Tips and tricks for Vac Schemes

[Bheenee]

Hi everyone, I'm Bheenee! I'm a penultimate year at Durham University, and I'm currently trying to make the most of the application season, however the constant rejections aren't helping . Any tips for applying to open days and vac schemes? Like things that are really not out there? I'm part of multiple society execs, I've attended a lot of law firm events in my first year aswell, I dont know where the problem lies?

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

Hi everyone, I'm Bheenee! I'm a penultimate year at Durham University, and I'm currently trying to make the most of the application season, however the constant rejections aren't helping . Any tips for applying to open days and vac schemes? Like things that are really not out there? I'm part of multiple society execs, I've attended a lot of law firm events in my first year aswell, I dont know where the problem lies?

Hi Bheenee!

I wouldn't take the rejections as a sign that there is necessarily something wrong with your profile! Open days and vacation schemes are incredibly competitive, and there can be a lot of subjectivity involved in applications.

One thing I would keep in mind is that open day and vacation scheme applications require slightly different approaches. For an open day, you should focus more on what you hope to gain from attending and why you are keen to learn more about the firm and the profession. With a vacation scheme application, you generally need to go further and demonstrate why you would be a good fit for the firm and, importantly, why you are interested in training there specifically/completing their vacation scheme.

It sounds like you are already doing a lot of the right things with your societies and attending firms events, so I would focus less on finding some "hidden" extracurricular and more on how you are presenting the experiences you already have. I would try to make sure you are explaining what you have learnt and how those experiences have shaped your interests or skillset, rather than just listing them.

If you are consistently getting rejections at the same stage, it might also be worth getting someone to look over a few of your applications to see if there is a particular pattern or area you could improve - sometimes it just helps to have another pair of eyes look at it!

I really would try not to be too disheartened (although I appreciate that is easier said than done) - these processes are very competitive, so a few rejections definitely don't mean you are doing something wrong!