Ask A Graduate Recruiter Anything!

Jessica Booker

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Graduate Recruitment
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Aug 1, 2019
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Hi,
I was wondering if firms distinguish between low 2.1s and high 2.1s?

As a separate question, do firms care about inconsistent grades. For example, in a mixture of firsts and low 2.1s, would the low 2.1s rule you out of contention?

Thank you!
Depends on the firm.

Some are more picky than others. Some value consistency more, some like to see a trajectory of academic performance.

It’s highly unlikely low 2.1s would rule you out though.
 

s.omething

Active Member
Apr 21, 2021
16
87
How are tattoos viewed in firms? I've just received a TC offer, off the back of a vacation scheme that was completely virtual. I have a small tattoo on my wrist, which therefore nobody at the firm has seen. Should I be worried? (Also, after I finish my PhD I had wanted to get another one, on the inside of my arm.)

My sister has a whole bunch of them with no issues, but she works for a tech start-up. My TC offer is at a US firm. So the cultures are, I imagine, pretty different on that front. But I'm not sure if attitudes are changing or not in law...?
 

Jessica Booker

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Graduate Recruitment
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Aug 1, 2019
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How are tattoos viewed in firms? I've just received a TC offer, off the back of a vacation scheme that was completely virtual. I have a small tattoo on my wrist, which therefore nobody at the firm has seen. Should I be worried? (Also, after I finish my PhD I had wanted to get another one, on the inside of my arm.)

My sister has a whole bunch of them with no issues, but she works for a tech start-up. My TC offer is at a US firm. So the cultures are, I imagine, pretty different on that front. But I'm not sure if attitudes are changing or not in law...?
Depends on the firm. Some will be more critical than others.

But it depends on the size, location and design of the tattoo too - something you’d see on Tattoo fixers somewhere obvious is going to be looked at very differently than a small flower/butterfly somewhere less obvious.

Put simply, you can always cover a tattoo, whether it is with clothing or cover make up if you were really concerned.

But I have seen enough small tattoos on hands throughout my career to know it isn’t a huge issue. Obviously if the tattoo was offensive/stupid, it might be more of an issue though.
 

Jessica Booker

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Hi Jessica,

I hope you are keeping well.

Grad rec informed us that, before the TC interview, we will receive a call walking us through feedback on our vac scheme AC performance (a written task + an interview with a lawyer and a grad rec rep). However, during my feedback call, I was informed that the grad rec rep who interviewed me had left the firm and they can't access the interview notes. They could only provide feedback on my written task marked by that grad rec rep. The lawyer who interviewed me hadn't responded either. In short, I was only able to receive feedback on my written task but not the interview.

Could I ask if I should wait for a week or two and ask again whether the lawyer has responded/whether there is any bit of the interview feedback that they can provide, or is it a lost cause? I really hope to improve and build upon myself so any feedback would be really helpful.

Thank you :)
No harm in asking if the lawyer has responded, but I suspect it might be a lost cause unfortunately.
 

futuretraineesolicitor

Legendary Member
Forum Winner
Dec 14, 2019
951
398
Hello @Jessica Booker Hope you are doing well. I had a question about extra-curricular activities and the work experience section.

1- As a graduate recruiter, what piece of work experience do you find to be better and more convincing, a stint as a barista in a cafe for a month vs a paralegal position at a reputed law firm for a month? What I mean is, clearly there is less intellectual stimulation while working as a barista (I mean no disrespect to anyone here) compared to a person who is a paralegal at a firm. So do you think that the paralegal is the clear winner here, or is there actually no difference since it boils down to how the applicant writes about the experience and how he/she is able to pull out transferrable skills?

2-
This is regarding extra-curricular activities. Is an applicant who writes academic papers and takes part in moot-court competitions preferred over an applicant who is a content creator on YouTube and has a channel where he/she uploads funny videos.

3-As a graduate recruitment specialist, again, what piece of work experience do you find to be better and more convincing, an applicant who is a paralegal at a low-mid tier firm vs the other applicant who is a paralegal at the best law firm in the world. Basically, does the prestige of the organisation matter? Also, how do things change in the context of international applicants because to a Grad Rec member in a UK law firm, most Indian law firms (even the well-known ones) might be unheard of.

4- This is regarding extra-curricular activities, again. If two people have participated and won prizes at, say, a painting competition, and one applicant has won the contest at the highest level in the UK and the other applicant has won it in his society block, does it matter or does the Grad Rec member view both these experiences in a similar fashion and is more interested in how the applicant pitches the competition?

Thanks in advance and my apologies if this has been answered somewhere on the forum already.
 

Jooooopp7

Legendary Member
Junior Lawyer
Nov 25, 2019
149
193
Hi jess! I was wanting to ask who I should put down as my academic reference for TC applications? A month ago or so, my undergrad personal tutor said that it might not be best for her to be the reference as I graduated in 2020 - would it be best to put my gdl personal tutor? However, I have only spoken to her over the phone once and have only been her tutee for a year

Thank you for your help!
 

