HFW PFO!!! This one stung oof
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TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26
- Thread starter Ram Sabaratnam
- Start date
If anyone completed an interview with Watson Farley & Williams for the training contract?
Please message me; I'm happy to advise on firms too!
Please message me; I'm happy to advise on firms too!
so tired of this application process. it really beats you down after a while. i'm curious if anyone on this sub or if @Abbie Whitlock has heard of people negotiating an earlier TC and SQE start date after receiving an offer. (i,e if i receive an offer next cycle for sept 2029 start, what's the success rate of asking to start in sep 2028 instead?)
it depends entirely on whether there is space in the intake. It definitely happens
yeah because i genuinely dont think they read any applications submitted post may
Hey!
Please don't apologise at all - that's exactly what I'm here for!
I think your interpretation of the question is probably the right one. Questions like this are usually assessing things like resilience, self-awareness, perseverance, and how you respond when things do not go to plan, rather than whether you have always been successful.
From what you have described, your example sounds relevant. Moving to the UK at 16 without speaking English is a significant challenge, and it is completely valid to use a life example if the interviewer says you can use work, education or personal experiences. The key is making sure you spend enough time explaining your actions, what you learnt from the experience, and how that has influenced the way you approach challenges now.
I also don't think the interviewers are necessarily looking for a dramatic failure. Sometimes they are interested in whether you can acknowledge disappointment, reflect honestly on it, and demonstrate that you kept going rather than giving up. Your point about perseverance and resilience is exactly the type of takeaway and reflection that I'd aim for too.
Without hearing the full answer it is impossible to say how it came across, but from your description, I wouldn't necessarily worry that you misunderstood what they were assessing. It sounds like you addressed the core competency they were exploring, and gave a genuine example of when you have been in a situation like that.
Wishing you the best of luck with the outcome!
Hey!
Congratulations on the offer!
It will depend on the deadline the firm has given you - some firms ask for a response within a week or two, while others are happy to give longer if you explain that you are waiting to hear back from another application. If you haven't already, I'd check your offer email first to see whether they mention a deadline.
If another firm has been silent for a few weeks and you are approaching your acceptance deadline, I don't think it is unreasonable to send a polite email explaining that you have received another offer and asking whether they are able to provide an update on your application. You're not asking them to rush a decision, just giving them context that you need to make an informed choice - I did a similar thing last cycle, and I was able to get an answer a few days later from the firm that I had been waiting to hear from.
I know it can feel a bit awkward, but the graduate recruitment team will be used to candidates managing multiple applications, especially after vacation schemes. As long as you are polite and transparent (and reiterate your interest in the firm), I don't think it'll come across as pushy at all.
Fingers crossed you hear back soon, and congratulations again!
Hey!
I completely understand how you are feeling - the application process can be really draining, especially over multiple cycles, and it can feel even worse when you feel you've got really close but don't quite have an offer yet.
In terms of bringing a training contract forward, it does happen, but I wouldn't say it is something you can rely on. It usually depends on the firm's business needs, whether they have capacity in an earlier intake, and whether any spaces become available (e.g. someone asks to defer, or someone fails a portion of their exams). Some firms are more flexible than others, but many recruit years in advance as they have planned those cohorts already.
If you do receive an offer for a later start date, there is no harm in politely asking whether an earlier intake is possible. The worst they can say is that there isn't any availability. Sometimes firms will also contact future trainees themselves if spaces open up and ask whether anyone would be interested in bringing their start date forward, so I'd also keep an eye out for that if needed
Rest of us received PFO.I heard nothing from HFW, positive or otherwise but apparently someone from there looked up my linkedin
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