2020-21 Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion

[cmaj]

Post AC rejections from DLA Piper, Macfarlanes, and HSF all in the last week, alongside 5 in various stages from app to VI. Down to my last few applications and not feeling too confident.

Definitely some of the toughest days I have had in the last 2 recruitment cycles. I had prepped for weeks and honestly thought some of the interviews went well. Hopefully better news will soon come.

Best of luck to everyone waiting to hear back from firms and with AC's coming up!

This broke my heart because I know how awful it makes you feel, especially when you prepare so much and want it so badly. For the firm in the story I posted above, I spent weeks preparing - I had built up a guide of over 100 pages of preparation - and didn't think the interview had gone badly at all at the time! However, in hindsight, I realised that I just wasn't ready yet and lacked commercial awareness.

I know it's tough with coronavirus but just make sure to take some time out to yourself. Fingers crossed that your other applications pull through but if not, it's important that you come back at this with the most positive growth mindset possible. Speak with friends and family and take your mind off of law for a while. In the long term, don't take the PFOs to heart and instead, pinpoint where you went wrong with the ACs by listening to your feedback and working on those areas. Post AC rejections are the hardest thing in applying to firms and I really feel for you because you are clearly a fantastic candidate by the fact you've got to the AC for those three firms! ❤️

 

[ben4464]

Ah, just found out I didn’t pass the AC with Freshfields :/ bit gutting at the last stage, but felt it hadn’t gone great tbh.

 

[packhorse]

Anything you would have done differently in retrospect?

Sorry to hear though - getting to that stage is an enormous achievement ?

Ah, just found out I didn’t pass the AC with Freshfields :/ bit gutting at the last stage, but felt it hadn’t gone great tbh.

 

[ab1147]

Anyone still waiting to *receive* the games based assessment? 😬 (I applied on the day of the deadline though, so wouldn't be surprised if it was 'too late'!)

I haven't received it either and did also apply on the deadline day too Nervous that it's too late but they did say at an event that theyd look through all applications!

 

[M&ALawyer]

This broke my heart because I know how awful it makes you feel, especially when you prepare so much and want it so badly. For the firm in the story I posted above, I spent weeks preparing - I had built up a guide of over 100 pages of preparation - and didn't think the interview had gone badly at all at the time! However, in hindsight, I realised that I just wasn't ready yet and lacked commercial awareness.

I know it's tough with coronavirus but just make sure to take some time out to yourself. Fingers crossed that your other applications pull through but if not, it's important that you come back at this with the most positive growth mindset possible. Speak with friends and family and take your mind off of law for a while. In the long term, don't take the PFOs to heart and instead, pinpoint where you went wrong with the ACs by listening to your feedback and working on those areas. Post AC rejections are the hardest thing in applying to firms and I really feel for you because you are clearly a fantastic candidate by the fact you've got to the AC for those three firms! ❤️

Thank you for your kind words and support!

Definitely need to take some time to process everything, take in the feedback from the AC's, and keep trying to improve. It all seems a bit distant at the moment but with some more work, perhaps I can get closer. Really hoping I have another shot with the apps remaining, but in the meantime I think some time off is in order.

 

[W]

Anyone still waiting for Reed Smith post research questions for spring vac?

 

[Adrian_Healey]

Bristows first round interview!
Anyone knows what ‘problem-based scenarios’ are? Are they more situational judgement or (patent) law related?

 

[ben4464]

Anything you would have done differently in retrospect?

Sorry to hear though - getting to that stage is an enormous achievement ?

Not sure to be honest. I had it during the middle of my exams so was alittle harder to prepare for. Not had feedback yet, but I think it was the article interview that I didn’t do so well on - just on the day I struggled to consider the scenario from a wider perspective.

 

[CorporateB3]

a quick question to anyone who did the Bakers VI - how long did it take to hear back after completing it?

 

[cmaj]

Thank you for your kind words and support!

Definitely need to take some time to process everything, take in the feedback from the AC's, and keep trying to improve. It all seems a bit distant at the moment but with some more work, perhaps I can get closer. Really hoping I have another shot with the apps remaining, but in the meantime I think some time off is in order.

For sure and that's a fab attitude ❤️ For now, you can't do anything until you hear from the remaining firms, so try not to spend all your time refreshing your emails and do something that makes you feel good instead!

 

[OB]

Post AC rejections from DLA Piper, Macfarlanes, and HSF all in the last week, alongside 5 in various stages from app to VI. Down to my last few applications and not feeling too confident.

Definitely some of the toughest days I have had in the last 2 recruitment cycles. I had prepped for weeks and honestly thought some of the interviews went well. Hopefully better news will soon come.

Best of luck to everyone waiting to hear back from firms and with AC's coming up!