Jessica Booker

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Aug 1, 2019
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Hi jess! I was wanting to ask who I should put down as my academic reference for TC applications? A month ago or so, my undergrad personal tutor said that it might not be best for her to be the reference as I graduated in 2020 - would it be best to put my gdl personal tutor? However, I have only spoken to her over the phone once and have only been her tutee for a year

Thank you for your help!
Just use your faculty office details for your undergrad degree.
 

Jessica Booker

Legendary Member
TCLA Moderator
Gold Member
Graduate Recruitment
Premium Member
Forum Team
Aug 1, 2019
13,338
19,151
Hello @Jessica Booker Hope you are doing well. I had a question about extra-curricular activities and the work experience section.

1- As a graduate recruiter, what piece of work experience do you find to be better and more convincing, a stint as a barista in a cafe for a month vs a paralegal position at a reputed law firm for a month? What I mean is, clearly there is less intellectual stimulation while working as a barista (I mean no disrespect to anyone here) compared to a person who is a paralegal at a firm. So do you think that the paralegal is the clear winner here, or is there actually no difference since it boils down to how the applicant writes about the experience and how he/she is able to pull out transferrable skills?

2-
This is regarding extra-curricular activities. Is an applicant who writes academic papers and takes part in moot-court competitions preferred over an applicant who is a content creator on YouTube and has a channel where he/she uploads funny videos.

3-As a graduate recruitment specialist, again, what piece of work experience do you find to be better and more convincing, an applicant who is a paralegal at a low-mid tier firm vs the other applicant who is a paralegal at the best law firm in the world. Basically, does the prestige of the organisation matter? Also, how do things change in the context of international applicants because to a Grad Rec member in a UK law firm, most Indian law firms (even the well-known ones) might be unheard of.

4- This is regarding extra-curricular activities, again. If two people have participated and won prizes at, say, a painting competition, and one applicant has won the contest at the highest level in the UK and the other applicant has won it in his society block, does it matter or does the Grad Rec member view both these experiences in a similar fashion and is more interested in how the applicant pitches the competition?

Thanks in advance and my apologies if this has been answered somewhere on the forum already.
It’s never binary like this as you aren’t making singular comparative decisions across two applicants.
 

Jessica Booker

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Aug 1, 2019
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Got it. But, just a follow-up question please, very broadly, does the prestige and the intellectuality of the work-ex/ extra-curricular matter or is it more about how you pitch it?

Thanks in advance.
No - you are making assumptions that your reader automatically reads prestige/intellect. None of that is guaranteed by a title
 
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Reactions: futuretraineesolicitor

Jessica Booker

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Hi Jess.

I received my first year marks last week and I’m pretty disappointed. I got a 56% overall with a 50 in contract, 60 in public, 57 in criminal and 57 in property. I do have mitigating circumstances. Are there some firms I should avoid and do you know which firms would be more considerate towards these sort of marks.
If you have mitigating circumstances, you don’t have to worry about who is or isn’t open to these grades - your mitigating circumstances negate your grades.
 

c1070

Esteemed Member
Mar 4, 2020
75
192
Hi @Jessica Booker , I'm sure I'm just being paranoid but was wondering if you could help. I received a call last Monday from a partner to offer me a TC (I was thrilled!!) and then HR followed up with another call and two partners emailed me. I had an email from HR last Wednesday to ask if I had any questions and confirm the year I'd like to start and that then they could sort the paper work and I replied doing so on Thursday (a couple of questions and my preferred start date).

I haven't received a response yet was wondering if it would be OK to send a polite follow up today? I'm sure they're just super busy but it was just a bit strange to have so much communication then nothing - or am I being an over worrier?! I know that the deadline to accept will be based on when I receive the formal letter but I am just a bit nervy!
 

Jessica Booker

Legendary Member
TCLA Moderator
Gold Member
Graduate Recruitment
Premium Member
Forum Team
Aug 1, 2019
13,338
19,151
Hi @Jessica Booker , I'm sure I'm just being paranoid but was wondering if you could help. I received a call last Monday from a partner to offer me a TC (I was thrilled!!) and then HR followed up with another call and two partners emailed me. I had an email from HR last Wednesday to ask if I had any questions and confirm the year I'd like to start and that then they could sort the paper work and I replied doing so on Thursday (a couple of questions and my preferred start date).

I haven't received a response yet was wondering if it would be OK to send a polite follow up today? I'm sure they're just super busy but it was just a bit strange to have so much communication then nothing - or am I being an over worrier?! I know that the deadline to accept will be based on when I receive the formal letter but I am just a bit nervy!
Was your last email yesterday or a week ago?
 

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