2020-21 Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion

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Kola

Legendary Member
Sep 27, 2020
125
726
Hey-I thought some said you can this year but then I’ve seen posts saying people were lying about the format/questions to get others to log on first.

No one is obligated to reveal the questions but to deliberately mislead is a bit shameful really, I’m sure integrity is rather crucial to the role of a solicitor.

So is having no soul apparently so I can't say I'm entirely surprised lol
 

jan28

Legendary Member
Future Trainee
M&A Bootcamp
Sep 12, 2019
423
993
Do summer applications usually hear back late? This is my first time applying to all summers and i’m baffled by the extra time it’s taking to hear back (but obv understand rona is still out here causing havoc to society)
 

Ole1999

Star Member
Forum Winner
Junior Lawyer
Jun 5, 2020
26
175
Me when I finally get an “Inferences” question right on the Watson Glaser
i won breaking bad GIF
 

Mena M

Star Member
Dec 16, 2020
30
44
Ah! Just when I had lost all hope... Bakers VI invite came through this morning for summer vac 😩 🙏🏼

This is my first cycle of apps and my first video interview invite - can anyone please be so kind as to give me heads up for Bakers VI questions / tips / general VI prep?? Thank you!!!
Same here, and also my first!
 

NA1998

Active Member
Dec 16, 2020
16
51
It makes sense, but I also wonder whether people from certain background have been prepped for interviews their whole lives and others have not had such opportunities! CV-blind means the interviewer wouldn't be able to take this into consideration
In my opinion (pls keep in mind this is just my opinion) - the entire law firm recruitment process is discriminatory and the fact that there is a market of resources to help you get through the process (WG practice tests, commercial awareness paid newsletters) only evidences this. People who cannot pay for such resources are disadvantaged (I know some resources like jobtestprep and so are “cheap” to some people but they are also unaffordable to some others). The most fair recruitment process is probably application form > telephone interview > AC/partner interview. Firms should spend money to expand their grad recruitment teams so that they have the capacity to use this process rather than tests and VIs and so on. Rather, they underfund grad recruitment teams and these are forced to use WG and other tests which are unfair on the applicants who cannot afford to get practice test resources.
 

law230

Esteemed Member
Jan 20, 2021
80
165
In my opinion (pls keep in mind this is just my opinion) - the entire law firm recruitment process is discriminatory and the fact that there is a market of resources to help you get through the process (WG practice tests, commercial awareness paid newsletters) only evidences this. People who cannot pay for such resources are disadvantaged (I know some resources like jobtestprep and so are “cheap” to some people but they are also unaffordable to some others). The most fair recruitment process is probably application form > telephone interview > AC/partner interview. Firms should spend money to expand their grad recruitment teams so that they have the capacity to use this process rather than tests and VIs and so on. Rather, they underfund grad recruitment teams and these are forced to use WG and other tests which are unfair on the applicants who cannot afford to get practice test resources.
agreed.
 

tla99

Distinguished Member
M&A Bootcamp
Dec 18, 2019
53
111
Nope. Not heard anything. Although some people have received an email saying you will hear soon.


Ah. Perhaps then! I wonder how many more interviews they are doing.
did they let you guys know how many more Acs they were going to do/when? hope it went well *edit - I mean for Weil summer VS*
 

Andrew M

Legendary Member
Forum Winner
Jan 7, 2020
517
2,030
In my opinion (pls keep in mind this is just my opinion) - the entire law firm recruitment process is discriminatory and the fact that there is a market of resources to help you get through the process (WG practice tests, commercial awareness paid newsletters) only evidences this. People who cannot pay for such resources are disadvantaged (I know some resources like jobtestprep and so are “cheap” to some people but they are also unaffordable to some others). The most fair recruitment process is probably application form > telephone interview > AC/partner interview. Firms should spend money to expand their grad recruitment teams so that they have the capacity to use this process rather than tests and VIs and so on. Rather, they underfund grad recruitment teams and these are forced to use WG and other tests which are unfair on the applicants who cannot afford to get practice test resources.
Well I personally have never paid for watson glaser tests (and wouldn't out of principle) - I just use the free ones which are available to everybody online. And I've never failed at the WG stage in an application.

I do see your point. Although I would argue that you can get equally as much (paid) 'help' for your suggested recruitment route (application > interview > assessment centre) as with practice tests, if not more. I'm honestly not sure how law firms *could* make the process more fair and less discriminatory. There will always be commercial organisations offering premium services which effectively provide advantages to already advantaged candidates. The only way of making that more fair is to push providers to offer services to disadvantaged students (as TCLA does). But that'll never be completely perfect either.
 
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