How does BCL affect TC's?

[intrigueee]

The application process for TC's feels quite linear in that you aim to secure the VC and convert, and if not go straight to direct TC applications. It is my understanding that doing a BCL has little influence on your career prospects, but what if my extra-curriculars stagnated in this period. Would I be expected to continue extra-curricular involvement during the BCL? or could I simply focus solely on my academics and apply for TC's with essentially the same prospects as I had at undergrad?


EDIT - Also, if you secure a TC, do firms let you delay starting to complete a masters? Of course this would be at the firms discretion, but is it likely to happen at a large corporate firm?

 

[James Carrabino]

The application process for TC's feels quite linear in that you aim to secure the VC and convert, and if not go straight to direct TC applications. It is my understanding that doing a BCL has little influence on your career prospects, but what if my extra-curriculars stagnated in this period. Would I be expected to continue extra-curricular involvement during the BCL? or could I simply focus solely on my academics and apply for TC's with essentially the same prospects as I had at undergrad?


EDIT - Also, if you secure a TC, do firms let you delay starting to complete a masters? Of course this would be at the firms discretion, but is it likely to happen at a large corporate firm?

Hi @intrigueee it is excellent to hear from you!

I would not worry too much about continuing your extra-curriculars during a one-year master's programme, as long as you have significant extra-curriculars to point to from your previous education. I am not sure that many students self-funding the GDL, for example, would have the opportunity to keep up all the extra-curriculars they did at uni.

At the same time, if you worry that you do not have enough extra-curriculars on your CV then this could be your opportunity to explore more! Ultimately, firms are not looking for you to be consistently ticking the extra-curriculars box as much as they are looking for a candidate who has a wide range of interests and has shown significant commitment to an activity out of passion for the activity, as opposed to it being something that they have to do! It does not really matter whether this was during your undergraduate degree or at a later stage.

To answer your second question, I know for a fact that a lot of large corporate firms definitely allow this, but as you say it is up to the firm's discretion and I am sure that for one reason or another some firms may not always allow this.

I hope this all helps

 

[intrigueee]

Hi @intrigueee it is excellent to hear from you!

I would not worry too much about continuing your extra-curriculars during a one-year master's programme, as long as you have significant extra-curriculars to point to from your previous education. I am not sure that many students self-funding the GDL, for example, would have the opportunity to keep up all the extra-curriculars they did at uni.

At the same time, if you worry that you do not have enough extra-curriculars on your CV then this could be your opportunity to explore more! Ultimately, firms are not looking for you to be consistently ticking the extra-curriculars box as much as they are looking for a candidate who has a wide range of interests and has shown significant commitment to an activity out of passion for the activity, as opposed to it being something that they have to do! It does not really matter whether this was during your undergraduate degree or at a later stage.

To answer your second question, I know for a fact that a lot of large corporate firms definitely allow this, but as you say it is up to the firm's discretion and I am sure that for one reason or another some firms may not always allow this.

I hope this all helps

Perfect, thanks for the reply!

 

[Jessica Booker]

I take a slightly different view to James.

I think where you can you should continue to show development elsewhere in your application beyond starting the masters. That doesn’t necessarily have to be extra curriculars though, just for some universities (especially Oxford/Cambridge) it is easier to do this via your extra curriculars.

For some it will be via part time work (sometime even through the uni/faculty like a academic support position) or through activities outside of the university (eg community work/volunteering).

The BCL is an amazing achievement and it’s definitely a major plus on an application, but I think it is important to continue other activities elsewhere where you can.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Also many firms will let you defer and at the point of offer you should discuss this with them (they could say no).

If you secure a TC and then do the BCL you don’t have to worry about anything I said above about continued development though.

 

[James Carrabino]

Thanks for your insight @Jessica Booker!