most, which is incredibly useful for targeted improvement next cycle. It might be worth getting very specific feedback where possible and then focusing your prep around those areas, rather than just broadly reapplying in the same way again. I'd also give yourself some space from it if you can - these application cycles can be really draining, and stepping back briefly can help you come back more motivated next time.

Wishing you the best of luck, and let us know if we can help at all! :)
 
Interviews are definitely my downfall. I know this and I've had coaching, mock sessions, listened to feedback and still keep getting rejected.

I am neurodivergent (ADHD) and am beginning to wonder if it is a little more to do with this. I can ramble a lot, struggle to remember things on the spot etc. I've done a lot of work on this, lots of practice for interviews etc. It's something I've only recently been diagnosed with though and so I'm still navigating what it all means. If anyone else also has ADHD and is willing to share techniques that have helped them or accomodations they've been able to ask for I would be really appreciative.
Hi!

As someone who also struggled a lot with interviews, I really feel for you as it sounds like you have put a huge amount of work into improving, which can make repeated interview rejections especially frustrating.

I'm also neurodivergent, and I do think it can play role in interviews, particularly with things like rambling, struggling to structure thoughts quickly under pressure, interrupting slightly when nervous (I've done this more times than I'd like to admit!), or finding it difficult to retrieve examples on the spot. Interviews can be such an artificial environment and they often reward concise and highly structured communication under time pressure, which does not always align naturally with how our brains process information.

One thing I would say though is the fact that you are getting interviews/ACs in the first place is a strong sign that firms already see potential in you. Therefore, it is likely more of a technique or presentation issue rather than a capability issue (although I appreciate that may not be super reassuring).

I also think it is definitely worth exploring accommodations rather than feeling like you have to force yourself through the "standard process". I totally understand being nervous about asking for accommodations, and it made me feel slightly uncomfortable last cycle, but graduate recruitment teams have always been super receptive and it is worth it to give yourself the best shot. Depending on the firm, adjustments like receiving written instructions, extra processing time, rest breaks, or flexibility in assessment formats can sometimes be available, so I'd definitely enquire with the firm about what they can offer.

In terms of practical things that helped me personally, I found it really useful to massively simplify my answer structures. I would almost force myself to start with a headline/signposting sentence like "There are two main reasons for that..." because otherwise I could end up going down too many tangents, and it would keep me on track. I also found that having a few very well-practised examples for the core competencies helped reduce the "mind going blank" feeling as I was not trying to think of something completely now on the spot.

You also mentioned that your diagnosis is recent, and I think that is important to keep in mind too. I found that there was a period of learning how your brain works best and which coping strategies genuinely help you, rather than just trying to mask everything.

You are clearly reflective and resilient, and I think that the fact you are reaching these later stages show that you are more than capable of securing an offer. I hope you are able to find what works best for you! :)
 
Hi!

As someone who also struggled a lot with interviews, I really feel for you as it sounds like you have put a huge amount of work into improving, which can make repeated interview rejections especially frustrating.

I'm also neurodivergent, and I do think it can play role in interviews, particularly with things like rambling, struggling to structure thoughts quickly under pressure, interrupting slightly when nervous (I've done this more times than I'd like to admit!), or finding it difficult to retrieve examples on the spot. Interviews can be such an artificial environment and they often reward concise and highly structured communication under time pressure, which does not always align naturally with how our brains process information.

One thing I would say though is the fact that you are getting interviews/ACs in the first place is a strong sign that firms already see potential in you. Therefore, it is likely more of a technique or presentation issue rather than a capability issue (although I appreciate that may not be super reassuring).

I also think it is definitely worth exploring accommodations rather than feeling like you have to force yourself through the "standard process". I totally understand being nervous about asking for accommodations, and it made me feel slightly uncomfortable last cycle, but graduate recruitment teams have always been super receptive and it is worth it to give yourself the best shot. Depending on the firm, adjustments like receiving written instructions, extra processing time, rest breaks, or flexibility in assessment formats can sometimes be available, so I'd definitely enquire with the firm about what they can offer.

In terms of practical things that helped me personally, I found it really useful to massively simplify my answer structures. I would almost force myself to start with a headline/signposting sentence like "There are two main reasons for that..." because otherwise I could end up going down too many tangents, and it would keep me on track. I also found that having a few very well-practised examples for the core competencies helped reduce the "mind going blank" feeling as I was not trying to think of something completely now on the spot.

You also mentioned that your diagnosis is recent, and I think that is important to keep in mind too. I found that there was a period of learning how your brain works best and which coping strategies genuinely help you, rather than just trying to mask everything.

You are clearly reflective and resilient, and I think that the fact you are reaching these later stages show that you are more than capable of securing an offer. I hope you are able to find what works best for you! :)
Thank you so much Abbie. This is really helpful and reassuring
 
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