@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. 😅
-
Join Premium →Get Everything You Need to Secure a Training ContractNow half the price. Join TCLA Premium for £30/month and get step-by-step application support, daily commercial awareness practice, and 700+ successful examples of past applications and interview experiences. Plus so much more.
TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26
- Thread starter Ram Sabaratnam
- Start date
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!
you may laugh at me but I'm writing about my plant collection (it's extensive), me getting into hybridisation and distributing my stock across US, EU, and UK.
Echoing what others said, as long as you draw out the skills you gained from this and why it's important to you. It doesn't need to be anything insane like going to the Galápagos and helping the turtles, although that would be amazing!
Woah I thought they were non rolling and hadn’t closed yet! When did you get your invite?
I applied a month ago, but I have a 2:1 with extenuating circumstances and I think my module grades weren't good enough, I didn't even get sent the test lol
Honestly, not a bad sign at all, considering they have sent out a million PFOs already
Congrats on VI! Could you please tell whether you used prose in your WE section? Thanks.
I would assume so, considering they ask for our CV, but just to double-check!
If it's on AllHires, you can leave a note to recruiters there!
Similar threads
- Sticky
