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TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26
- Thread starter Ram Sabaratnam
- Start date
Since white & case has a section for careers events, I'm assuming these can be excluded from the work experience section right?
- Sep 9, 2024
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Yes - the careers events section should have enough space to list you to list all your events and also write about a few key takeaways. Beyond that, you want to avoid repetition and overlap and you want to avoid making the impression you cannot be concise with your points.
- Sep 9, 2024
- 836
- 1,508
Hi @berocca567 my advice would be to read about several deals the firm advised on while looking proactively for mentions of the elements the question asks about. Afterwards, I would divide my answer in separate parts to ensure I have a clear structure and that my points are easy to understand:
Paragraph 1: Introduction and strategic considerations:
I would discuss the rationale for the transaction - why did the buyer (assuming this is an M&A deal) look to acquire the target company? Was it to increase general market share, to achieve synergies, to scale, to grow in particular new geographies, to expand in new sectors/sub-sectors, to acquire specialist expertise, or perhaps sought after IP, improve band reputation, or maybe to enter into a regulated market easily and without requiring approvals? Likely the rationale included a number of these considerations, which gives you some space for discretion in your analysis. Here, you can also mention any strategic risks the company was taking, such no regulatory approval of the transaction, or problems integration and talent retentions.
Other paragraphs: Complexities + what the firm did to address them
Complexities: here, you need to look for aspects of the deal that would have likely made it more difficult to execute. Perhaps the transaction was highly leveraged, or involving a distressed target which required restructuring, or involved liasing with multiple institutional shareholders with different goals that had to agree to the sale. Or maybe it involved a consortium of investors that entered the transaction, with W&C only advising one or the group - which would add to complexities of negotiations between the investors; maybe it involved a competitive bidding process with lots of turnarounds in terms of what the leading offer was, which meant W&C had to consistently analyse what terms other bidders were offering. Perhaps it involved a target company which was in a highly regulated sector, or which had ongoing reputational/legal issues, or which had internal governance difficulties with tensions between executives and shareholders? Or maybe the target just had many businesses across a variety of countries in different economic sectors, which made a huge tasks getting regulatory approvals everywhere and ensuring every part of the business is properly scrutinised to mange risk.
These are just some of the many types of complexities involved in an M&A transaction: to identify them, the key is to constantly ask yourself what could be an issue or pose a risk when researching the deal.
How the firm addressed them: In terms of structure, after the introductory paragraph, I would write 2-3 following paragraphs which would each discuss one type of complexity and also how the firm can address it. In looking at that, I would describe both:
- How complexities of that nature are generally dealt with and by what teams in the firm - i.e. an ongoing legal proceeding against the target would be addressed via an indemnity clause in the SPA, which the corporate team would draft with some limited input from the disputes practice; and
- How complexities of that nature can be best addressed by White & Case in particular: here, you can look at particular strengths W&C has in delivering a good client outcome - i.e. if it has many international offices it is well positioned to deal with cross border deals touching on many jurisdictions, if it has good regulatory teams it is well positioned to deal with complexities having to do with regulatory approvals etc.). I would perhaps also look to see who are the particular practitioners working on the deal and mention them in the answer (while perhaps also making mention of their relevant past expertise and market recognition).
Has anybody not got the first test for hogan lovells winter scheme after applying?
Should I email grad rec?
Should I email grad rec?
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I haven’t either, I applied on 29 September.
Hey!
I think it's completely up to you - the application process for an open day is substantially different than for a vacation scheme, so it won't disadvantage you as firms know how competitive open day applications are (and that they are looking for different things). I don't think not including it would seem dishonest either, particularly as it is not specifically listed in the dropdown. I'd go for the approach that you feel most comfortable with - it might be a good way of showing that you have previously been interested in the firm, but if you'd rather leave it out, I'd say that's fine too!
Hey!
Just to add to @Andrei Radu's great answer, I thought I'd share the resource that I used when preparing to take the WGT for Clifford Chance a few cycles ago (which I passed).
On top of the free resources I used (many of which are listed in Andrei's post!), I paid for the JobTestPrep course (the one-week pack) and completed that the week before the test. The main benefit for me was the practice questions and tests, which helped me get familiar with the question style. However, if you are able to find plenty of practice tests online, I don't think a paid course is necessary! I also utilised a lot of YouTube videos which were a great way of breaking down each individual topic / section and helped me understand what they were looking for - these were also by JobTestPrep!
I hope that gives you some options - best of luck with the WGT!
Hello!
From my experience, it's absolutely fine to use the prep time to research and structure your answer. Some firms (e.g. Reed Smith) even encourage candidates to take advantage of the unlimited preparation time to think through their responses before recording. You won't be penalised for using that time to prepare - after all, they wouldn't offer the unlimited prep time if they didn't expect you to utilise it.
I would just make sure that when you are recording your answer, you aren't staring at notes or reading from a script. If they can tell that you are doing this, it is likely to disadvantage you
I have not received anything yet. I applied on the 2nd October.
Thank you for your response. Would you say the JobTestPrep ones resembled the difficulty level of the Clifford Chance one - like which was harder, and if it helped in the actual test? Thank you
Thanks - that’s what I was hoping to hear!Hello!
From my experience, it's absolutely fine to use the prep time to research and structure your answer. Some firms (e.g. Reed Smith) even encourage candidates to take advantage of the unlimited preparation time to think through their responses before recording. You won't be penalised for using that time to prepare - after all, they wouldn't offer the unlimited prep time if they didn't expect you to utilise it.
I would just make sure that when you are recording your answer, you aren't staring at notes or reading from a script. If they can tell that you are doing this, it is likely to disadvantage you
Hey!
It's been a couple years (and my memory isn't that great... 😅) but I think it was a pretty accurate reflection of the difficulty level of the Clifford Chance one! I don't remember thinking one was necessarily easier / harder than the other. I think the most important thing is to gain an understanding of each section (from YouTube videos and other sources), and then completing as many practice tests as you can
Thank you - that's really helpfulHey!
It's been a couple years (and my memory isn't that great... 😅) but I think it was a pretty accurate reflection of the difficulty level of the Clifford Chance one! I don't remember thinking one was necessarily easier / harder than the other. I think the most important thing is to gain an understanding of each section (from YouTube videos and other sources), and then completing as many practice tests as you can
Perfect, thank you very much!!No problem at all!!
That question is really about giving them a sense of the additional exposure you have had. If you've taken part in mentoring schemes, insight days, vacation schemes, scholarships, diversity or access programmes, or any structured work experience, it's worth including.
In terms of what you should be trying to showcase in your answer, I would focus on:
It doesn't need to be a long list, but I would try to focus on quality and what you got out of it, rather than just the name of the programme.
- Commitment & Initiative - try and show that you've actively sought out opportunities to learn more about the industry
- Skills & Insights - demonstrate the skills you gained from taking part, such as networking, commercial awareness, communication skills, or a better understanding of the profession
- Progression - I would discuss how those experiences have influenced your journey so far and why you've prepared you for the role you're applying for
I hope that answers your question!
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