Documenting my TC Journey (Project TC🚀)

[elle.brokovitch]

The Museum of Failures​

If I curated a museum of my failures, there would be entire wings dedicated to rejection emails.

Assessment centres I didn’t convert.
Training contract applications that ended in silence. Video interviews I replayed in my head for weeks afterwards.

After graduating in 2021, I thought I would have figured it out by now. Instead, years later, I am still pursuing a training contract in one of the most competitive industries imaginable. There are moments when that reality feels heavy, especially when LinkedIn timelines move faster than your own life seems to.

But recently, I started wondering: what if I’ve been curating the wrong museum?

Because the truth is, my fear of failure has shaped more of my life than failure itself ever has.

Perfectionism taught me that mistakes were dangerous. That rejection meant inadequacy. So sometimes I delayed important tasks until they became urgent because procrastination felt safer than trying wholeheartedly and still failing. If I never fully tried, I could protect the illusion that maybe I could have succeeded.

But that mindset hides something important. Progress is rarely dramatic enough to feel like success while you’re living through it.

So here is the museum I forgot to build.

The museum of successes.

A room dedicated to moving from Italy to the UK and learning English in seven months so I could sit my GCSEs alongside everyone else.

Another room for graduating with a First-Class degree as a first-generation student and the first person in my family to go to university at all.

And maybe the most overlooked exhibit: this year’s application cycle.

Because for the first time, I approached the training contract process seriously and consistently. I focused less on perfection and more on quantity, momentum, and resilience. I submitted over 20 applications. I earned two assessment centres.

Objectively, that is progress.

Not fantasy. Not motivational talk. Data.

Data that says I am not stagnant.
Data that says persistence compounds.

I also completed four Direct Training Contract applications this cycle, and for once, I am learning to detach effort from outcome. Whether they convert or not, I know I approached them differently. More proactively. Less consumed by fear.

The biggest lesson this journey is teaching me is surprisingly simple:

Think less. Do more.

Not because preparation does not matter, but because overthinking has never submitted an application for me. Fear has never created opportunities. Rejection avoidance has never moved my life forward. Action has, I will continue applying for my remaining DTC applications then take a short break, maybe a holiday to recharge and get ready for the next application cycle.

this is awesome-YOU are awesome!

 

[Bottega_Veneta]

this is awesome-YOU are awesome!

Omg thank you!! YOU ARE AWSOME TOO!!

 

[Bottega_Veneta]

Project TC 2.0 ​

Tomorrow, I am officially start preparing for the next cycle.

After a brief gateway to Paris and after attending Wimbledon, I am well rested and a lot more determined.

I've decided to call it Project TC 2.0, not because I'm starting over, but because I'm approaching the process in a completely different way.

Looking back at my journey since 2022, I can finally see the bigger picture.

For three years, I applied sporadically. Some applications were rushed, others were stronger, but there was never a real system behind them. I wasn't preparing deliberately. I was simply applying and hoping that with enough experience I would eventually improve.

This cycle was different.

For the first time, I treated applications as a project rather than an event. I submitted around 30 applications, reached two Assessment Centres, and after failing video interviews for three consecutive years, finally broke through that stage.

I now know where my weaknesses are. I know the mistakes I repeatedly make under pressure. I know the difference between writing an application that gets me into the room and performing well enough to leave with an offer.

Most importantly, I know that every stage requires a different skill set.

Project TC 2.0 is about closing those gaps deliberately.

This time, preparation starts before applications open. I'll be documenting what I'm learning, the mistakes I make, the resources I'm using, and the adjustments I make along the way. I'll probably get things wrong again, but they'll be different mistakes, and hopefully smaller ones.

Every cycle has its wins, losses and lessons.

I've realised that I don't want my confidence to rise and fall with application outcomes anymore. Rejections are feedback. Successes are feedback. Neither defines who I am. The goal hasn't changed. But the way I'm pursuing it has.

Here's to another cycle of learning, growing, and hopefully getting one step closer.

 

[Bottega_Veneta]

A new applications cycle is officially underway, and I’m feeling a mixture of excitement and, if I’m being honest, a little bit of fear.

I’ve been building my list of firms and updating it almost daily as applications and open days open. I’ve also started working through open-day applications and attending law-firm events, and one thing has become increasingly clear: law firms are placing a much greater emphasis on assessment and testing throughout the recruitment process.

It’s no longer just about submitting a strong application.

There’s the application itself, psychometric tests, Watson Glaser-style assessments, written exercises, case studies, video interviews, assessment centres, open days… and then trying to keep up with all of them at the same time.

And honestly, I’m finding the biggest challenge is working out how to dedicate enough time to each stage without becoming completely overwhelmed.

I’m determined to make this cycle different and give myself the best possible chance, but I also know that determination needs to be matched with a proper system.

So I’m currently trying to work out:

• How much time should I realistically dedicate each week to drafting applications vs. practising tests?

• How do I maintain regular test practice when application deadlines are constantly changing?

• How should I prepare for case studies and written assessments?

• How do I make sure I’m actually learning from each assessment rather than simply moving on to the next one?

• And perhaps most importantly, how do I use my TCLA workspace effectively so that it becomes a central hub for my preparation rather than another thing to keep track of?

I’d love to hear from you, @Jaysen, and anyone who has successfully managed multiple applications alongside assessment preparation!! (Teach me your ways)

Additionally, I am torn on applying to insight days and Open days; shall I prioritise VS applications?

Any feedback, tips, help is more than welcome!!!