Hey!Would a minor spelling mistake immediately disqualify you? Just went through a work experience section I already submitted and I missed an "a"
Huge congratulations!!! That's an amazing achievement, and you should be super proud 🥳 🥳
That’s so helpful, thank you so much!!Hello!
You definitely can use hypothetical answers for scenario-based questions, and I wouldn't say it is a bad approach, but the ideal approach is to use a mix of both. The graduate recruitment team mainly want to understand your thought process, so a clear and structured hypothetical answer is absolutely acceptable if that's what helps you stay calm and concise within the 2-minute limit.
That being said, weaving in even a very brief real example can strengthen your answer because i shows you've actually applied that approach in practice. It doesn't have to be a full story - even a single sentence such as "For example, in my part-time job at X I handled something similar when..." is enough to show credibility without using too much of your time.
Something that really helped me was writing a small bank of examples in advance - a few for teamwork, a few for conflict, a few for organisation, etc. Then in the interview, I didn't have to search my brain for stories and I already knew which quick example I could mention to anchor my hypothetical answer.
A good structure could be:
However, if sticking to hypotheticals are what allow you to stay clear and structured, that's totally okay - content and clarity will matter more than forcing a long example. It's better to give a strong and coherent hypothetical answer than a rushed, half-finished real-world one.
- Explain your approach hypothetically (explaining your reasoning and steps)
- Add one short real-life reference from your example bank
- Finish with the outcome you'd aim for
I hope that helps!
Honestly it wasn't that bad in terms of difficulty as you can spend as much time as you like on the answers, and the chat AI bot will respond directly to what you've said. But it did take me hours and you have to be locked in for the whole time to check your expression, grammar, spelling etc. so that part was really not enjoyable. I also don't know what or how they're assessing it so I have no gauge as to how I did
In my experience (I've tested this approach a few times with non-law grad schemes that I wasn't very interested in) and from some research and online discussions, it looks like you do better if you're decisive/polarising in your answers as it shows that you're not trying to "please" by sitting in the middle, that you're self-aware, and that you have the specific strengths they may be looking for. The broad headline skills you get at the end with a feedback report with the usual words like Communication/Teamwork/Drive/Resilience can give you an idea of these strengths, and there's usually some minor indication of what they're expecting you to respond with. I've previously been told that I'm naturally collaborative but don't take any personal responsibility, and if I try to match my answers more towards personal responsibility, it says that I'm poor at collaboration (I think this is clearly undesirable in literally any job/profession).
Hey!
Thank you so much Abbie, I really appreciate that detailed responseHey!
As you only have 200 words, I would be really selective and tie everything back to what Clifford Chance values. A structure could be:
A rough word count split could be:
- Start with 1-2 core strengths (e.g. commercial awareness, teamwork, problem-solving) and briefly show how you have developed these - for example, through your work experience, academics, university societies, etc. These are the skills that you have learned and can demonstrate with evidence.
- Link each strength directly to the role of a Clifford Chance trainee. For example, how your analytical skills help you break down complex matters, or how working with diverse teams has prepared you for Clifford Chance's collaborative, global environment. I would have a look at their website and see what values and attributes they highlight as most important to them, and try to tie these in where you can.
- Add 1-2 personal attributes (e.g. resilience, adaptability, attention to detail) and again connect them to the demands of a fast-paced, high-performing firm like Clifford Chance. Compared to the core strengths, these are character traits that you naturally have or have developed over time.
- Finish your answer with a forward-looking sentence about how these skills will enable you to contribute and grow at the firm.
I would just make sure that everything is specific, concise, and clearly relevant to Clifford Chance's culture and expectations.
- 30-40 words on background/skills gained
- 120-130 words linking those skills to Clifford Chance
- 20-30 words on your future contribution to the firm
I hope that helps, and best of luck with your application!
