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TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26
- Thread starter Ram Sabaratnam
- Start date
don't think so, some people on the forum heard weeks after they passed wg
Can anyone give any advice for this baker mckenzie question?
Discuss something that you have pursued outside of your academic or professional life, why it is important to you and what impact it has had on your personal development. (300 words max)
I've answered similar questions where it's "discuss something you're interested in/passionate about" which I've been able to answer, but this seems harder as it's something you have PURSUED. I can honestly say I'm super boring, I work part time, do uni, I am a part of some academic society committees, but that feels like it falls under academic. I really haven't pursued anything else other than a commercial law career lol.
What have other people written for this question?
Discuss something that you have pursued outside of your academic or professional life, why it is important to you and what impact it has had on your personal development. (300 words max)
I've answered similar questions where it's "discuss something you're interested in/passionate about" which I've been able to answer, but this seems harder as it's something you have PURSUED. I can honestly say I'm super boring, I work part time, do uni, I am a part of some academic society committees, but that feels like it falls under academic. I really haven't pursued anything else other than a commercial law career lol.
What have other people written for this question?
I wrote about sport! Idk how helpful this is though. Academic societies are probably fine as they aren’t an activity that’s “expected” of you
Maybe my approach/understanding was wrong but I saw "pursue" as really meaning anything that I've done outside of academic/professional life. I used STAR to describe a hobby and then explicitly answered why it was important and its personal development impact (I did XYZ, therefore A importance and BC skills). I further expanded on this with another STAR experience that arose from the first one (because I did XYZ, I got to do PQR), and again explicitly answered why it was important and how it impacted my personal development (skills, relating them to the role/tasks of a trainee). I think this approach lent more depth overall, especially on the "why it is important" part
On a side note, I thought the Summer VS deadline was also 1 Dec so I already submitted my application without realising I had another month lmao
omg twin! I did the same for my answer (wrote about a hobby in a similar structure), and I submitted my app for summer VS on 1st Dec without realising that wasn’t the deadline. 😭
Flick through the last 10 pages and you'll likely find them as there have been lots of recent posts on this!
I went with a politician/MP.
Notwithstanding his political positions, did you reference Robert Jenrick's past legal career at Skadden? 😆
@CuriousTrainee Thank you for taking the time to reply to my message. My DLA portal says "we are enjoying getting to know you" (2 December 2025). I had sent my online application the last day on 21 November. I was sent the WG test on 24 November and I took it on 28 November. On 1 December I received an email confirming that I had completed the WG test and saying "If you don’t hear from us immediately, please don’t worry, you will receive an update as soon as possible." I have not heard anything since that email on 1 December. 😅
Hi!
You definitely don't need a dramatic hobby or life-changing side project for this question - "pursued" really just means something you've committed to, invested time in, or actively developed (even if it feels small to you!)
It makes sense to overthink this and assume it has to be something unusual or impressive, but Baker McKenzie mainly wants to understand who you are outside the academic / work bubble and what motivates you. I can definitely relate to what you are saying as before my final year of university, I didn't really have any 'hobbies' outside of uni or work, so I always struggled with these types of questions!
Some things that can count as "pursued" even if they don't feel big:
- A sustained personal interest (e.g. running, gym, creative writing, cooking, learning a language, etc.). In previous answers, I used to talk about reading which you can also use!
- Community involvement (e.g. volunteering, mentoring, supporting a cause)
- A self-driven goal (something that you personally wanted to work on - e.g. improving wellbeing, building confidence, a long-term travel plan, etc)
- A personal project (e.g. blog, podcast, content creation, tutoring)
The key is less about what it is and more about:
- Why you committed to it
- What you learned about yourself, and
- How it shaped your skills and mindset
If your life mainly revolves around work and uni (as mine did too!), that's totally normal - you can still frame something meaningful. Even regular habits can become strong answers if you articulate the development angle. For example:
- Cooking / baking: creativity, mindfulness, experimentation
- Reading non-fiction: curiosity and cultural awareness
- Gym: discipline, long-term goal setting
People might think they're 'boring', but everyone has something they consistently show up for - that's what counts as a pursuit!
I hope that helps to give you some ideas, and best of luck with the application!
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