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Assessment Centres - How To Prepare?
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<blockquote data-quote="AvniD" data-source="post: 93642" data-attributes="member: 17155"><p><em><strong>A summary of what you can expect to find in this post- </strong></em></p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong><em>Breaking down what ACs are designed to test//analyse </em></strong></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong><em>Initiatives you should take in the run-up to your AC</em></strong></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong><em>How to effectively reflect on your life experiences </em></strong></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong><em>Best tips and recommended resources for each stage of the AC </em></strong></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><em><strong>Distractions to avoid</strong></em></li> </ul><p><strong>_________________________________________________________________________________________________</strong></p><p></p><p><u>ACs at commercial law firms are designed to test/analyse your</u>-</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>attention to detail </strong></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>teamwork skills </strong></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>motivations for working in commercial law in the UK</strong></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>commitment to a career at the firm</strong></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>ability to apply commercial awareness </strong></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>instinct for problem solving </strong></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>ability to adapt to new information and circumstances </strong></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>character traits and whether they suit the culture of the firm</strong></li> </ul><p>I do not believe that you can fully develop any of the above in the time between receiving your AC invite and the AC itself if the gap is only a couple of weeks, so it is crucial for you to take a good amount of time, I'd say at least a few months, to get to a place of confidence with these values and skills before making applications/your AC. Moreover, successfully demonstrating the above is a product of 1) your initiative and 2) your ability to reflect and draw from your experiences- whether they are good, bad, small or big.</p><p></p><p><u>The initiatives you can/should take to demonstrate these values and skills successfully</u>-</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Read up on the tasks and what they are designed to assess and prepare accordingl</strong>y. If you know there is going to be a case study, practice case studies; if you know there is going to be an interview, prepare for the types of questions that may come up by referring to TCLA's question bank <a href="https://classes.thecorporatelawacademy.com/courses/beginner-s-guide-to-training-contract/lectures/35978368" target="_blank">here</a>; if you know there is going to be a group exercise, read up on what's expected out of them and what roles you can potentially adopt <a href="https://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/law/be-your-best-self-law-assessment-centre-group-exercise" target="_blank">here</a>; and so and so forth.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Prepare solid answers to three questions</strong>- why law, why this firm and why you. You should be able to answer any related/follow-up questions if your motivations for these three core questions are evidenced and well-developed.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Prepare sincerely</strong>- Not every part of the AC requires the same amount of time and effort to prepare but ensure you work towards understanding what is being asked of you in each task and that you prepare sincerely without cutting any corners or being overconfident about your abilities.</li> </ul><p><u>How to effectively draw from and reflect upon your experiences</u>-</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Write it all down</strong>- take the time to sit down and write out examples where you have demonstrated the values firms will be assessing you for. Have examples ready to demonstrate your teamwork skills, time management skills, ability to overcome failures and setbacks, ability to communicate, creativity, ability to take initiative and think independently- the list can be quite long and the task does require significant effort, but once you do this, you will be able to personalise and support your answers with evidence in an AC and instantly stand out in the minds of those assessing you. I would suggest you go through the competency questions<a href="https://classes.thecorporatelawacademy.com/courses/beginner-s-guide-to-training-contract/lectures/35978368" target="_blank"> here </a>to get an idea of the types of examples you should have ready.</li> </ul><p><u>My best tips and recommended resources for each stage of the AC</u>-</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Document checking exercises</strong>- As these are designed to test your attention to detail, highlight as many errors as you can in the allotted timeframe. Don't fret if you cannot get through the entire document- chances are, if everything went well and you haven't been able to get through it, others haven't either.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Group exercises</strong>- You're good as long as you make productive contributions <u>and</u>do not dominate or solely observe the conversation- your effort and perspective matter as much as the others.