Hey, I don’t have any particular advice. But, I just wanted to thank u for being so open, we all get rejection and it’s so hard to process a lot of the time. But it’s an absolute amazing achievement to get a vacation scheme, you are clearly an amazing candidate and that vac scheme will only stand you in good stead for future applications!! I hope u get sometime to relax today and just do something that makes you happy and switch off for a bit! sending all my love
General Discussion Thread 2020-21
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Hey, I don’t have any particular advice. But, I just wanted to thank u for being so open, we all get rejection and it’s so hard to process a lot of the time. But it’s an absolute amazing achievement to get a vacation scheme, you are clearly an amazing candidate and that vac scheme will only stand you in good stead for future applications!! I hope u get sometime to relax today and just do something that makes you happy and switch off for a bit! sending all my love
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if you have just been rejected, give yourself some time off from thinking about it. Go and enjoy other things in your life and maybe come back to this towards the end of this week or maybe even next week and then regroup and start to think about your new plan of action.
when you say you are doing an accelerated track, what do you mean?
hi jessica, thank you so much for the advice. i will definitely give it sometime and keep pushing.
i meant im doing an accelerated LLB (so 2 years bcz i already have an undergrad degree).
thank you so much. of course, i feel v supported on this forum and i know im not alone in the process, which can be v debilitating sometimes. i'll watch some dumb tv and try to not to think about it. thank you again
)I'm really sorry to hear this, but like others have said, the fact that you got a VS is amazing in its own right(and also always super competitive to get). I'm sure these processes involve some form of luck, but your hard work will pay off in the next cycle. Certainly rest for a while to take your mind of things
(I know how you feel as I was also rejected from TC's earlier), but just be assured you are a great candidate, and all it takes is for one firm to say yes You got this !
Just got my video interview invite for Bakers! I've read on here that it's usually 4 competency Qs and 1 commercial Q - I was just wondering whether anyone could tell me whether the commercial Qs are specific or whether they ask you to discuss a news story of your choice?
I feel your anguish, I admittedly spent most of today feeling quite crap about myself because this is my third cycle, and I am terrified about how I am going to pay for the GDL etc. If you ever want to rant or talk, feel free to PM me. I have hope that it does get better though, I lost a parent in 2017, and it was really hard to deal with, but life has a funny way of working itself out right at the moment you think it is over. (That being said the TC is still pending! ) Sending lots of warmth your way.
Thank you for being so strong in sharing this with everyone. I understand how you feel, and you are definitely not alone in this. When I got rejected, I felt extremely defeated and the only way I was able to continue persevering was that I found some like-minded people who were willing to practise interview questions and commercial awareness questions with me - finding someone who was going through the same things I was, but who were equally willing to work hard to get to the place we eventually wanted to be at kept me going, and made me even more determined to get a TC.
If you like, feel free to PM me so you can let off any steam. The TC application process can be physically draining at times, so it's always good to have a support network
That being said, if you would like to form a group so that we can bounce interview questions/commercial awareness discussions off each other, don't hesitate to PM me. I am sure we will both get to the place we want to be It's not a matter of 'if', but simply a matter of 'when' Sending you lots of warmth.
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Hey! I'm really sorry to hear this and I know first hand having also been rejected post-vac last year how much this sucks. I know everyone has already said this before but to even get on a VS is a huge achievement and take pride in this - because it is actual concrete proof you absolutely are good enough and deserving of a TC. Take a break from apps and just relax - when I did this I quickly began to see why maybe the firm I was rejected from wasn't right for me. You will find that silver lining I promise you.
Would anyone be interested in making a WhatsApp support group to discuss commercial awareness and general application things whilst we wait for the outcomes?
I feel that we often see the successes of others, but rarely see the struggle behind that. I for one can say that this has been a really lonely time through coronavirus and applications etc, and wondered if anyone else is feeling the same?
I feel that we often see the successes of others, but rarely see the struggle behind that. I for one can say that this has been a really lonely time through coronavirus and applications etc, and wondered if anyone else is feeling the same?
Hi everyone! i was just wondering that while preparing my answer for 'why X law firm' for an interview. I am really keen on honing on one of their departments that interests me rather than generically speaking about their range of highly ranked practice areas.
my concerns with this are:
1) is it okay to talk about a specific practice (i.e energy) which they're well known/received awards for but isn't like their MAIN thing
2) when talking about an area like energy--- what can you really say why it interests you (like for me its a lot to do with this firm's recent energy deals which are to do with renewable energy and I was planning on linking that with my enthusiasm and interest (?) in the global shift towards renewable energy in wake of the climate crisis. But I'm not sure if this a coherent reason and if I should scrap it altogether.
