TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2022-23

[Jessica Booker]

For Mishcon, I'm not too sure where to include my open day/insight scheme experience. The application only allows for 4 employment experiences, and because I'm a career changer I have 4 substantive work experiences that fill those slots. There is an Activities/Achievements section - could it possibly fit in there? Any advice would be super helpful!

It would technically fall into an “activity” definition (which is pretty broad). I would personally not go into much detail though and try to ensure there is evidence of your extra curriculars/ positions of responsibility/achievements in this section rather than focus on open days/insight programmes. A brief reference about them should be fine.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Why are you interested in pursuing a career at Herbert Smith Freehills?

^ Should i only talk about why hsf, or start with why law and then go into why law at hsf?

I don’t think there is one approach to this. You don’t have to necessarily start with why law. But I would try to weave in a bit of why commercial law, but that could come across quite naturally when you describe why HSF anyway (really depends on your reasons for the firm). The question is asking you to focus on HSF though, so I think it’s important for the answer to reflect this the most.

 

[Asil Ahmad]

For BCLP questions 2 and 3 which are the questions about scenarios as a trainee.

In your first 3 months as a trainee at BCLP, who would you seek to build relationships with, and what strategies would you implement to ensure that these relationships are long lasting?

And

Imagine you are a trainee at BCLP and you have been working on a task for an associate in the Finance department. The associate is away and a partner in the department urgently wants a summary note of the research to send to a client, and has asked you to send it to them by tomorrow morning. How would you react?

For those questions can we use examples of things we did as a paralegal in similar situations. Like say as a paralegal when I had given a task due the next day I did this which I will do as a trainee at BCLP. Also as a paralegal I seeked to build relationships with people at the firm like this and will do this as a trainee at BCLP. What are your thoughts on this @Jessica Booker

 

[Jessica Booker]

For BCLP questions 2 and 3 which are the questions about scenarios as a trainee.

In your first 3 months as a trainee at BCLP, who would you seek to build relationships with, and what strategies would you implement to ensure that these relationships are long lasting?

And

Imagine you are a trainee at BCLP and you have been working on a task for an associate in the Finance department. The associate is away and a partner in the department urgently wants a summary note of the research to send to a client, and has asked you to send it to them by tomorrow morning. How would you react?

For those questions can we use examples of things we did as a paralegal in similar situations. Like say as a paralegal when I had given a task due the next day I did this which I will do as a trainee at BCLP. Also as a paralegal I seeked to build relationships with people at the firm like this and will do this as a trainee at BCLP. What are your thoughts on this @Jessica Booker

From looking at apps that have done this, it typically uses more of the word count because you have to describe the scenario rather than just describe how you’d deal with this specific situation, so if you were to do this I think it need to be super concise to be able to answer this question well, especially given BCLP have cut the word limit to 200 words.

With the relationships question, you have to think about the role as a trainee specifically and also the first three months bit, so it may not translate that your past experiences/relationships in other roles might not translate/align as well.

 

[Asil Ahmad]

From looking at apps that have done this, it typically uses more of the word count because you have to describe the scenario rather than just describe how you’d deal with this specific situation, so if you were to do this I think it need to be super concise to be able to answer this question well, especially given BCLP have cut the word limit to 200 words.

Thank you very much for this. Yes I am aware of it needing to be concise. Was just asking if it would help and would be relevant to the question if I took this approach.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thank you very much for this. Yes I am aware of it needing to be concise. Was just asking if it would help and would be relevant to the question if I took this approach.

It might do - but for the task question, I think it typically means you end up describing less steps/factors you could/should consider, and so would question whether it adds value to your answer.

 

[samni]

Hi, just had a question if anyone could help - i applied for the Travers Smith direct TC last cycle (cycle which just ended) and got a PFO. I feel like because I applied so late, I am unsure if my cover letter was looked at as they quickly filled the remainder of spaces for the TC. I am now looking to apply for the VS. I feel that my cover letter that I wrote was quite strong and I have little that I need to change. So my question is - how much of my cover letter (if any, at all) is necessary to change. Should I rewrite the entire CL? Do grad rec usually have an issue with submitting a similar cover letter?

Having the same dilemma as the email really indicates they didn't read it! Does anyone have any insight?
I'm sure I can find things to improve, however I'm not sure if the entire basis of the CL needs to be changed

 

[saz a]

For this q: What attracts you to a Trainee Solicitor role at Bird & Bird? What is motivating you to pursue a career at Bird & Bird?

Would you suggest this structure:
- why Law
- Bird and Bird USP
- some tasks trainees would do and link back to me and my interest?

