2020-21 Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion

[Jacob Miller]

madness. how can it be sustainable?! (i guess the answer is that it's not)

100+ hour-weeks are horrific and not sustainable for any prolonged period of time. April & May last year, I was working 100-105 hours a week for about a month or so (just the way things worked out, unavoidable unfortunately) sleeping 3-4 hours a night most nights and it burned me out massively, took a solid 2/3 weeks to actually recover from it.

My perception is that IB is probably 7-10 years behind law in terms of modernising at any given period - in terms of culture, diversity, transparency in recruiting, etc - this is only based on my very minimal understanding of IB, though, so I could well be barking up the wrong tree!

 

[Matt_96]

Hi everyone, just received my fourth post-AC rejection. That's it for me this cycle. No vac scheme/TC this year. I hate be complaining because I know many others are in the same position as I am. But I am just so disappointed in myself. I don't get how some people are able to get it right the first round. It feels very bad being in a friendship circle where people are all getting their vac schemes and I am the one with nothing. I feel like the ultimate failure. Last semester I put my studies aside to focus on the apps. I was hoping to get something this year so I could focus on graduating with a first. Now I won't be able to do that. I'm still lagging behind even though I've been putting in so much effort trying all ways to be ahead of the game. It feels really bad when you try your best and you are told that you best isn't even enough. I don't know if I have more to give. I feel like a total failure. Some nights I cry myself to sleep because I feel like a total let down to my parents. I am under so much pressure and so much stress.

I'm on my third cycle and the constant rejection despite putting so much effort in used to get me down too. I've said it before in this thread recently but the best advice I've ever received for dealing with it was to just focus on controlling the controllables. You can't control the competition, the state of the economy, and each firm's preferences and recruitment priorities. The only things you can control is how you prepare for an interview, how you view the recruitment process in general, and how you take feedback. Everything else is out of your hands so there is little point feeling too stressed over it.

Getting into law is deliberately designed to be a tedious grind. It has to be with the sheer numbers that come through every year. So I think that the best approach, in a weird way, is to do the following.

1. Be a little cynical about every interview you get or application you make, to save yourself from over-investing and the possibility of disappointment.

2. Try to take every inch of feedback you get positively and proactively, and make sure to go through it with someone else - preferably someone who knows your personality or is an experienced careers advisor (someone who won't just tell you what you want to hear). Given that we spend all day walking around in our own bodies, it always surprises me how little I actually know about how I come across sometimes.

3. Don't be too hard on yourself. It may feel frustrating not having a job, but believe me when I say there are PLENTY of people in the same boat. You are not a failure if you don't get into law straight away. The average qualifying age of a solicitor in the UK is 30. You've got plenty of time. Many people I've met and know personally actually wish they'd spent a few years doing something else before coming to the grind of corporate law.

I hope this helps, even if just a little.

 

[MS2000]

6.4/10 on imdb hmm.... might consider watching haha

Ahah it is such a good movie, I would recommend

 

[KS94]

This is going to sound so ridiculous but I am having this crazy thought of rallying all the rejects in the same position as me and pooling together a sum of money to buy out a small law firm and give us all a TC.

You've just exposed Jaysen's TCLA master plan.

 

[ZaraB]

After receiving my post-interview rejection for Withers and post-AS rejection for Taylor Wessing, I have also felt very dejected with no offers being left with 2 firms to go this cycle for which I am not left with much hope.

I am however filled with hope for the next cycle (and for the next round of applying to TCs) because of the information I have learnt from some kind people I have spoken to on the forum. I now have an idea on how to improve my applications to be more successful for next year, which is something that is keeping me motivated. We can all do this as long as we keep persevering!!!! For anyone feeling like it is all too much, go for a walk, talk to a trusted friend (or order some fro-yo and binge watch KUWTK which helped me)

 

[LawGrad2019]

After receiving my post-interview rejection for Withers and post-AS rejection for Taylor Wessing, I have also felt very dejected with no offers being left with 2 firms to go this cycle for which I am not left with much hope.

I am however filled with hope for the next cycle (and for the next round of applying to TCs) because of the information I have learnt from some kind people I have spoken to on the forum. I now have an idea on how to improve my applications to be more successful for next year, which is something that is keeping me motivated. We can all do this as long as we keep persevering!!!! For anyone feeling like it is all too much, go for a walk, talk to a trusted friend (or order some fro-yo and binge watch KUWTK which helped me)

You're going to go so far @ZaraB !!