I don't want to scrap it tbh and rather not take the easier route of talking about their Banking department (which is their main mammoth department) and feigning interest in tht=
Any help on this would be appreciated! Thank you
my concerns with this are:
1) is it okay to talk about a specific practice (i.e energy) which they're well known/received awards for but isn't like their MAIN thing
2) when talking about an area like energy--- what can you really say why it interests you (like for me its a lot to do with this firm's recent energy deals which are to do with renewable energy and I was planning on linking that with my enthusiasm and interest (?) in the global shift towards renewable energy in wake of the climate crisis. But I'm not sure if this a coherent reason and if I should scrap it altogether.
I don't want to scrap it tbh and rather not take the easier route of talking about their Banking department (which is their main mammoth department) and feigning interest in tht=
Any help on this would be appreciated! Thank you
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Hi everyone! i was just wondering that while preparing my answer for 'why X law firm' for an interview. I am really keen on honing on one of their departments that interests me rather than generically speaking about their range of highly ranked practice areas.
my concerns with this are:
1) is it okay to talk about a specific practice (i.e energy) which they're well known/received awards for but isn't like their MAIN thing
2) when talking about an area like energy--- what can you really say why it interests you (like for me its a lot to do with this firm's recent energy deals which are to do with renewable energy and I was planning on linking that with my enthusiasm and interest (?) in the global shift towards renewable energy in wake of the climate crisis. But I'm not sure if this a coherent reason and if I should scrap it altogether.
I don't want to scrap it tbh and rather not take the easier route of talking about their Banking department (which is their main mammoth department) and feigning interest in tht=
Any help on this would be appreciated! Thank you
There needs to be balance. It is fine to talk about your interest in energy, but you will probably only spend 6 months there. What about the other 18 months? You need to ensure it doesn’t sound like the reader gets to the end and think, “well this person should go and work for a firm that specialises in Energy work”.
All of the above points are relevant (less so the awards). Remember to always link what you are saying to you though, not just telling them stuff they know about themselves.
There is little point in feigning interest though.
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Although the WhatsApp group is ok for people to do of their own accord, I would encourage people to talk about this more in the forums so the support can be seen here more.
1) more people are likely to see the forums and be able to help/support
2) there aren’t any issues with seeing people’s personal contact details on here. I know I for one wouldn’t join a WhatsApp group because I know my telephone number then becomes public to everyone who joins, and I haven’t got any control over who does.
- May 4, 2020
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Hi everyone! i was just wondering that while preparing my answer for 'why X law firm' for an interview. I am really keen on honing on one of their departments that interests me rather than generically speaking about their range of highly ranked practice areas.
my concerns with this are:
1) is it okay to talk about a specific practice (i.e energy) which they're well known/received awards for but isn't like their MAIN thing
2) when talking about an area like energy--- what can you really say why it interests you (like for me its a lot to do with this firm's recent energy deals which are to do with renewable energy and I was planning on linking that with my enthusiasm and interest (?) in the global shift towards renewable energy in wake of the climate crisis. But I'm not sure if this a coherent reason and if I should scrap it altogether.
I don't want to scrap it tbh and rather not take the easier route of talking about their Banking department (which is their main mammoth department) and feigning interest in tht=
Any help on this would be appreciated! Thank you
Yes to both answers, in my experience.
1) This is generally fine, as long as the firm has at least some expertise in it. So if it’s ranked band 4 by chambers, then naturally don’t go for that, but if it’s band 2 instead of 1, it should be fine. Since you say they’re “well known” for it, you should be fine. The most important thing is to mention the awards, but also a recent deal/advice, since a law firm’s primary objective is to do this.
2) The same subject and the same justifications formed a large part of my Linklaters vac scheme interview, and they were perfectly happy with that. Naturally though, stress the business opportunities here - for example, the large number of potential offshore wind farms to be built now that deep waters are no longer an issue, and of course XYZ law firm is ideally positioned to advise on these new projects because [insert previous deal/advice].
Naturally, you should have 4-5 reasons for the answer to why XYZ firm, so you will also need some reasons other than sector/practice focus
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