TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)

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Bestkid98

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Junior Lawyer
Feb 22, 2020
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anyone have any tips on what to include in a bio for a vacation scheme? They’ve also told us to include what we want to get out of the scheme!
I would include, your name (lol), the degree you study(or studied), what you do in your spare time, what you are passionate about. And as they said what you would like to get out of the scheme whether it's learning about a particular practice, or the firm's approach to D&I/CSR, etc.

Hope that helps.
 
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London1021

Standard Member
Jan 31, 2022
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Has anyone heard back from V&E post interview?
I think earliest to hear back will be next week bc:
1. Saw on "Interview Experiences 2021 - 2022" that they only decide once everyone interviews...when i signed up for my slot i saw some until the end of this week (not sure if there were any slots for next week).
2. Grad rec told me to expect to hear back by end of month towards the end of my interview.

(none of the above has stopped me from refreshing my inbox/checking this forum though lol)
 
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rightletsdothis

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  • Jan 30, 2022
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    Is it conventional to include incoming vacation schemes in the work experience section of applications? If so, how should this be framed in the corresponding details/description section?
    You'll probably hear a lot of feedback to this saying "No, never put future work experience on your application because you haven't worked it yet" but I know from my past successes, no one in grad recruitment will reject you because you did so lol. I think you have about a 1 in a million chance that your amazing application will be binned because you put "incoming VC at amazing LLP." If you want to, do it. I've done it a few times for VS myself.
     
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    hungry_for_TC

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    Dec 2, 2021
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    If I have a deadline to complete a Watson Glaser of 20 March, does that mean 23:59pm?
    In my experience, if they give you a deadline for it without a specific time then assuming 11:59pm is a safe bet. Other firms with earlier-in-the-day deadlines will specify these! For example I believe Cooley’s was before 12 (noon) and they said this in the WG email :)
     

    thirdtimelucky

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    Junior Lawyer
  • Nov 12, 2019
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    Hey, I was wondering if a job as an administration assistant/floor support worker at a law firm would count as work experience in helping to apply for vacation schemes or training contracts. I am a recent graduate who is preparing to for another round of applications and am struggling to get a paralegal job
    All work experience is good because you learn important skills that are necessary for being a trainee. For example, time management, communicating with those in the office, attention to detail, prioritising, team work. These are all transferable skills that are highly valued by firms and should definitely be highlighted in the application. I think its important when talking about the experience that you pick out the key things you learned that can also be transferable to the role of a trainee! Best of luck with your applications :D
     

    Abii

    Legendary Member
    Junior Lawyer
    Feb 1, 2021
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    Hey, I was wondering if a job as an administration assistant/floor support worker at a law firm would count as work experience in helping to apply for vacation schemes or training contracts. I am a recent graduate who is preparing to for another round of applications and am struggling to get a paralegal job
    Hey - this is just my opinion and I’m welcome to others with more experience but I don’t think it’s the job title that matters with experience. a lot of people seem to think it’s having the title paralegal that’s counts but honestly paralegal can mean so many different things to different organisations and the work a paralegal does hugely varies. With its experience I think It’s how you leverage it that counts. What transferable skills can you demonstrate with the role. So for example as as an admin assistant you’ll get an insight into how a law firm operates as a business. You’ll develop time management skills you might have to balance several tasks at once. You’ll work with others etc.
     

    Jessica Booker

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    Forum Team
    Aug 1, 2019
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    Is it conventional to include incoming vacation schemes in the work experience section of applications? If so, how should this be framed in the corresponding details/description section?
    I’d try to include them elsewhere where you can. It’s only if they can’t be referenced elsewhere that you could include them (although many application systems don’t allow you to add future dates anyway).

    If you do add them, you can’t really provide any detail beyond the department you are allocated to (if you know that).
     

    unserious candidate

    Distinguished Member
    Future Trainee
  • Nov 7, 2021
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    Does anyone else practice Watson Glasser tests hundreds of times, get top 80% marks in those practice tests, and then open up a firm's Watson test and no matter what, get like 30% ??? haha. I am so confused. Are all of these paid & free practice tests just 100x easier than the actual firm tests? It isn't even pressuring for me. Most of the firm tests I have taken aren't even timed. I just always do well in the practice and suck in the firm's test, and wondering why/???.
    There's a difference between percentile and percentage, which might explain this. It is possible you could have still scored 80% in the firm's WG test and been 30th percentile. That would be because 70% of people happened to score better than 80% on the test.

    From my experience, firms don't tell you what percentage you actually scored on the test - only how you ranked in comparison to others. So there is no way to know what percentage of questions you answered correctly, whereas most practice tests will tell you your actual percentage.

    Hope that makes sense lol lots of percentages
     
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