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="https://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/law/be-your-best-self-law-assessment-centre-group-exercise" target="_blank">Recommended resource for group exercise prep! </a> </li> </ul></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Associate interview</strong>- these typically test your motivations for 1) a career in commercial law 2) at the firm 3) and in the UK (particularly relevant if you are an international applicant). Tackling this stage well requires you to have solid answers to why law, why you and why this firm, which you should ideally develop beforehand through reflection and practice.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><em>Recommended resources</em>- <a href="https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/threads/researching-firms-clients-and-deals.394/#post-1536" target="_blank">https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/threads/researching-firms-clients-and-deals.394/#post-1536</a>, <a href="https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/threads/struggling-to-differentiate-between-firms.1332/" target="_blank">https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/threads/struggling-to-differentiate-between-firms.1332/</a>, <a href="https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/threads/interview-advice-sorry-for-another-thread.467/#post-1803" target="_blank">https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/threads/interview-advice-sorry-for-another-thread.467/#post-1803</a>, <a href="https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/threads/why-law-vs-why-commercial-law.892/" target="_blank">https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/threads/why-law-vs-why-commercial-law.892/</a></li> </ul></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Case study interviews</strong>- your commercial awareness should be sharp and you should ideally practice a case study interview beforehand so you know how to present your analysis. The focus here is on your problem-solving skills, ability to walk your interviewers through your thought process and ability to adapt to new information. Remember that if you make a mistake or have interpreted some information incorrectly, acknowledge this, work through it with the partner(s) and simply move on to the next part of your discussion. You're not supposed to know how to approach a case study the exact way a practising lawyer would and instead need to demonstrate your enthusiasm to solve the issues you're presented with.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><em>Recommended resources</em>- <a href="https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/threads/case-study-1-legal-analysis.77/" target="_blank">https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/threads/case-study-1-legal-analysis.77/</a>, <a href="https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/threads/case-study-2-m-a-analysis.78/" target="_blank">https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/threads/case-study-2-m-a-analysis.78/</a>, <a href="https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/threads/definitive-guide-to-law-firm-case-studies-monday-article-series.3232/" target="_blank">https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/threads/definitive-guide-to-law-firm-case-studies-monday-article-series.3232/</a>, <a href="https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/mock-interview/#book" target="_blank">https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/mock-interview/#book</a></li> </ul></li> </ul><p><u>Distractions you must try to avoid</u>-</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Focusing on how others are performing</strong>- refrain from thinking about those being assessed alongside you, where they went to uni, how confident they appear etc.- your sole focus should be on your effort. Forget the rest.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Your mistakes</strong>- I can assure you that you will most likely make a mistake at your AC in some way or the other and that's because it is designed to test your ability to perform under pressure. It is crucial that while you acknowledge/register your mistake, that you do not obsess over it and move on to the next assessment, task, point and/or question swiftly.</li> </ul></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="AvniD, post: 93642, member: 17155"] [I][B]A summary of what you can expect to find in this post- [/B][/I] [LIST] [*][B][I]Breaking down what ACs are designed to test//analyse [/I][/B] [*][B][I]Initiatives you should take in the run-up to your AC[/I][/B] [*][B][I]How to effectively reflect on your life experiences [/I][/B] [*][B][I]Best tips and recommended resources for each stage of the AC [/I][/B] [*][I][B]Distractions to avoid[/B][/I] [/LIST] [B]_________________________________________________________________________________________________[/B] [U]ACs at commercial law firms are designed to test/analyse your[/U]- [LIST] [*][B]attention to detail [/B] [*][B]teamwork skills [/B] [*][B]motivations for working in commercial law in the UK[/B] [*][B]commitment to a career at the firm[/B] [*][B]ability to apply commercial awareness [/B] [*][B]instinct for problem solving [/B] [*][B]ability to adapt to new information and circumstances [/B] [*][B]character traits and whether they suit the culture of the firm[/B] [/LIST] I do not believe that you can fully develop any of the above in the time between receiving your AC invite and the AC itself if the gap is only a couple of weeks, so it is crucial for you to take a good amount of time, I'd say at least a few months, to get to a place of confidence with these values and skills before making applications/your AC. Moreover, successfully demonstrating the above is a product of 1) your initiative and 2) your ability to reflect and draw from your experiences- whether they are good, bad, small or big. [U]The initiatives you can/should take to demonstrate