2020-21 Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion

[HorsesForCoursesNeighNeighNeigh]

Thank you guys! Ill probably take that advice and stay calm about it, and ill wait to see what they do at the end of the month, since I'm supposing my chances for securing the VS are low considering theyre this flippant about my adjustments (the first time we organised a date GR forgot to call me, not to mention how they completely blanked me when I emailed asking if I would need adjustments for the pre AC interview). Shocking how a firm with so many people hasn't been able to deal with this one thing

I’m so sorry for your experience. I hope it’s just disorganisation on their part but regardless it’s really bad communication. You deserve to be there as much as everyone else who is made it to that round so keep fighting your corner. It sucks that you have to.

it seems this is a fairly common experience across quite a few firms when it comes to reasonable adjustments? Would it not be good practice for firms to have some designated HR lead on this going forward? Makes a mockery of their “diversity and inclusion” messaging when they fail the first step of carrying it out in practice.

 

[jcatherine]

hey guys, i've got through to final interview with W+C, it's tomorrow! one manic day ahead. I was wondering if anyone has any advice on how to approach the interview or written task? Case study tasks are where I fall down, time and time again.
W+C is my favourite firm, and to get a VS here after so many rejections would be so so good. So any help would be super useful. Thank you!!

hii just to check is W+C white & case

 

[Celestie]

I’m so sorry for your experience. I hope it’s just disorganisation on their part but regardless it’s really bad communication. You deserve to be there as much as everyone else who is made it to that round so keep fighting your corner. It sucks that you have to.

it seems this is a fairly common experience across quite a few firms when it comes to reasonable adjustments? Would it not be good practice for firms to have some designated HR lead on this going forward? Makes a mockery of their “diversity and inclusion” messaging when they fail the first step of carrying it out in practice.

Chin wagging D&I and empty promises for PR stunts is one of the things I will happily drag a firm for.

Edit: Or something now that I like to call "half-arsed D&I" where firms fail to have provisions for all marginal/minority groups. I have felt very uncomfortable on open days being told by HR "we have loads of diversity networks! Just not disabilities." Not good enough.

 

[Kablahc]

I’m so sorry for your experience. I hope it’s just disorganisation on their part but regardless it’s really bad communication. You deserve to be there as much as everyone else who is made it to that round so keep fighting your corner. It sucks that you have to.

it seems this is a fairly common experience across quite a few firms when it comes to reasonable adjustments? Would it not be good practice for firms to have some designated HR lead on this going forward? Makes a mockery of their “diversity and inclusion” messaging when they fail the first step of carrying it out in practice.

I'm hoping it's just something like they accidentally booked too many people on the same day, but it obviously starts to look bad when I think how sped through the process up until the point where I disclosed I needed adjustments. It's incredibly demotivating, especially when I recently had an AC with a (non-law) employer that asked me to do no more than tick a box at the beginning of the process and then sorted out everything with no effort or anxiety on my part. That scheme had more applicants than this firm have lawyers so in organisational terms that must have been far more difficult.

Ikr - I've been to their open day and they pushed D&I quite a bit so I thought I was in safe hands. I think that's a good idea and I hope for the sake of applicants that come after me that firms start to take that suggestion!

 

[Future$trainee]

Congrats!!! May I know when did you do your AC? I'm still waiting to hear back - I did mine last Thursday

On a separate note - rejection from Freshfields post-app 😝 I applied for direct TC since I'm working at the moment. Kinda bummed as I attended quite a few of their graduate recruitment events and was quite keen on the firm, but oh well.

Tbh none of my direct TC applications have had any success this year :/

Good luck with your applications! I'm also thinking of doing direct TC applications as my vac scheme apps are not going great at all Do you know which firms recruit from direct TC applications?

As I know many firms are now mostly recruiting their vac schemers, so I don't want to waste my time if my odds are really really slim.

 

[HorsesForCoursesNeighNeighNeigh]

Chin wagging D&I and empty promises for PR stunts is one of the things I will happily drag a firm for.

this is making me so mad, it’s not like it’s even that hard for them to get this right?! Surely you just have a clear and simple protocol in place, with someone responsible for implementing it, and just communicate that to candidates. Instead of spending the money on diversity and inclusion leaflets or publicity stunts.

someone should totally put together a standard protocol for firms and lobby to get them all to adopt it! Like the RARE tools that they all seem to be using. A box that you tick where it’s not visible to them until you get to the later stages, that shows them exactly what to do.

