Application Questions as a Career Changer

[SkylarCheng]

Question: Some application questions look specific to University students. How can one answer as a career changer?

Some context: After I completed the LPC and failed to secure a training contract (a heartbreaking event after attending 7 assessment centres that year), I have been working full-time in Financial Services Regulatory Compliance for just over a year now. I feel ready to tackle the whole training contract application process again, having settled into a relatively calm in-house role. My job prevents me from gaining any vacation scheme experience (due to lack of holidays and having to book them in advance), but I have worked as a paralegal previously.

The issue: Now that I return to doing applications, I realise some questions are very specific to University students. A specific one is around "extracurricular activities", which I used to have many examples for in terms of student societies, but that was at least 3-4 years ago at this point.

Taking this specific question as an example, around extracurricular activites, what would graduate recruitment teams consider an "extracurricular activity" for a full-time employee? For example, would business development proposals at work be extracurricular, or would you only accept examples that are strictly outside of working hours?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Extra curricular in the workplace will be anything outside of job description/day to day responsibilities. For instance, this could be:

- being part of any internal network/employee groups
- being involved in any sports/arts groups run through your employer
- participating in any mentoring programmes, either as a mentee or a mentor
- any CSR or ED&I activities
- involved in any events that promote your employer to either prospective future employees or clients
- any charitable work - such as pro Bono or charity fundraising activities

 

[prospectiveswitcher]

Question: Some application questions look specific to University students. How can one answer as a career changer?

Some context: After I completed the LPC and failed to secure a training contract (a heartbreaking event after attending 7 assessment centres that year), I have been working full-time in Financial Services Regulatory Compliance for just over a year now. I feel ready to tackle the whole training contract application process again, having settled into a relatively calm in-house role. My job prevents me from gaining any vacation scheme experience (due to lack of holidays and having to book them in advance), but I have worked as a paralegal previously.

The issue: Now that I return to doing applications, I realise some questions are very specific to University students. A specific one is around "extracurricular activities", which I used to have many examples for in terms of student societies, but that was at least 3-4 years ago at this point.

Taking this specific question as an example, around extracurricular activites, what would graduate recruitment teams consider an "extracurricular activity" for a full-time employee? For example, would business development proposals at work be extracurricular, or would you only accept examples that are strictly outside of working hours?

I am also a career changer (although 7 years out of uni!) - I still include uni things as I did a lot more then.

For my first firm post graduation I did some 'extra curricular' things like Jessica has mentioned (e.g. pro bono) and I mention these, but my current firm does none of these things (it is a small boutique and there are no internal networks, or anything like that) but I do attend careers fairs on behalf of the firm so I mention this.

It is difficult as within the firm there is minimal to no opportunities and we typically work law-esque hours, so it leaves little time for non-work extra curriculars too. I try to put a tidbit in mentioning my hobbies in these questions normally saying 'My current role places great demands on my time, but I like to maintain X, Y hobbies or do Z in my spare time'. I think all they really want to see here is that you are a proactive person who takes initiative and has some kind of leadership potential (although not everyone is expected to be, nor should be a leader so don't focus too much on this!). Hope this helps and good luck.

 

[SkylarCheng]

I am also a career changer (although 7 years out of uni!) - I still include uni things as I did a lot more then.

For my first firm post graduation I did some 'extra curricular' things like Jessica has mentioned (e.g. pro bono) and I mention these, but my current firm does none of these things (it is a small boutique and there are no internal networks, or anything like that) but I do attend careers fairs on behalf of the firm so I mention this.

It is difficult as within the firm there is minimal to no opportunities and we typically work law-esque hours, so it leaves little time for non-work extra curriculars too. I try to put a tidbit in mentioning my hobbies in these questions normally saying 'My current role places great demands on my time, but I like to maintain X, Y hobbies or do Z in my spare time'. I think all they really want to see here is that you are a proactive person who takes initiative and has some kind of leadership potential (although not everyone is expected to be, nor should be a leader so don't focus too much on this!). Hope this helps and good luck.

Makes sense! I also work law-esque hours, so hopefully a mix of out-of-job-description tasks + outside of work hobbies can pull through.

Do you have any advice in terms of referrals? I am tempted to put my current employer down, but am very concerned that it would be held against me at work (or lead to dismissal) should the law firm end up contacting my employer. I am unsure about how referrals work in terms of training contracts, but if it is the same as usual work references, they should only require the reference to confirm that a) you've worked for them, and b) you are who you say you are? I am considering my previous employer if that is the only reason for references.

 

[prospectiveswitcher]

Makes sense! I also work law-esque hours, so hopefully a mix of out-of-job-description tasks + outside of work hobbies can pull through.

Do you have any advice in terms of referrals? I am tempted to put my current employer down, but am very concerned that it would be held against me at work (or lead to dismissal) should the law firm end up contacting my employer. I am unsure about how referrals work in terms of training contracts, but if it is the same as usual work references, they should only require the reference to confirm that a) you've worked for them, and b) you are who you say you are? I am considering my previous employer if that is the only reason for references.

Yes I am the same as you - I have used a contact at my previous employer as a professional referee and my degree course coordinator as my academic referee (and you are right - I think the checks do not typically go beyond confirming you worked/studied there. I know my academic referee is very unlikely to remember my name personally anyway. I believe @Jessica Booker confirmed this before that the referee checks are just verification rather than getting an opinion on you).