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Willkie Live: How to Write a Successful Vacation Scheme Application

7 Oct 2025 5:30pm (UK) Zoom (registration required)

Learn exactly how to write a successful application to Willkie Farr & Gallagher, with live examples + Q&A with Gemma Baker.

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="johnsmith" data-source="post: 218272" data-attributes="member: 42430">Hello everyone,A pleasure to meet you!I’m a mid-30s career changer who studied law at an RG in the late 00s.I attempted to pursue a career in law after university, but being honest, I wasn’t mature enough at the time and didn’t appreciate the effort needed, or how much more I should have done during my university years.My furthest progress back then was reaching an assessment centre for a TC with a silver circle firm, but I had no resilience at that point and was put off by the feedback. That was compounded by the fact I’d only managed a 2:1 with a 58 average after a second year that was heavily disrupted by a housemate who, on reflection, was struggling with serious mental health and substance issues. At the time, we really weren’t talking about those things — and I also never applied for mitigating circumstances, which again shows my naivety back then.Following university, I moved into sales, first as a junior and then rising into leadership roles. I went on to run two of my own businesses, one of which I successfully sold. Throughout this period, I always held on to the quasi-legal work from a client-side perspective and became involved in some really interesting matters, particularly disputes around employment and commercial leases.Over the past six months, I’ve been reflecting on what I enjoy most about my work, and it’s consistently the legal side. I now feel that I’ve developed the soft skills, organisation, and mental stamina that I lacked in my early 20s, and I believe these, combined with more than 15 years’ commercial experience, would allow me to make the most of working in commercial law. My current work doesn’t stimulate me intellectually (except when dealing with the legal elements), and I’d love to be surrounded by colleagues who are equally smart and professional, and who challenge me to push myself further.I’ve been engaging with as many webinars and events as possible, and speaking with alumni friends who are now 10+ PQE. These conversations have convinced me that this is the career I want to commit to for the long term.That said, I do have some concerns:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">My degree result (a 2:1 with a 58 average, including several thirds in my second year).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">My A-levels (AABB, plus an A in General Studies — though admittedly I did place in the top 3 nationally for that).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">My age — I worry firms may think I don’t have the stamina for long hours, though in reality I’ve often had more stamina than colleagues in their 20s.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Location — my work so far has been outside London, but that’s where my wife and I ultimately want to move.</li> </ul>Reading the VS 25/26 thread last night, I was struck by people worrying that they’d be filtered out for averages in the low 60s, or firms asking candidates to explain even a couple of 2:2 results. That made me anxious, as my second year was littered with 3rds.So my question is: do my degree results and A-levels mean I’ll still get automatically screened out, or are firms more flexible when it comes to career changers? Is there a way to make my experience count for something on applications, so that I get the chance to actually meet people and demonstrate what I can offer?Thank you all in advance for any advice.</blockquote>

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