Jones Day Vacation Scheme Interview 2021

Alice G

Legendary Member
Future Trainee
Forum Team
M&A Bootcamp
Nov 26, 2018
1,731
4,183
Please state the month/year you interviewed at the firm.

February 2021

Please specify what the interview was for.

Summer Vacation Scheme

Please give an overview of the day with approximate timings.

It just consisted of one 45 minute interview, with 15 mins beforehand to chat with a trainee one-on-one. The whole process only took one hour.

Please provide a summary of each assessment on the day with approximate timings.

Chat with a trainee - not technically assessed (as far as I know) but you had 15 mins to chat with them and ask questions about the firm/their experiences.

Interview - 45 mins - asked a whole load of questions, very interviewer led.

What is your best advice for each aspect of the assessment on the day? Please break this down for each assessment. This can include advice for preparation, as well as tips for the day.

Chat with a trainee - Have some questions prepared, and try to ask questions that you can't find online but rather ones which only a trainee or someone at the firm could answer.

Interview - This was one of the strangest interviews I'd experienced and I've interviewed at a fair few firms. The interview lacked structure; it seemed very much like the partners just asked whatever they wanted. However, it was heavily focused on me, so I recommend preparing everything about yourself and your experiences. With this, be prepared to demonstrate that you have a real understanding of why commercial law and why them. They pushed very hard on this.
My other piece of advice would be try not to panic - if they push you on something and you feel backed into a corner it is just to see how you react under pressure. Stay calm and work through an answer logically.

Were you successful?

Yes
 

BK

Legendary Member
Staff member
Future Trainee
Gold Member
Premium Member
M&A Bootcamp
Aug 26, 2020
202
106
Please state the month/year you interviewed at the firm.
October 2020

Please specify what the interview was for.
Winter Vacation Scheme 2020

Please give an overview of the day with approximate timings.
2.45 - 3.00pm Chat with a trainee
3.00 - 3.45pm Interview with a senior associate and a counsel

Please provide a summary of each assessment on the day with approximate timings.
Chat with a trainee (15 mins): it was a 1:1 session with the trainee and you can feel free to ask any question that you have (grad rec wasn't there to take notes or monitor the process). The trainee representative was really friendly and we mainly talked about his journey to Jones Day.

The actual interview (45 mins): it was more of a motivational interview, rather than a competency, strength-based or commercial interview. The interviewers really pushed me on my 'Why Jones Day' answer, as well as my commitment to a career in commercial law. Note that I was not directly asked 'why Jones Day' but through a variety of questions (please see below) that test my suitability and commitment to a career at the firm. Apart from the commitment aspect, I felt like the interviewers were really trying to get a feel of how you, as a person, are like and whether you will get along with members of the firm well.

What is your best advice for each aspect of the assessment on the day? Please break this down for each assessment. This can include advice for preparation, as well as tips for the day.
Chat with trainee: I am not sure whether this session was assessed but my tips is to just be enthusiastic and really try to engage in a conversation with the trainee.

45-minute interview: again, be super enthusiastic! Enthusiasm goes a long way especially when this is a personality- and commitment-based interview. I was not asked any follow-up questions during my interview, which I can only presume that it was because I gave pretty boring answers and didn't intrigue the interviewers much. As listed above, the questions were not curve-ball questions so I would just make sure that you know your application very well and have really drilled down on your motivation for law and JD.

Side-note: unfortunately, they do not provide feedback to unsuccessful candidates. However, from my conversations with a friend who was successful, it definitely seems like demonstrating enthusiasm and commitment is key to helping you shine in the interview.

Were you successful?
No
 

About Us

The Corporate Law Academy (TCLA) was founded in 2018 because we wanted to improve the legal journey. We wanted more transparency and better training. We wanted to form a community of aspiring lawyers who care about becoming the best version of themselves.

Newsletter

Discover the most relevant business news, access our law firm analysis, and receive our best advice for aspiring lawyers.