Ask A Graduate Recruiter Anything!

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jess, I hope you are well. I am currently doing a postgraduate degree and have not undertaken any vacation scheme before--I have only done legal internships at small general practices. For firms that do not offer vacation schemes to non-penultimate-year law students (e.g. Freshfields and Slaughter and May), I will only be eligible to apply for a direct training contract. However, given my lack of vacation scheme experience, would you recommend applying to these firms only after I have undertaken a vacation scheme sometime in the future? Thank you !

No - I don’t think you need to necessarily do this. I used to recruit enough Trainees at Freshfields who did not have a vacation scheme on their CV/application. It really depends on the relative strength of the rest of your application though.

 

[Dwight]

My exam results this year were pass/fail (i.e. that is what is what will be on the transcript), but we have received unofficial marks which are unclassified. I am aware this has happened at a lot of other universities. Therefore, for vacation scheme applications should I put pass/fail or the unofficial marks obtained? What is graduate recruitment requiring this year? Second-years what are you doing?

 

[Nat000]

My exam results this year were pass/fail (i.e. that is what is what will be on the transcript), but we have received unofficial marks which are unclassified. I am aware this has happened at a lot of other universities. Therefore, for vacation scheme applications should I put pass/fail or the unofficial marks obtained? What is graduate recruitment requiring this year? Second-years what are you doing?

That happened to me, in the official section for grades I put just the pass but in the box for additional information I wrote the unofficial marks

 

[Jessica Booker]

My exam results this year were pass/fail (i.e. that is what is what will be on the transcript), but we have received unofficial marks which are unclassified. I am aware this has happened at a lot of other universities. Therefore, for vacation scheme applications should I put pass/fail or the unofficial marks obtained? What is graduate recruitment requiring this year? Second-years what are you doing?

I would put both and make clear what are pass/fail results and what are unofficial marks that show your capability

 

[Dwight]

Should I include positions of responsibility in a society/club in the work experience section?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Should I include positions of responsibility in a society/club in the work experience section?

No - they are not work experience.

 

[Dwight]

No - they are not work experience.

even if there is not an extra-c section?

 

[Jessica Booker]

even if there is not an extra-c section?

Yes, even if there isn't an section - it isn't work experience. You wouldn't put your work experience section in your academic section or vice versa.

If there is no extra curricular section (or "other" section or competency questions that could cover extracurriculars), the firm doesn't concern itself with that information or doesn't think it is relevant.

 

[orange32]

In a 'why firm' section of the cover letter, how many points about the firm would be adequate? Is it OK to just focus on 1-2 aspects of the firm?

Also, is it OK for the experiences you use to justify your interest in a particular firm to overlap with the experiences you use to sell yourself in the 'why you' section?

 

[Jessica Booker]

In a 'why firm' section of the cover letter, how many points about the firm would be adequate? Is it OK to just focus on 1-2 aspects of the firm?

Also, is it OK for the experiences you use to justify your interest in a particular firm to overlap with the experiences you use to sell yourself in the 'why you' section?

No fixed answer here - depends on the word count/page limits etc. It is important to explain why what you are saying is important or relevant to you. Just repeating information the firm already knows about itself isn't sufficient - even the "why firm" is actually more about you than it is them.

It sounds like it could be repetitive if there is overlap. I'd generally avoid that if you can.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica,

I am applying for vacation schemes at the moment and I have a question regarding the work experience part. I was wondering whether I should mention the following: Towards the end of my last internship, I was told by HR to apply for an upcoming permanent position and all the associates I worked with were also encouraging me to do so. I had an interview that went very well, but just a few days later lockdown was announced and all the hiring was frozen within the firm.

I think it would show that the firm appreciated my work there, but I'm just not sure if it's appropriate to be included at the work experience part. Unfortunately there is no 'additional information' part of the form where I could put this.

Thank you!

Hey - sorry for missing your post. Sometimes it gets crazy on here and I miss notifications from time to time.

