Osborne Clarke Vacation Scheme Interview 2021

Jaysen

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  • Feb 17, 2018
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    Osborne Clarke Vacation Scheme Interview 2021

    Please state the month/year you interviewed at the firm.

    March 2021

    Please specify what the interview was for.

    Summer Vacation Scheme 2021

    Please give an overview of the day with approximate timings.

    10.45 Welcome Talk
    11.15 Group Task
    12.45 Trainee Q&A
    13.30 Watson Glaser
    14.30 Partner Interview

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

    The start of the group exercise was alone due to it being online. In this time (30 mins) the task was explained and there was a video to watch. Then we came together as a group of three and had 45 minutes to decide on a solution and present it to a partner and someone from graduate recruitment. They asked each of us one follow up question related to what we had said.

    Following this there was a 15 minute break and then we had 30 minutes (in the same group) with a trainee and asked her our questions.

    After the Q&A there was 45 minutes set aside to do a Watson Glaser test (which was timed and 30 mins) and a short break.

    The final part of the day was a 45 minute interview with two partners. This was definitely the highlight of the day and they had three main questions and then asked a lot of follow ups. The commercial question gave rise to an in-depth discussion and it really felt like they wanted me to do well and were genuinely interested in what I had to say.

    Overall I think the timings worked well. They factored in a lot of time for breaks/technical difficulties and it never felt rushed or stressful.

    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.

    The group assessment was quite hard to prepare for but it is useful to have an understanding of OC’s sectors, clients and strategy. During the assessment it’s key to work well with your teammates and it could also be beneficial to nominate yourself as time keeper.

    For the interview, know your motivations for becoming a lawyer and particularly at OC. It seems like with one of the questions they purposefully choose an oddball so that you can’t prepare as they want to see how you think on your feet. I think with this question definitely take some time to think before answering and read widely before the interview so you can try and relate some trends to it.

    Were you successful?

    Yes
     
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    BK

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    Please state the month/year you interviewed at the firm.
    March 2021

    Please specify what the interview was for.
    Summer Vacation Scheme 2021

    Please give an overview of the day with approximate timings.

    10.30am: virtual introduction (a series of pre-recorded videos)
    11am: group exercise with one partner and one graduate recruitment
    12.30pm: interview with two partners
    1.30pm: lunch
    2.00pm: Watson Glaser test

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

    Virtual introduction: A series of videos to introduce you to the firm. It'll take roughly thirty minutes to watch all of them.

    Group exercise: 15 minutes to read the instructions. 40 minutes to discuss. 15 minutes to present. 5 minutes for the partner to ask questions.

    Partner interview: 15 minutes for competencies/motivational questions. 10 minutes for a scenario. 5 minutes for you to ask questions.

    Watson Glaser: 40 minutes to complete the test

    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.

    Introduction videos: pay attention to them because the information is useful for the group exercise talk

    Group exercise: discuss about the bigger picture. Suggest more viable countries and have a discussion. Don't get too technical, i.e. consider the costs of opening an office, show wider understanding of the global market instead. Match your reasons to the firm's culture, ethos, sectors and practice areas

    Partner interview: they just want to get to know you so be calm and relaxed. The questions are straightforward so use the STAR method to answer them. For the scenario question, the PESTLE technique is very useful and it shows that you have a wide commercial understanding.

    Were you successful?
    No
     
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    BK

    Legendary Member
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    Aug 26, 2020
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    Please state the month/year you interviewed at the firm.
    March 2021

    Please specify what the interview was for.
    Summer Vacation Scheme 2021

    Please give an overview of the day with approximate timings.
    Cannot remember specific timings but the day was roughly structured like this:
    Watch recorded welcome talk video
    Group exercise
    Break
    Watson Glaser test
    Meeting with trainees
    Break
    Partner Interview
    Day finish

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

    Group exercise - Before the start of the exercise, we were instructed to watch a video by the incoming international CEO Omar Al-Nuaimi, in which he discussed the history of the firm and how Osborne Clarke (OC) has reached where it is today. Then, me and the two other candidates had to propose where OC should open it's new office. After our discussion, an assessor asked each of questions on our final proposal.

    Watson-Glaser test - Standard Watson-Glaser test.

    Interview - an interview with one partner and one senior associate.

    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.

    Pre-Assessment Centre preparation:
    Really brush up on commercial awareness and make sure that you have a very good idea of OC's sectoral approach, branches/global presence and any matters that they have recently worked on. Also a good idea to practice strengths based questions. If possible talk to previous AC attendees. Attend OC events so as to get a better idea of the culture of the firm.

    Group exercise:
    Specific to the scenario I was presented with, make sure that you draw on the material presented in the video so as to validate your idea. For example "I think x is a good idea because it aligns with y that Omar said in the video". Brushing up on OC was especially helpful because I had a good idea of where they operate, what they are doing in a novel way and why those practices and business model might be good for the new country they wish to set up in. More generally, try and reach a consensus with your group members. Think of this exercise more as a team one rather than a contentious one where your idea must "win". Accordingly, note the strengths and weakness of all ideas and work systematically to eliminate options before settling on one.

    Partner interview:
    The interview was not at all intimidating and genuinely felt like a casual chat. Always make sure to take a minute to think and formulate a coherent answer. Don't be afraid to ask them to repeat the question or clarify something.

    While it is a good idea to have a logical approach to all questions, especially important for "Why OC". You should be able to show that: 1. I attended a event and spoke to b and this got me interested in the firm. 2. I read up on c and d matters along with the sectoral based approach of the firm. This last point is really important - you should be able to explain and talk about OC's sectoral based approach.

    With regards to what other firms, assessors want to see that you haven't adopted a scattershot approach to applications. So the firms that you list must have a running theme and something that ties them together. This could be international presence for example. Again, it is a good idea to be able to explain WHY you applied for this common running theme; so WHY is international presence important to you?

    For the third question, I not only explained a time when things went wrong but also how I reacted and remedied the situation along with what I did to ensure that the same mistake does not happen again.

    Finally, the last one requires breaking down the proposal and asking questions that lead from the previous one. For example:

    1. What is the purpose of the tax? Is it to reduce carbon emissions or reduce congestion? If it is to reduce carbon emissions, maybe giving electric vehicles a tax-break would encourage their uptake while lowering emissions. However, then the govt needs to ensure that there are adequate charging stations.

    2. How is the tax going to be levied/policed? Will this be with manned toll booths or automatic toll booths? What would be the costs of implementation? How would it be paid for and how long would it take to recoup the costs?

    Were you successful?
    Yes
     
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