Hi Bradley - great question.Hello, does anyone have any advice for approaching an interview with two partners?
My advice is a bit more fluffy but it can still be very practical. My advice would be:Hello, does anyone have any advice for approaching an interview with two partners?
Thanks a lot for the insights and tips @NatashaS98 and @Jessica Booker, both are really useful perspectives.My advice is a bit more fluffy but it can still be very practical. My advice would be:
- Try to remember they were once in your shoes - they might be partners now, but they were once a candidate being interviewed for a training contract and they most likely have similar concerns as you may experience - they are human, so don't feel you need to put them on some form on a mental pedestal just because they are a partner now.
- In a similar way, they want you to succeed in this interview. Even challenging questions or references to you potentially not being right is not them trying to get you to fail, it's actually trying to push you as far as they can to see whether you can show the right skills/attitudes/knowledge.
- Remember, an interview is a conversation - if you were having a conversation with two friends in a coffee shop and you and one of the friends were dominating the conversation, you'd still try to engage with your other friend while they were there with simple things like eye contact and smiling. As @NatashaS98 has mentioned, try to engage with your other interviewer, even if one is dominating the questions. Asking them both questions at the end is a great way to also try to interact with them beyond the smiling/eye contact.
Thank you! I will take your advice because I don't think it's wise to accept both either. But hypothetically speaking, you are allowed to do this then? I just want to know if either firm would find out you did this before all the onboarding began, and then upon finding out rescind the offer on this basis. Because in one of the contracts, it says that I'm not permitted to take up any other offers or interviews once I've formally accepted. Is something like this enforceable?Technically you can do this. But I would advise against it. The first step would be to ask whether you could have any additional time to decide from both firms. I would also speak to both firms to see if you can speak to people from the firm (or even come to their offices) to try and help you make the decision.
Although they may not start for two years time, the reality is it becomes harder for the firm to fill that role with less than two years, given they need to invest in the time for the PGDL/SQE/LPC for their trainees in most instances. Therefore holding on to that offer for too long could ultimately lead to that vacancy never being filled. Therefore turning down one of the two firms in a timely manner is likely to allow someone else the opportunity to take that TC up (and get all the appropriate support and sponsorship before their TC starts).
Normally, you can hypothetically accept both others. Whether it is morally right to do this is another thing though.Thank you! I will take your advice because I don't think it's wise to accept both either. But hypothetically speaking, you are allowed to do this then? I just want to know if either firm would find out you did this before all the onboarding began, and then upon finding out rescind the offer on this basis. Because in one of the contracts, it says that I'm not permitted to take up any other offers or interviews once I've formally accepted. Is something like this enforceable?
This is entirely up to you- how much ever you think is necessary to put your point across convincingly!Thanks for the response, @AvniD!
A small clarification regarding the first question, my doubt is - For example, if the skill I'm demonstrating is collaboration - how much should I talk about how collaboration will help me as a CC lawyer?
I think the answer to this is really firm-specific and I would do my research on each firm I am applying to - I think there is a list on this forum somewhere that indicates which firms save spots for direct TC applications - at these firms, I have an (unconfirmed/unsupported) tendency to think that it is easier to go direct TC (given that you only have to jump through one hoop (the application process) rather than two (the application process and proving yourself throughout the vac scheme). However, most of the time I think the difference is pretty negligible/favoured towards the vac scheme - most firms recruit most, if not all, of their trainees through the vac scheme and so lots of spots are left for vac schemers and not many for direct TC application.I am curious whether there is any data available about the % of success of TC after a vacation scheme vs direct TC? Some firms only allow one application per cycle and I think this information would help me decide which one should I apply to.
Thank you I really appreciate the help!Normally, you can hypothetically accept both others. Whether it is morally right to do this is another thing though.
If you have a term in one of your contracts regarding it, then obviously this is slightly different though - it does present a risk of the TC not going ahead, as you are in breach of contract (the firm isn't rescinding, they would say you have failed to meet your obligations).
How enforceable this term is though is another matter, and one I don't really have any experience with to be able to comment on. The big question to me would be how the firms would find out. Really this can only happen if either you tell them or put it in the public domain, or at a push if someone you know who knows you have accepted both roles tells them (which would be a bit dodgy to rely on hearsay).
However, the best thing to do in these situations is to get whatever questions you have about either firm answered and promptly so you can make a decision. Then you don't put yourself in this predicament. If you explain to both firms what questions you need answering/what additional information you need to make the decision, they are likely to give you some initial wiggle room with the deadline to accept so you can make the right decision. The last thing they want is you accepting and then reneging on them a couple of weeks later.
Thank you @Jessica Booker this was extremely insightful!Hi - not @NatashaS98 but I can give you some insight.
Typically you will prepare in another room and then be taken into a room where your assessors/interviewers will be. Sometimes, when your prep time is up, the assessors/interviewers will come into the room you are preparing in though when your prep time is up.
The format of the assessment will be explained to you. This could be anything from a short presentation through to more of a discussion of various points.
Depending on that format, you can choose to stand if it is more of a presentation format, although even in those instances, it typically is the case you’ll be sat down at a table with your interviewers. Your interviewers tend to guide you a little on this, or offer you the chance for you to choose which way you would like to present.
The order of things really depends on the exercise - it’s really difficult to state there is a certain order, as these exercises vary so much. It’s best to read through the instructions carefully and also the content you have in front of you, and then make a judgement of the order/structure you want to go with, rather than having a fixed idea of what this should be going into your prep time.
yes they doHi team
does anyone know if DLA piper recruits on a rolling basis?
This isn’t unknown, especially if it’s been some time since you last applied.A firm I applied to a month ago asked me to send an ‘updated cover letter and cv’ to progress my application further
has anyone had this before??
The current market also could include the other PESTLE factors (sociological, technological, legal, environmental).Hi everyone, this is my first post so forgive me if this is posted to the wrong forum. I am struggling with the following Michelmores LLP application question and would appreciate any advice:
What key attributes do you think make a solicitor successful in the current market? Why?
My current thoughts are to look at the traits needed in light of Brexit, the pandemic, and the current war between Russia - Ukraine. To this end, I have come up with versatility & commercial awareness as attributes needed to make a solicitor successful in the current market. I chose versatility because the pandemic has accelerated innovation & change within the industry, so solicitors ultimately need to be versatile enough to change their own ways of working. I have chosen commercial awareness because all three global events have had a significant effect on the workings of the businesses in which law firms advise, therefore requiring solicitors to understand these effects to ensure their advice is consistent with the changes.
Could someone please confirm whether I am on the right track?
Thanks in advance!