2020-21 Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion

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Jessica Booker

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What does everyone think about the possibility of in-person VS next year? I really want to do a physical one as opposed to a virtual one and was wondering if I should be applying to more summer vacation schemes? With the lockdown and rising cases, I predict that spring vacation schemes will be moved online :/

Summer is the best bet at the moment - but I wouldn't be surprised if they were also online.

Vac schemes can be an awful lot of preperation work, typically starting about 6 months in advance. It might be the case that many firms decide to keep their summer vac schemes online too (or predominately so) because it is easier from a planning perspective, and they won't want to take the risk of planning it all in person with there being a significant risk of people still predominately working remotely.
 
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AH97

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What does everyone think about the possibility of in-person VS next year? I really want to do a physical one as opposed to a virtual one and was wondering if I should be applying to more summer vacation schemes? With the lockdown and rising cases, I predict that spring vacation schemes will be moved online :/

Obviously may differ for different firms but I was at an event with NRF earlier and they said it looks like spring will be moved online now, and said there was a large possibility summer will be too!
 
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Summer is the best bet at the moment - but I wouldn't be surprised if they were also online.

Vac schemes can be an awful lot of preperation work, typically starting about 6 months in advance. It might be the case that many firms decide to keep their summer vac schemes online too (or predominately so) because it is easier from a planning perspective, and they won't want to take the risk of planning it all in person with there being a significant risk of people still predominately working remotely.

Thanks Jessica! Great to hear from a recruiter's perspective. Guess I shouldn't be getting my hopes up then :(

Obviously may differ for different firms but I was at an event with NRF earlier and they said it looks like spring will be moved online now, and said there was a large possibility summer will be too!

Ah I see.. :( Thanks for the insight! Hopefully things will get better by the summer!
 

Jessica Booker

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Thanks Jessica! Great to hear from a recruiter's perspective. Guess I shouldn't be getting my hopes up then :(



Ah I see.. :( Thanks for the insight! Hopefully things will get better by the summer!

They want the schemes to happen in person, but at the moment there’s just too many risks associated with it. All it would take is for 1 vacation schemer not to be able to attend due to isolation/lockdown rules and then would have to shift everything online to accommodate them. I think online schemes could go on for sometime, and possibly until there is even a vaccine.
 

Flora2580

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If a firm recruits on a rolling basis, it is worth waiting until after the open day to send in my VS app?
I.e. for Mishcon: the open day is on the 26th Nov, but the VS deadline is 31st December. Is it worth sending it off now or waiting for the open day (if I get a place on it)?
 

Jessica Booker

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If a firm recruits on a rolling basis, it is worth waiting until after the open day to send in my VS app?
I.e. for Mishcon: the open day is on the 26th Nov, but the VS deadline is 31st December. Is it worth sending it off now or waiting for the open day (if I get a place on it)?

If you are attending the open day, draft most of it now. Attend the open day, refine your application based on what you have learnt, and then submit shortly after you have attended. Applying in early December will mean you are still ahead of the majority of applicants.
 
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thirdtimelucky

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    If a firm recruits on a rolling basis, it is worth waiting until after the open day to send in my VS app?
    I.e. for Mishcon: the open day is on the 26th Nov, but the VS deadline is 31st December. Is it worth sending it off now or waiting for the open day (if I get a place on it)?
    I would recommend applying earlier but last year I applied 2 hours before the deadline and got to the partner interview so don’t panic about it being too late or not submitting because it’s too late! It’s always worth a shot!
     
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    WannabeSolicitor24

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    Hi Guys,

    For an application I have just started is a question that reads: 'Please tell us something that not many people know about you'.

    What sort of things do people think is appropriate to put here?
    Thanks!
     

    MDS

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    Oct 3, 2020
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    Hey guys - I have been accepted onto Burges Salmon's AC and a partner interview happening Thursday and Friday. I'm really nervous as it's my first law interview and the last interview experience I had went badly. I've also got an interview with Stephenson Harwood in late November. Does anyone have any tips or experiences with the firms? They are both top of my list so I'm keen to get it right!
     

    mab299

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    Hi Guys,

    For an application I have just started is a question that reads: 'Please tell us something that not many people know about you'.

    What sort of things do people think is appropriate to put here?
    Thanks!
    If this is for Debevoise, I don't think they're looking for anything that demonstrates any particular commercial skill or anything. I remember the grad recruitment telling me that they just want to find out something genuinely interesting about you. In my interview last year, it was brought up at the start as a nice conversation starter before the proper interview began.
     

    WannabeSolicitor24

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    If this is for Debevoise, I don't think they're looking for anything that demonstrates any particular commercial skill or anything. I remember the grad recruitment telling me that they just want to find out something genuinely interesting about you. In my interview last year, it was brought up at the start as a nice conversation starter before the proper interview began.

    Yes its for Debevoise - thank you for clarifying!
     

    SF1234

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    Sep 3, 2020
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    Hi, for the Mishcon application there is a question 'Is there anything else you would like to add in support of your application?'

    What kind of things do people think would be best to write here? Is it okay to leave it blank or would that leave a bad impression?
     

    whisperingrock

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    Hi Guys,

    For an application I have just started is a question that reads: 'Please tell us something that not many people know about you'.

    What sort of things do people think is appropriate to put here?
    Thanks!

    Maybe a unique hobby/interest or something about your background? I had a friend who I only found out was a liscensed pilot because I reviewed an application of his with a similar question.
     

    Jessica Booker

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    Hi Guys,

    For an application I have just started is a question that reads: 'Please tell us something that not many people know about you'.

    What sort of things do people think is appropriate to put here?
    Thanks!

    Its one of those questions that they are trying to find out something interesting about you but that necessarily isn't the thing that you shout from the hilltops about. It can literally be anything - something you do like a skill, hobby, interest or extra curricular activity. It could be an opinion you hold on something that maybe is slightly unconventional. It might be something you have achieved that isn't overly obvious from your application form/CV. You want something that demostrates a quality/attitude/attribute the firm wants in its trainees ideally.

    For instance mine would either be:

    That I held four part-time jobs throughout my A-levels and worked over 40 hours a week up until the May of my exams, and that from working in a pub and a rugby club's bar, I have enough stories to last a lifetime.

    Despite being told that no one would employ me at the age of 18, I secured a job working as a chalet host with a guest to host ratio of 14 to 1 (usual ratio is more like 5:1) and a guest ratio of 28 to 1 on the February half-term week. I have never worked so hard in my entire life.

    That I volunteered in a sexual health clinic while I was at university and one of my roles was being a "condom" fairy on student nights out. I have never had so much fun in a job :D

    I walked a marathon this Autumn after being the most physically unfit I have ever been at the start of Covid lockdown in the Spring.

    (now lots of people know them, so I don't know what my answer would be now :D)
     
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