Also- does anyone know if Bird and Bird still review applications if you don't pass the WG test

 

[pfoapplicant]

Hi everyone,

1. When talking about an vac scheme I did in the "Work Experience" section of applications, is it okay to mention, for instance, an assessed negotiation exercise I did during the vacation scheme (even though this didn't directly contribute to the work done by any of the firm's practices, and was instead done as part of the recruitment process)?

2. The application portal for Allen & Overy asks applicants to make the following declaration: "I acknowledge that I am only permitted to apply once in any 12 month period for either a Training Contract or a Vacation Scheme".
Does this mean that, because I applied for last year's vac scheme at the beginning of October 2021, I have to wait until the beginning of October 2022 to submit any more applications to A&O?

@Jessica Booker

 

[stone’sthrow]

When we write our work experience sections, and look at the preview at the end before submitting, often the work experience description in the preview is unclear because it starts on the same line as ‘description here’
Should we be going back and adding spaces in so that it starts on the next line and is clearer on the preview? Or does it not matter
Ie won’t it be hard to read in interviews. Is the preview what the interviewer will have in front of them in that same order

 

[Jessica Booker]

When we write our work experience sections, and look at the preview at the end before submitting, often the work experience description in the preview is unclear because it starts on the same line as ‘description here’
Should we be going back and adding spaces in so that it starts on the next line and is clearer on the preview? Or does it not matter
Ie won’t it be hard to read in interviews. Is the preview what the interviewer will have in front of them in that same order

I wouldn’t worry about this - if it’s a formatting thing it will happen in all applications.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi everyone,

1. When talking about an vac scheme I did in the "Work Experience" section of applications, is it okay to mention, for instance, an assessed negotiation exercise I did during the vacation scheme (even though this didn't directly contribute to the work done by any of the firm's practices, and was instead done as part of the recruitment process)?

2. The application portal for Allen & Overy asks applicants to make the following declaration: "I acknowledge that I am only permitted to apply once in any 12 month period for either a Training Contract or a Vacation Scheme".
Does this mean that, because I applied for last year's vac scheme at the beginning of October 2021, I have to wait until the beginning of October 2022 to submit any more applications to A&O?

@Jessica Booker

1) yes, you can include this.

2) yes, you’ll need to wait a full 12 months before reapplying - if you don’t your application is likely to be automatically rejected and then you could find you’d need to wait another 12 months to reapply again.

 

[Asil Ahmad]

It might do - but for the task question, I think it typically means you end up describing less steps/factors you could/should consider, and so would question whether it adds value to your answer.

Thank you very much for this it is really helpful. Yes I agree and also going off topic as well by not being concise or not describing it clearly enough due to the word count.

 

[Aga123+]

Does anyone know when Latham is opening its applications this year? Specifically the winter vacation scheme
(Thanks in advance)

 

[pfoapplicant]

On the Travers Smith application form, candidates are only allowed to enter four work experiences in full, with the rest only being able to be entered into a textbox marked "Other Work Experience: Outline Details/Responsibilities if required".


1. In the substantive work experience boxes, do you think students are allowed to enter work experiences other than their four most recent ones (nb: there's nothing explicit on the form about candidates having to enter their four most recent ones)?

2. Roughly how many words do you think would candidates be expected to write for each work experience in the "Other Work Experience" box?

Thanks in advance!

@Jessica Booker

 

[Jessica Booker]

On the Travers Smith application form, candidates are only allowed to enter four work experiences in full, with the rest only being able to be entered into a textbox marked "Other Work Experience: Outline Details/Responsibilities if required".


1. In the substantive work experience boxes, do you think students are allowed to enter work experiences other than their four most recent ones (nb: there's nothing explicit on the form about candidates having to enter their four most recent ones)?

2. Roughly how many words do you think would candidates be expected to write for each work experience in the "Other Work Experience" box?

Thanks in advance!

@Jessica Booker

1) yes - you can choose which entries to prioritise

2) I don’t think there is a set answer to this. It will depend on your other experiences and also the depth/length of other answers. I’d just try to keep it as focused as possible - you don’t want to lose your reader because it’s a bit of a drag to read.

 

[thinspaceship]

How long does HSF take to send our feedback report & an email on whether we met their benchmark after doing their online blended assessment? It's been nearly a day and I got nothing

 

[hopefulfuturelawyer]

Hi @Jessica Booker if we mention a deal in our applications, how recent should it be and does it matter if it's a deal that the London office did or any of the firm's offices?

 

[Caroline1999]

Applied to Allen and Overy for their Summer vacation scheme in December this year. Can I still apply to their Winter Vacation Scheme or do I have to wait a full 12 months?

 

[lmurph]

Hi for HSF it asks for an undergraduate reference, however, I graduated in 2018 (so quite a while ago) does anyone know if I can put a teacher from the LPC (that I'm currently doing) or from my place of work (where I have been for the last 2 years) ?

Thank you!