TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[Andrei Radu]

is ur grade/ percentile score for a Watson Glaser determined by how fast you do it? should I be looking to use the full time or complete it quickly?

I think normally it is not. For the majority of WG tests I did either did not have any time cap and weighing of time taken in scores; or it had a time limit (of around 30-45 minutes) but it only meant the test would automatically stop at the end. I know there are some tests which do not have any time cap but the time you take is recorded by the platform and seen by the firm, who will then take it into account. However, I do not think it has any direct impact on your score. Rather, I believe the percentile is simply determined by the number of right answers you get as compared to a predefined reference class; and that the firm will take completion time into account in a less-formal and more holistic assessment process.

Firms may be doing this to give people an opportunity to think their answers through and analyze the scenarios in more depth without a strict time pressure, while also minimizing risks of cheating. Thus, I expect the scores to matter more than the exact amount of time taken, as long as the completion time is more or less within the average range.

 

[Andrei Radu]

Hi everyone,

I just discovered in my spam folder that I was invited to the next stage (HR call) for Howden's vacation scheme! The invite was sent on February 21st from their graduate recruitment email, but unfortunately, it ended up in my spam folder and I only saw it this morning.

Today, I also received a PFO in my regular inbox from a generic Workday email. I've already reached out to graduate recruitment to inform them of this frustrating situation.

@Jessica Booker - Do you think there’s any hope of still moving forward with this?

Hi @Ali2020 I am sorry to hear about this, it is a uniquely frustrating situation. Some firms have an expectation that constant monitoring of inbox and spam folders is an applicant's responsibility; while others will be more understanding (as missing a spam-classified email happens to anyone from time to time) but still unwilling to accommodate you for administrative reasons. However, there is a third category that may be both understanding and flexible if you are lucky.

As such, I think it is definitely worth a shot trying to convince them to allow you to do the call, and there is most certainly no harm in doing so. I would just emphasize your own flexibility to work around their schedules and also your flexibility in relation regarding other opportunities - they may not be able to accommodate you on the same process for the same vacation scheme you originally applied for, but perhaps they could do one of the following:

• Give you an HR call for another VS happening at a later date
• Fast track you to the HR call phase for a direct TC application
• Keep you on a reserve list in case of any dropouts from the AC/final stage interviews

 

[jta227]

Reed Smith Post AC pfo. I don't get it, I answered all the questions well except maybe 1. I addressed all the issues in the case study. Is it worth putting in a DSAR?

Commiserations - if you're not going to reapply there then yes I would say it's worth it. Maybe ask for feedback first though - and see if what they tell you is helpful.

 

[FCL25]

Does anyone know when we can expect to hear back from WBD? Also, how did people find the online test? Idk why I struggled with the basic maths-related questions that I would have aced when doing my GCSEs lol.

 

[marisachr]

Anyone heard from Taylor Wessing post-AC?

 

[Andrei Radu]

Hi Ram,

Apologies if this has been asked before, but would you recommend someone with no legal experience yet to apply for DTC?

Just jumping in before @Ram Sabaratnam can also come back to you, I would say the default expectation is that you would have some legal work experience when applying for a direct TC, but that comes with two important caveats:

1. That experience can be a whole lot less substantial than you would think: I know multiple people who had no past vacation schemes or paralegal work experiences, whose CV was limited to one internship (bordering at the line of a shadowing experience) at a not very well-known firm from a foreign country, who still managed to get TC offers in the summer.
2. Absence of such experience is not an insurmountable obstacle, at least with some firms: I have also heard of cases of people with no legal work experience beyond Forage Virtual Internships getting TCs in the summer at lesser-known UK firms, so I think it may be worth a shot even if you do not have any. However, I would first take a look on the firm's website to see that they have not stated they expect applicants to have that prior experience.

 

[James Wakefield]

Just jumping in before @Ram Sabaratnam can also come back to you, I would say the default expectation is that you would have some legal work experience when applying for a direct TC, but that comes with two important caveats:

1. That experience can be a whole lot less substantial than you would think: I know multiple people who had no past vacation schemes or paralegal work experiences, whose CV was limited to one internship (bordering at the line of a shadowing experience) at a not very well-known firm from a foreign country, who still managed to get TC offers in the summer.
2. Absence of such experience is not an insurmountable obstacle, at least with some firms: I have also heard of cases of people with no legal work experience beyond Forage Virtual Internships getting TCs in the summer at lesser-known UK firms, so I think it may be worth a shot even if you do not have any. However, I would first take a look on the firm's website to see that they have not stated they expect applicants to have that prior experience.

Thanks Andrei. Would you recommend including upcoming vacation schemes on your direct TC applications to try and boost your ‘legal experience’ element?

 

[Andrei Radu]

@Andrei Radu Hi

Please could I quickly check something with you. Firstly, firms that are currently advertising for a TC commencing September 2027, will they want trainees to start SQE studies in 2026 or 2025? Secondly, do you know how likely it is that despite advertising for a 2027 intake, they may consider 2026 intake? Thank you so much!!