 

[Lohana]

Yeah it's okay - I did it last year when I was making direct TC apps and just said "incoming vacation with X firm" and then in the entry, I explained when the scheme was due to take place, the duration of the scheme and the seats I would be sitting in

Thanks Daniel appreciate the reply!

 

[Lohana]

Wanted to ask if anyone knows anyone or have themselves interviewed twice at Slaughter and May and been successful. From what I understand is, if they’ve interviewed you before it’s unlikely. But doesn’t say not possible. I interviewed at slaughter in 2019 (first ever ac/interview) but feel as though I’ve learnt so much since then that I’m a new candidate - so just wanted to get some advice from the forum. Thank you

 

[magdalenite2017]

I think a key difference is more that at law firms there doesn't seem to be much of a facetime culture i.e. if you don't have work to do you go home (because the firms know that when there is work to do you'll be working hard and often late - very general point and obviously entirely depends on your seat/department) whereas in IB it seems that you're expected to be in the office till a certain time in the evening regardless of how much work you have on at the time

So true, my friends in IB told me how they had to stay at their desk until a certain time of the evening with nothing to do, and their supervisor benevolently advised them to ‘look busy’ or else they would be given a real task and have to stay for the night.

 

[lozza_2]

Wanted to ask if anyone knows anyone or have themselves interviewed twice at Slaughter and May and been successful. From what I understand is, if they’ve interviewed you before it’s unlikely. But doesn’t say not possible. I interviewed at slaughter in 2019 (first ever ac/interview) but feel as though I’ve learnt so much since then that I’m a new candidate - so just wanted to get some advice from the forum. Thank you

When I was on their winter workshop in 2019 grad recruitment said that whilst in theory they allow people to reapply who have interviewed previously, they expect you to have substantially more experience that makes your application different from your initial one. Mind I do think they mentioned one person who had been unsuccessful on their first attempt and reapplied and did go on to get the TC. One of the partners also said that usually in the partner interview they make their decision as to whether you are success within the first few seconds and very much judge it on whether they think you will be a certain ‘fit’ which I interpret as if they have rejected once most likely they will reject you again (I may be wrong tho but that is my take!)

 

[ChuPnl]

Oh I thought there were 16 offers? 10 for London 6 for Reading. Where did you read 10?

Yes sorry, I'm an idiot
I applied for London and forgot there was offers for Reading too

 

[Lmagic77]

So if I haven’t heard from Debevoise post-AC at this point should I just give up hope? Seems as though lots of people have gotten VS offers already

 

[rosie.l]

Latham AC people - am I right that we can't use powerpoint slides for the presentation?

 

[Nnu]

hi! how long did it take for jones day to get back to people after interviewing?

 

[tk166]

I’m genuinely curious how corporate law firms compare to investment banking hours. You hear horror stories about both, but this forum seems to suggest that IB is more, well ‘in humane’

I think its also because banking hours start very early, law firms expect you to start at 9:30 but in IBD and asset management and stuff you’ll probably be at the office at 6-7am as an analyst and still work until like midnight/1am regularly

 

[tk166]

Latham AC people - am I right that we can't use powerpoint slides for the presentation?

yeah but i think you’re allowed handouts? not really sure how you’d submit those though

 

[ilovetheDLR]

Willkie VS offer!

 

[Soriginal234]

Has anyone on the forum applied for the trainee solicitor role with Zoopla?

 

[Legallyclueless]

Hey everyone, I have an upcoming AC with DWF and I'm struggling to prepare for it. Has anyone got any tips on how to prep for a strengths interview, group exercises and proof reading tasks? I feel like these are all really difficult to prepare for and could do with some pointers
Thank you!

 

[Dheepa]

Latham AC people - am I right that we can't use powerpoint slides for the presentation?

Unless they’ve changed it from last year, nope you’re not allowed PowerPoint slides. You can prepare handouts but I don’t think they care if you choose not to. I didn’t and was still successful, plus imo I think preparing the handouts leaves more room for them to scrutinise things you’ve said, typos, etc.