If you want to rant, my DMs are open. I'm feeling a bit dejected this cycle being rejected post-AC from CMS and tbh expecting another post-interview rejection. Our time will come!

 

[Matt_96]

Bristows first round interview!
Anyone knows what ‘problem-based scenarios’ are? Are they more situational judgement or (patent) law related?

That sounds like a situational judgment thing to me

 

[corplaw123]

Anyone been rejected by Covington?

 

[Rob93]

Willkie papercut pfo. Impressive turnaround from them, only applied a week ago.

 

[OH]

This is actually incredible, congratulations!!!

If you wouldn't mind sharing, what did you do differently this cycle that you believe was fundamental to your success?

Hi Ashton,

sorry for the delay, literally just answered 30ish DMs haha.

I received A LOT of negative feedback last cycle and I then deliberately went out of my way to address it. I'm not counting any chickens until the eggs hatch though.

For example, one AC said my answers were technically fine but I came across like a robot, and reflecting back this was spot on; so I now prepare no scripted answers and improvise everything so it comes across more naturally. I also deliberately use only funny competency examples, instead of the ones that are more objectively impressive, so the interviewers will laugh/ask follow-up questions. 70% of my Bakers partner interview was discussing cake because I used several cake-related answers to questions (e.g. spending twenty hours baking a 8 tier cake only to drop it 5 minutes before the party and how this showed my resilience). Also one of the perks of everyone rejecting me is that I had previously researched all their strategies/USPs so making commercial judgments in answers on how they can differentiate themselves is natural now through exposure. In the past I've been accused of being an 'encyclopaedia' and 'information dense' so again I deliberately omit points and speak slower/spend the extra time forming more a personal relationship. Also I link every single line to something personal; e.g. if I say I like international work then I give specific examples of times I went abroad and experienced similar situations. My measure of a good interview now is whether they're unable to ask questions because they're laughing too much, as was the case in most of this cycle's ACs. More commercially, I also spent the past year reading The Guardian/BBC News cover to cover every morning before leaving bed and noting down anything that may be relevant to law firms I was applying to/concepts I didn't understand fully; one thing both I and friends have done to practice is arguing with people/trolls in the FB comments just to learn how you can defend your opinion when you're clearly wrong too.

Sorry for the information dump 😅

I honestly just think it's practice and targeted reflection makes perfect though (e.g. I failed Bakers VI last year), for context this is my fourth cycle:
First: 2 failed VIs
Second: 2 failed ACs
Third: 6 failed ACs

 

[Mena M]

what does Baker Mck look for?

 

[bethxx]

Has anyone heard back from SPB or BLM post VI??

 

[Pierre343]

a quick question to anyone who did the Bakers VI - how long did it take to hear back after completing it?

It was 10 days for me

 

[Oxdart]

Is this for direct TC 2023?

Yep, do you know?

 

[Bugsy Malone]

Hi Ashton,

sorry for the delay, literally just answered 30ish DMs haha.

I received A LOT of negative feedback last cycle and I then deliberately went out of my way to address it. I'm not counting any chickens until the eggs hatch though.

For example, one AC said my answers were technically fine but I came across like a robot, and reflecting back this was spot on; so I now prepare no scripted answers and improvise everything so it comes across more naturally. I also deliberately use only funny competency examples, instead of the ones that are more objectively impressive, so the interviewers will laugh/ask follow-up questions. 70% of my Bakers partner interview was discussing cake because I used several cake-related answers to questions (e.g. spending twenty hours baking a 8 tier cake only to drop it 5 minutes before the party and how this showed my resilience). Also one of the perks of everyone rejecting me is that I had previously researched all their strategies/USPs so making commercial judgments in answers on how they can differentiate themselves is natural now through exposure. In the past I've been accused of being an 'encyclopaedia' and 'information dense' so again I deliberately omit points and speak slower/spend the extra time forming more a personal relationship. Also I link every single line to something personal; e.g. if I say I like international work then I give specific examples of times I went abroad and experienced similar situations. My measure of a good interview now is whether they're unable to ask questions because they're laughing too much, as was the case in most of this cycle's ACs. More commercially, I also spent the past year reading The Guardian/BBC News cover to cover every morning before leaving bed and noting down anything that may be relevant to law firms I was applying to/concepts I didn't understand fully; one thing both I and friends have done to practice is arguing with people/trolls in the FB comments just to learn how you can defend your opinion when you're clearly wrong too.

Sorry for the information dump 😅

I honestly just think it's practice and targeted reflection makes perfect though (e.g. I failed Bakers VI last year), for context this is my fourth cycle:
First: 2 failed VIs
Second: 2 failed ACs
Third: 6 failed ACs

Thank you so much for sharing this. As someone in their third cycle of applying this was REALLY REALLY inspiring to hear!

Congratulations again on your offers and wishing you all the luck in converting them to tcs!