If they advertise a TC commencing in 2027, they likely want you to start the SQE in 2026, so as to study together with your trainee cohort and to be able to start the job immediately afterwards. For the second questions, they may be able to consider switching you to the 2026 cohort; but from my experience they will likely prefer not to and I would not raise my hopes too high in that regard. This is a situation firms often find themselves in when recruiting from different year groups and they know most people do not want any breaks between university, SQE, and the start of the actual TC. As such, to avoid "opening up the floodgates" of earlier start requests, they might have quite a strict policy in this regard.

That said, I know of multiple cases where people managed to successfully negotiate this. Factors that can help for that purpose are holding another TC offer (as this will give you significant bargaining power) or there being dropouts from the 2026 cohort. However, there is no harm in asking (so long as you do it in an appropriate manner) even in absence of that. Worse case scenario, if there is no possibility to start earlier, you will have a good chance of perhaps securing a paralegal opportunity for the free year.

 

[User5678]

if anyone has been successful with the withers test, please please can you pm me or reply to this thread with what strengths and weakness did you receive in your feedback report! many thanks

 

[3000to1shoteverytime]

If they advertise a TC commencing in 2027, they likely want you to start the SQE in 2025, so as to study together with your trainee cohort and to be able to start the job immediately afterwards. For the second questions, they may be able to consider switching you to the 2026 cohort; but from my experience they will likely prefer not to and I would not raise my hopes too high in that regard. This is a situation firms often find themselves in when recruiting from different year groups and they know most people do not want any breaks between university, SQE, and the start of the actual TC. As such, to avoid "opening up the floodgates" of earlier start requests, they might have quite a strict policy in this regard.

That said, I know of multiple cases where people managed to successfully negotiate this. Factors that can help for that purpose are holding another TC offer (as this will give you significant bargaining power) or there being dropouts from the 2026 cohort. However, there is no harm in asking (so long as you do it in an appropriate manner) even in absence of that. Worse case scenario, if there is no possibility to start earlier, you will have a good chance of perhaps securing a paralegal opportunity for the free year.

I assume for non-law grads the 2 years is to allow PGDL in year 1 and SQE year 2. So I always thought the law student might do their SQE in the second gap year so the trainees all starting together in 2027 would be studying SQE all together from September 2026?

 

[A worried graduate]

Crazy, compared to the forum from last year some ppl got their VS offers for SPB from 15th March onwards

I applied for a work experience program for February and they never even bothered to reject me

 

[ironspears45]

Does anyone have any tips on how to go about reneging on a VS offer? Please private message me.

 

[Runsim]

Has anyone received an update from WFW post AC?

 

[adrian_nlh]

Travers PFO about an hour ago

 

[TCLA0322]

I think some people heard back last week. I haven't heard back yet, not sure if that means I should be expecting a pfo lol.

Three weeks post my open day lol, feel like a decade.

 

[ChloeC]

hi! I haven't heard back from CRS post VI, but I saw that VS offers have already been given out. Is it safe to assume that this would be a PFO

 

[billyonthespeeddial]

Travers Smith PFO, Debevoise vac scheme offer 🕺🏽

 

[Andrei Radu]

Thanks Andrei. Would you recommend including upcoming vacation schemes on your direct TC applications to try and boost your ‘legal experience’ element?

I would. Besides this definitely being valuable legal work experience, having a VS offer is a very impressive achievement that will immediately distinguish you from the majority of other applicants. Essentially, I believe it has the effect of instantly communicating to graduate recruitment that you were deemed to be a top 98-99% percentile candidate by a peer firm. This will invariably have an important impact in both (i) boosting up your candidate profile; and (ii) making graduate recruiters look at your application through different eyes, and thus making it more likely they will rate other aspects of it higher as well.

Even if they wanted to assess the rest of it independently and objectively, there is a lot of research in social psychology indicating that knowledge of peer opinions has a prevailing impact on one's evaluative judgements. This is particularly impactful in situations presenting a high degree of ambiguity and discretion, and I would argue the decision of whether to classify an application as a whole (so, one involving the multi-faceted assessment of a lot of factors) as "good, but not quite impressive enough" or "great, impressive enough to progress" has exactly those features.

As such, my view is that you would be doing yourself a disservice in not including the upcoming scheme. However, you can try to reduce the risk of it seeming like you put it there merely for purposes of impressing by adding in the description section (i) a short summary as to why you had applied for this firm and what your general applications strategy has been; and/or (ii) the seats you will do in the scheme and the work you expect to complete; and how that will be relevant for the development of your skills.

 

[Andrei Radu]

I assume for non-law grads the 2 years is to allow PGDL in year 1 and SQE year 2. So I always thought the law student might do their SQE in the second gap year so the trainees all starting together in 2027 would be studying SQE all together from September 2026?

You are completely right, just realised I wrote 2025 instead of 2026 by mistake in my other post, corrected it now 😅. Also, besides this, since a substantial number of the law undergrads who applied will have been penultimate years, they will also have the final year to finish in 2025 and thus will only be able to start the SQE in 2026.

 

[ironspears45]

Does anyone know a rough percentage for the VS to TC conversion rate for RPC? Can't find a percentage online, only information is that they recruit the 'majority of trainees from their summer scheme'.