these values and skills successfully[/U]- [LIST] [*][B]Read up on the tasks and what they are designed to assess and prepare accordingl[/B]y. If you know there is going to be a case study, practice case studies; if you know there is going to be an interview, prepare for the types of questions that may come up by referring to TCLA's question bank [URL='https://classes.thecorporatelawacademy.com/courses/beginner-s-guide-to-training-contract/lectures/35978368']here[/URL]; if you know there is going to be a group exercise, read up on what's expected out of them and what roles you can potentially adopt [URL='https://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/law/be-your-best-self-law-assessment-centre-group-exercise']here[/URL]; and so and so forth. [*][B]Prepare solid answers to three questions[/B]- why law, why this firm and why you. You should be able to answer any related/follow-up questions if your motivations for these three core questions are evidenced and well-developed. [*][B]Prepare sincerely[/B]- Not every part of the AC requires the same amount of time and effort to prepare but ensure you work towards understanding what is being asked of you in each task and that you prepare sincerely without cutting any corners or being overconfident about your abilities. [/LIST] [U]How to effectively draw from and reflect upon your experiences[/U]- [LIST] [*][B]Write it all down[/B]- take the time to sit down and write out examples where you have demonstrated the values firms will be assessing you for. Have examples ready to demonstrate your teamwork skills, time management skills, ability to overcome failures and setbacks, ability to communicate, creativity, ability to take initiative and think independently- the list can be quite long and the task does require significant effort, but once you do this, you will be able to personalise and support your answers with evidence in an AC and instantly stand out in the minds of those assessing you. I would suggest you go through the competency questions[URL='https://classes.thecorporatelawacademy.com/courses/beginner-s-guide-to-training-contract/lectures/35978368'] here [/URL]to get an idea of the types of examples you should have ready. [/LIST] [U]My best tips and recommended resources for each stage of the AC[/U]- [LIST] [*][B]Document checking exercises[/B]- As these are designed to test your attention to detail, highlight as many errors as you can in the allotted timeframe. Don't fret if you cannot get through the entire document- chances are, if everything went well and you haven't been able to get through it, others haven't either. [*][B]Group exercises[/B]- You're good as long as you make productive contributions [U]and[/U]do not dominate or solely observe the conversation- your effort and perspective matter as much as the others. [LIST] [*][URL='https://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/law/be-your-best-self-law-assessment-centre-group-exercise']Recommended resource for group exercise prep! [/URL][I] [/I] [/LIST] [*][B]Associate interview[/B]- these typically test your motivations for 1) a career in commercial law 2) at the firm 3) and in the UK (particularly relevant if you are an international applicant). Tackling this stage well requires you to have solid answers to why law, why you and why this firm, which you should ideally develop beforehand through reflection and practice. [LIST] [*][I]Recommended resources[/I]- [URL]https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/threads/researching-firms-clients-and-deals.394/#post-1536[/URL], [URL]https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/threads/struggling-to-differentiate-between-firms.1332/[/URL], [URL]https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/threads/interview-advice-sorry-for-another-thread.467/#post-1803[/URL], [URL]https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/threads/why-law-vs-why-commercial-law.892/[/URL] [/LIST] [*][B]Case study interviews[/B]- your commercial awareness should be sharp and you should ideally practice a case study interview beforehand so you know how to present your analysis. The focus here is on your problem-solving skills, ability to walk your interviewers through your thought process and ability to adapt to new information. Remember that if you make a mistake or have interpreted some information incorrectly, acknowledge this, work through it with the partner(s) and simply move on to the next part of your discussion. You're not supposed to know how to approach a case study the exact way a practising lawyer would and instead need to demonstrate your enthusiasm to solve the issues you're presented with. [LIST] [*][I]Recommended resources[/I]- [URL]https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/threads/case-study-1-legal-analysis.77/[/URL], [URL]https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/threads/case-study-2-m-a-analysis.78/[/URL], [URL]https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/threads/definitive-guide-to-law-firm-case-studies-monday-article-series.3232/[/URL], [URL]https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/mock-interview/#book[/URL] [/LIST] [/LIST] [U]Distractions you must try to avoid[/U]- [LIST] [*][B]Focusing on how others are performing[/B]- refrain from thinking about those being assessed alongside you, where they went to uni, how confident they appear etc.- your sole focus should be on your effort. Forget the rest. [*][B]Your mistakes[/B]- I can assure you that you will most likely make a mistake at your AC in some way or the other and that's because it is designed to test your ability to perform under pressure. It is crucial that while you acknowledge/register your mistake, that you do not obsess over it and move on to the next assessment, task, point and/or question swiftly. [/LIST] [/QUOTE]
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