Honestly i also think they should have a partner or someone super senior that you can talk to on this when it goes wrong. If firms are actually committed to D&I it should be at the top levels too. Firms can easily design smooth processes for clients, they can do it for the candidates they claim to want to encourage to apply.

 

[AJLegacy]

same

Same - feeling sucky.

 

[axd]

Hi all, I am sure this has been asked before so am sorry but what are people's experiences like with paying for WG practice tests? I feel like I've done all the free ones multiple times so am merely remembering the answers rather than testing myself but I have a feeling that if I buy them they'll just end up being unhelpful/same questions repeated. Any thoughts?

 

[CareerChanger]

Thank you! Approximately how long did you have to answer the questions?

It varies but I've done it for a few different firms and its usually around 1-2 minutes. So it's important to practice being concise. My advice would be to keep it really straightforward and simplify where necessary. Think about what the key thing you want to get across is because you don't have time to elaborate.

 

[applyingfortc]

It varies but I've done it for a few different firms and its usually around 1-2 minutes. So it's important to practice being concise. My advice would be to keep it really straightforward and simplify where necessary. Think about what the key thing you want to get across is because you don't have time to elaborate.

Thank you!

 

[AspiringSolicitor]

Anyone know how long Travers take to get back post-interview?

 

[sunflowerducks]

Just completed the Gateley interactive assessment rn. Absolutely shattered! All I’m gonna say is, good luck guys

Were the tests timed?

 

[Dheepa]

Hi all, I am sure this has been asked before so am sorry but what are people's experiences like with paying for WG practice tests? I feel like I've done all the free ones multiple times so am merely remembering the answers rather than testing myself but I have a feeling that if I buy them they'll just end up being unhelpful/same questions repeated. Any thoughts?

The JobTestPrep pack really helped me. If you can find a few friends to split the cost with, it's pretty worth it imo. If you look through some responses here https://www.thecorporatelawacademy....lications-discussion.2732/page-106#post-46700 you'll see that a lot of people find it useful as well. I'd recommend practicing questions daily then making a cheat sheet of helpful hints you need to remember for the different questions. Check out this cheat sheet Dan very kindly shared as well! https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/threads/watson-glaser-cheat-hint-sheet.3304/

 

[axd]

The JobTestPrep pack really helped me. If you can find a few friends to split the cost with, it's pretty worth it imo. If you look through some responses here https://www.thecorporatelawacademy....lications-discussion.2732/page-106#post-46700 you'll see that a lot of people find it useful as well. I'd recommend practicing questions daily then making a cheat sheet of helpful hints you need to remember for the different questions. Check out this cheat sheet Dan very kindly shared as well! https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/threads/watson-glaser-cheat-hint-sheet.3304/

Thanks so much!

 

[HorsesForCoursesNeighNeighNeigh]

NEIGH NEIGHS IS GOING ON THE JONES DAY VAC SCHEME

 

[hd112211]

Thank you! Approximately how long did you have to answer the questions?

For the last one I did, there were three questions. For the first two you were given 15 seconds to read and think about the question (unrecorded), followed immediately by 60 seconds (recorded) in which to answer the question. The third question followed the same format but instead of 60 seconds, you got 90.

 

[ilovetheDLR]

NEIGH NEIGHS IS GOING ON THE JONES DAY VAC SCHEME

Huge congrats! Which scheme? and did they say if it'll be virtual? (if not spring cos ofc thats online)

 

[HorsesForCoursesNeighNeighNeigh]

Congrats! Which scheme? and did they say if it'll be virtual? (if not spring cos ofc thats online)

Thanks! One of their summer ones. They are planning for it to be in person but are maintaining a virtual option, they said will confirm ASAP. Will be shorter if virtual.

 

[CareerChanger]

NEIGH NEIGHS IS GOING ON THE JONES DAY VAC SCHEME

congrats! you must be chomping at the bit

 

[John Travoni]

For the last one I did, there were three questions. For the first two you were given 15 seconds to read and think about the question (unrecorded), followed immediately by 60 seconds (recorded) in which to answer the question. The third question followed the same format but instead of 60 seconds, you got 90.

What VI was this for?