General Discussion Thread 2020-21

[thecorporatelawyer]

Hi all, strange question, but when you speak about the firm in your application do you use "your firm" or "the firm." i.e. "I admire how your firm...." or "I admire how the firm..."

 

[thecorporatelawyer]

Format wise (but not great content):

https://targetjobs.co.uk/sites/targ...ion-scheme-covering_letter-with-tips-2016.pdf

yes, I would normally put the full address in if they are asking for a cover letter

Do you always have to end it with the "I am looking forward to hearing from you" bit at the end? I'm just trying to downsize as much as possible.

 

[thecorporatelawyer]

If you are reducing font size, and reducing margins/or making line spacing too crowded, then you are squeezing stuff in.

my advice:

GO ON WORD COUNT rather than aiming for a page. With all formal letter formatting, a one page letter is probably going to be less 650 words.

Don’t put it less than 11 font (10 can be fine depending on the font type and test of your formatting, but generally 11 is better).

Single line spacing is fine if your paragraphs are short (no one wants to read a massive block of small text), don’t put your margins too narrow.

when you have finished it, zoom out so you can see the whole page in one screen, and ask yourself:

- does the page look too busy
- would you be compelled to read it

If you are reducing font size, and reducing margins/or making line spacing too crowded, then you are squeezing stuff in.

my advice:

GO ON WORD COUNT rather than aiming for a page. With all formal letter formatting, a one page letter is probably going to be less 650 words.

Don’t put it less than 11 font (10 can be fine depending on the font type and test of your formatting, but generally 11 is better).

Single line spacing is fine if your paragraphs are short (no one wants to read a massive block of small text), don’t put your margins too narrow.

when you have finished it, zoom out so you can see the whole page in one screen, and ask yourself:

- does the page look too busy
- would you be compelled to read it

Hey I just remembered what you said about margins, and what would you consider too narrow? As my entire cover letter is only 580 words and I'm using size 11 font, but it still goes slightly passed one page. I narrowed the margins to "moderate" settings and now it fits on one page would that be okay?

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Hi all, strange question, but when you speak about the firm in your application do you use "your firm" or "the firm." i.e. "I admire how your firm...." or "I admire how the firm..."

either is fine. Although you could just use the firm name.

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Do you always have to end it with the "I am looking forward to hearing from you" bit at the end? I'm just trying to downsize as much as possible.

no. As I said format is good in terms of layout, content isn’t that great. You will need some form of conclusion though.

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Hey I just remembered what you said about margins, and what would you consider too narrow? As my entire cover letter is only 580 words and I'm using size 11 font, but it still goes slightly passed one page. I narrowed the margins to "moderate" settings and now it fits on one page would that be okay?

It’s never as black to white as that. Look at it and ask yourself does the page look too busy?

 

[NCLaw]

I seriously must have done some pretty questionable stuff in my previous life because I don't know how else to explain the mess this application cycle is for me

For reference, I applied to only a few firms this year so far with 4 of them postponing their recruitment process (all after I have already submitted the apps + one of them after the first stage interview) and 1 cancelling their vacation scheme altogether (I was moved to the direct TC process, but still). Now Forsters joins the crowd, thankfully (?) I was only in the middle of the application, so no biggie.

Anyways, how's your Tuesday going, folks?

Hi All!

I was slightly confused about the Forsters situation as the applications were still open but I was seeing all of these messages. I emailed HR to confirm and received the following in response:

"We are still accepting and reviewing applications for the 2022 training contract, although we have made the decision not to hold assessment days and interviews in the summer like we normally would due to Covid-19 and the office closure. We will pick this up again at a later date, either later on in the year or early next year.

We pride ourselves on our personal approach to the recruitment process and felt this would be lost if we were to assess candidates virtually. We also don’t believe we would get the best out of candidates if we hosted assessment days online."

So from this, I believe that we are still able to submit an application for 2022. We just will not be allowed to the next stage until we are able to be assessed again in person.

Hope this helps

 

[c1070]

Hi All!

I was slightly confused about the Forsters situation as the applications were still open but I was seeing all of these messages. I emailed HR to confirm and received the following in response:

"We are still accepting and reviewing applications for the 2022 training contract, although we have made the decision not to hold assessment days and interviews in the summer like we normally would due to Covid-19 and the office closure. We will pick this up again at a later date, either later on in the year or early next year.

