- Feb 17, 2018
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Please state the month/year you interviewed at the firm.
November 2019
Please specify what the interview was for.
Winter Vacation Scheme 2019
Please give an overview of the day with approximate timings.
9.15am Arrival, 9.30am welcome from a member of Graduate Recruitment, 9.40am Written Exercise, 10.45am Interview with a member of Graduate Recruitment, 12pm Tour with Trainees
Please provide a summary of each assessment on the day with approximate timings.
Written Exercise - All of the AC attendees were sat in one room together and we were each given instructions and a stack of paper. I have heard that they circulate two different exercises and mine was on renewable energy, but the person next to you may have the other one. We had one hour to read through the documents and complete the exercise, following a brief. The exercise is done by hand. I found the instructions were very clear and you have to answer a set of questions; acting as if you are advising a fictitious council on your decision about a renewable energy project. I had no problem completing it in the time, but I am a fast writer. Make sure you read through all the documents, and there are a fair few of them (but not too many) and I found it helpful to highlight as I went through. Remember to give yourself enough time to write it. I stuck to 5-10 minutes reading/planning and the rest writing. Stick to a clear structure from the brief, be concise and where you can include relevant information from your own commercial knowledge. I enjoyed this exercise and did not find it too difficult at all.
Interview with Graduate Recruitment - The AC attendees were split into two groups, with some having their interviews first and some having their trainee tour first. I was the former and I was interviewed with a member of Graduate Recruitment. This was the most straightforward interview I had out of all the firms I interviewed at and I did not have any unexpected questions. The questions were a blend of motivational and competency. A lot of questions seemed to allow you to link in to 'why Ashurst' - I would do a lot of firm research beforehand. I was given the opportunity to ask questions at the end and I found my interviewer very friendly. It was overall an enjoyable experience.
Tour/Chat with Trainees - This was very informal. A few trainees took a group of us around the office and answered any questions we had.
Please list any interview questions you were asked.
- Why Ashurst?
- Why law?
- Why did you apply to our vacation scheme?
- If you attended the scheme, which practice area would you like to sit in?
- Tell us about a time you had to work in a team and any challenges that arose
- Would you say you prefer to work in a team or be a leader?
- What skills do you think a trainee needs to have?
- Which other firms did you apply to?
- What has been your application strategy?
- Tell us about a time you had feedback. What was the feedback?
- What would you say is a weakness of yours?
What is your best advice for each aspect of the assessment on the day? Please break this down for each assessment. This can include advice for preparation, as well as tips for the day.
Written Exercise - If you are not used to writing in exam-style conditions, practise writing a lot by hand. Be aware of what is going on currently that could affect the business world. Write quickly, skim through everything and have a good structure. If you have the time, read through at the end to check you have used good spelling and grammar.
Interview - Be friendly and personable. Brush up on your motivational answers. Be expected to justify which other firms you have applied to and what your application strategy was - I think this is quite important to them. Do thorough firm research from different sources. Prepare three questions for the end.
Tour - Ask lots of questions.
Were you successful?
Yes
November 2019
Please specify what the interview was for.
Winter Vacation Scheme 2019
Please give an overview of the day with approximate timings.
9.15am Arrival, 9.30am welcome from a member of Graduate Recruitment, 9.40am Written Exercise, 10.45am Interview with a member of Graduate Recruitment, 12pm Tour with Trainees
Please provide a summary of each assessment on the day with approximate timings.
Written Exercise - All of the AC attendees were sat in one room together and we were each given instructions and a stack of paper. I have heard that they circulate two different exercises and mine was on renewable energy, but the person next to you may have the other one. We had one hour to read through the documents and complete the exercise, following a brief. The exercise is done by hand. I found the instructions were very clear and you have to answer a set of questions; acting as if you are advising a fictitious council on your decision about a renewable energy project. I had no problem completing it in the time, but I am a fast writer. Make sure you read through all the documents, and there are a fair few of them (but not too many) and I found it helpful to highlight as I went through. Remember to give yourself enough time to write it. I stuck to 5-10 minutes reading/planning and the rest writing. Stick to a clear structure from the brief, be concise and where you can include relevant information from your own commercial knowledge. I enjoyed this exercise and did not find it too difficult at all.
Interview with Graduate Recruitment - The AC attendees were split into two groups, with some having their interviews first and some having their trainee tour first. I was the former and I was interviewed with a member of Graduate Recruitment. This was the most straightforward interview I had out of all the firms I interviewed at and I did not have any unexpected questions. The questions were a blend of motivational and competency. A lot of questions seemed to allow you to link in to 'why Ashurst' - I would do a lot of firm research beforehand. I was given the opportunity to ask questions at the end and I found my interviewer very friendly. It was overall an enjoyable experience.
Tour/Chat with Trainees - This was very informal. A few trainees took a group of us around the office and answered any questions we had.
Please list any interview questions you were asked.
- Why Ashurst?
- Why law?
- Why did you apply to our vacation scheme?
- If you attended the scheme, which practice area would you like to sit in?
- Tell us about a time you had to work in a team and any challenges that arose
- Would you say you prefer to work in a team or be a leader?
- What skills do you think a trainee needs to have?
- Which other firms did you apply to?
- What has been your application strategy?
- Tell us about a time you had feedback. What was the feedback?
- What would you say is a weakness of yours?
What is your best advice for each aspect of the assessment on the day? Please break this down for each assessment. This can include advice for preparation, as well as tips for the day.
Written Exercise - If you are not used to writing in exam-style conditions, practise writing a lot by hand. Be aware of what is going on currently that could affect the business world. Write quickly, skim through everything and have a good structure. If you have the time, read through at the end to check you have used good spelling and grammar.
Interview - Be friendly and personable. Brush up on your motivational answers. Be expected to justify which other firms you have applied to and what your application strategy was - I think this is quite important to them. Do thorough firm research from different sources. Prepare three questions for the end.
Tour - Ask lots of questions.
Were you successful?
Yes