Yes - you can state something short like "I was encouraged to apply for a permanent position but due to a recruitment freeze in Month 2020, the role was never filled".

 

[S87]

Hi Jessica,

I am currently applying to Reed Smith and struggling with this question "Please give details of any prizes, awards or stipends etc. you have won or been granted, numbering them 1 to 5".

I have only two scholarships: one before my A-level (so too late) and another during my undergraduate. How should we approach this kind of questions when we do not have enough leverage?

Thank you in advance

 

[Jessica Booker]

@S87

Your A-level one isn't "too late".

You just put two in rather than five. That is more than enough to leverage.

 

[S87]

@S87

Your A-level one isn't "too late".

You just put two in rather than five. That is more than enough to leverage.

Thank you so much!

 

[Manifesting]

Hi Jessica!

I'm aware that in British English, collective nouns can take either singular or plural verb forms. So, on many instances in this forum, I see examples, such as "Linklaters have a supportive culture."

This is a form that comes unnaturally to me given that my education was a mix of British/American/English-as-a-second-language. I was wondering if it were ok if I used the singular form in my applications, such as "Linklaters has a supportive culture"?

I fear that GR might consider this to be a mistake, although I think that it is technically grammatically-sound too. I am doing my best to use British spelling, terms, and grammar throughout my applications, but I'm afraid of messing this form up and also know that I would speak using the singular verb forms in an interview.

 

[Jaysen]

Hi Jessica!

I'm aware that in British English, collective nouns can take either singular or plural verb forms. So, on many instances in this forum, I see examples, such as "Linklaters have a supportive culture."

This is a form that comes unnaturally to me given that my education was a mix of British/American/English-as-a-second-language. I was wondering if it were ok if I used the singular form in my applications, such as "Linklaters has a supportive culture"?

I fear that GR might consider this to be a mistake, although I think that it is technically grammatically-sound too. I am doing my best to use British spelling, terms, and grammar throughout my applications, but I'm afraid of messing this form up and also know that I would speak using the singular verb forms in an interview.

Personally, I prefer the singular form for companies/law firms, but I do see varied use. I'm sure this isn't something graduate recruitment will mark you down for.

@Jessica Booker @Alice G might also have some thoughts on this.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica!

I'm aware that in British English, collective nouns can take either singular or plural verb forms. So, on many instances in this forum, I see examples, such as "Linklaters have a supportive culture."

This is a form that comes unnaturally to me given that my education was a mix of British/American/English-as-a-second-language. I was wondering if it were ok if I used the singular form in my applications, such as "Linklaters has a supportive culture"?

I fear that GR might consider this to be a mistake, although I think that it is technically grammatically-sound too. I am doing my best to use British spelling, terms, and grammar throughout my applications, but I'm afraid of messing this form up and also know that I would speak using the singular verb forms in an interview.

It is fine really in this context. It wouldn’t be seen as incorrect as such as the organisation can be seen as a singular entity anyway. If you wanted to be sure the just change Linklaters to “the firm” and has is grammatically correct anyway

 

[Polzovatel]

Hi @Jessica Booker
I applied for a winter VS and have just found out that I have uni commitments in December.
When will be my best chance to try to move it to a summer VS
1.Now
2. Before/during AC if I get one
3 After their VS offer if I receive one

 

[H48]

Hi Jessica,

For an application question that simply asks for "relevant skills" (200 words), would it be best to list quite a few different skills and keep the evidence in support of them brief, or pick one/two and really articulate exactly how you demonstrated them? In most questions I'd go for the latter, but the wording of the question has me wondering whether I should try to use the space given to fit in as many examples as I possibly can. Thanks as always for your help and time!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi @Jessica Booker
I applied for a winter VS and have just found out that I have uni commitments in December.
When will be my best chance to try to move it to a summer VS
1.Now
2. Before/during AC if I get one
3 After their VS offer if I receive one

I’d mention it before an AC once you have got an invite