We pride ourselves on our personal approach to the recruitment process and felt this would be lost if we were to assess candidates virtually. We also don’t believe we would get the best out of candidates if we hosted assessment days online."

So from this, I believe that we are still able to submit an application for 2022. We just will not be allowed to the next stage until we are able to be assessed again in person.

Hope this helps

Hey yeah you’re right! I had a place on their vac scheme but they cancelled it and initially said they’d interview us for a direct TC in summer instead.

They’ve now sent that email saying we will still interview you for the direct but not until we can do in real life. Is a big shame as I understand why they want to hold them IRL but so many other firms are doing them virtually To have to wait until early next year feels frustrating! Especially as for The vac schemers theyve already interviewed us In real life (I know a TC assessment is more rigorous because it’s a bigger commitment etc) but that’s just me being impatient aha

 

[NickMcK]

Hi All!

I was slightly confused about the Forsters situation as the applications were still open but I was seeing all of these messages. I emailed HR to confirm and received the following in response:

"We are still accepting and reviewing applications for the 2022 training contract, although we have made the decision not to hold assessment days and interviews in the summer like we normally would due to Covid-19 and the office closure. We will pick this up again at a later date, either later on in the year or early next year.

We pride ourselves on our personal approach to the recruitment process and felt this would be lost if we were to assess candidates virtually. We also don’t believe we would get the best out of candidates if we hosted assessment days online."

So from this, I believe that we are still able to submit an application for 2022. We just will not be allowed to the next stage until we are able to be assessed again in person.

Hope this helps

Thanks! I ended up doing the same and just received the same message. Great that we can still submit.

 

[h2020]

Hi - i have to do the assessment too! What is it like? I was assuming some kind of watson glaser style test

Yes it is. It isn't law related so you don't have to revise for it.

 

[h2020]

If a law firm asks you why the London office in particular. Does anyone have any tips on how to tackle this question? I said the London office does a lot of cross-border work.

 

[futuretraineecity]

Has anyone heard back from Bakers for the penultimate TC cycle post app?

 

[c1070]

If a law firm asks you why the London office in particular. Does anyone have any tips on how to tackle this question? I said the London office does a lot of cross-border work.

If you mean London as opposed to UK regional offices, I think there are a number of factors, things like:
- Clients (tend to be larger/more varied by nature of the fact London is a financial centre and where lots of businesses have their HQ)
- Practice areas/sectors (a private client firm might have a really strong regional agriculture department, but their London office might do more personal tax/trusts etc.)
-Trainee numbers (usually higher in the London office)
- Opportunities for CSR/social life at the firm (may well be more opportunities in the London office)

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

If a law firm asks you why the London office in particular. Does anyone have any tips on how to tackle this question? I said the London office does a lot of cross-border work.

For many people it will be as simple as saying they plan to live in or a commutable distance from London

 

[Anthony Abloh]

Hi Nat, they won't get back to us until after the deadline which is tomorrow!

 

[thecorporatelawyer]

Hi all, in the Slaughter and May application, the section where you are entering your UG grades they ask for the month and date you completed your exam. Although what if the module was 100% coursework? Do they simply mean the month/year you finished the module, i.e. if it was just a module in the fall that was 100% coursework you would put 01/18 if you finished in Jan of 2018?

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Hi all, in the Slaughter and May application, the section where you are entering your UG grades they ask for the month and date you completed your exam. Although what if the module was 100% coursework? Do they simply mean the month/year you finished the module, i.e. if it was just a module in the fall that was 100% coursework you would put 01/18 if you finished in Jan of 2018?

Don’t worry about this really, especially if the month isn’t on your transcript.

 

[dosblancos7]

Do BCLP still do the verbal reasoning test? Submitted a TC app on the 14th, and was wondering as last year when I applied for the insight scheme, I was asked to do one!

 

[dosblancos7]

For those doing TC apps, which firms have you applied to so far?

 

[thecorporatelawyer]

Don’t worry about this really, especially if the month isn’t on your transcript.

So I can just leave it blank?