TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2023-4

[Lola333]

I think there has deffo been an increase in applicants this year, I’m not sure why though (if anyone has any ideas about why, I’d be interested to know)!

At my Mayer Brown AC, they said they had a ‘record-breaking’ number of applications (didn’t say the actual number), and people have said similar about other firms, so I think it is just more difficult this year

I'm not sure but it could be because 2021 A-levels were teacher-predicted and inflated due to Covid, meaning there was a bigger university intake and now that cohort is in their third year? Could be a possibility

 

[hirene]

AC invite for Clyde Bristol TC for P&C..

 

[theonecompetant]

for white and case - theres a prompt for "use the space below to provide details of any careers events you have attended e.g. insight days, workshops, presentations etc. " but we also have to write a cover letter. SO do i not mention any events etc in the cover letter because I've already mentioned in the question beforehand???

 

[MayaM0921]

I don’t have a confirmation either! I applied at 23.45 on Monday. I also emailed them today asking if my application has been received in good order as I understand that other applicants have received confirmation. But nothing

Literally the same for everything above except I applied 23:53 : (

 

[axelbeugre]

for white and case - theres a prompt for "use the space below to provide details of any careers events you have attended e.g. insight days, workshops, presentations etc. " but we also have to write a cover letter. SO do i not mention any events etc in the cover letter because I've already mentioned in the question beforehand???

You could but in that question they ask you to mention all the open days, something that you will probably not do it in the cover letter so I would say they are a bit different. When I applied to the firm I personally only highlighted events in that question and in the cover letter I mainly focused on why me, why the firm and why law.

 

[whambamshamalam]

So are Simmons ME just not gonna get back to applicants? I was told I would hear back soon in November .

Simmons Dubai is driving me crazy

Anybody heard back from Simmons Dubai yet? Arghhh

 

[Jessica Booker]

for white and case - theres a prompt for "use the space below to provide details of any careers events you have attended e.g. insight days, workshops, presentations etc. " but we also have to write a cover letter. SO do i not mention any events etc in the cover letter because I've already mentioned in the question beforehand???

I would always avoid repetition - so if details are captured in a particular question that asks you to evidence something, there is no need to repeat it again in other questions or cover letters

However, you can briefly reference things like open days if they are a key but if evidence to rationalise something else. For instance if you talking about your motivations, and your developed a particular interest in a certain practice area area after being involved in an open day, it’s fine to reference the open day, you just don’t really need to go into detail about the full open day, just how it shaped your motivations.

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

Does anyone know when HL gets back to the direct tc candidates? This was the first time that I applied to them. Any tentative timelines anyone? Thanks.

 

[Mariyam_M]

Any update from Slaughter and May for their direct TC? The deadline was close to three months ago.

 

[sxw517]

I'll let you know if they get back to me, but I have a slight inclination that I would've been better throwing my words into the void, or alternatively, whispering them to roadkill at the side of the road.

Hahaha probably, a member on here did ring them and got through to GR, he said that they said they are still in the process of reviewing apps.

 

[axelbeugre]

HOW TO DEAL WITH REJECTIONS?

Rejections seem to be an inevitable part of the process that everybody, at some point, will experience. Although they are very difficult to face, especially as many applicants are high-achievers in the legal industry, they can teach us so much. They contribute to making us understand if the legal industry is a sector we are genuinely passionate about or not, as so many quit after their first two/three rejections. However, if being a lawyer is really what you want to be, quitting is not an option. It certainly was not an option for me. After 15+ rejections, some of which came back to back the same day sometimes, I knew I could not give up as being a lawyer has always been my goal in life. One thing that I always pushed myself to think whilst receiving many rejections is that rejection does not determine your potential or value, although it might be difficult to comprehend that in the moment. Keep in mind that each "no" you receive today will get you one step closer to the appropriate "yes." This setback is merely a stepping stone towards something even better. Your value and abilities remain unaltered. It is fundamental that you maintain your resilience, believe in your own abilities, and have faith that better days are ahead and your dreams will become true. I want to share some tips that helped me dealing with rejections when I was applying:

Acknowledging your feeling is key

After being rejected, it's common to experience hurt, disappointment, or even rage. You invest so much time, effort and energy in the applications so it is totally understandable to feel this way. Instead of repressing these feelings, let yourself to experience them. It shows that you do care about your dream and it is something that you should be proud of. This rejection is merely a diversion, not the end of the road; you are capable of accomplishing great things. Spend some time taking care of yourself, regain your strength, and continue along. You can succeed at this! I think it is also important to put everything into perspective. When I was receiving rejections, my friends and family had to remind me that rejection does not, in and of itself, indicate your personal worth. Keep this in mind. Most of the time, it's the outcome of particular situations, tastes, or standards that might not match your own.

Pay attention to what the rejection has taught you

With every rejection, I felt like I was learning how to write better answers to application questions. As a matter of fact, by my 16th application onward, I witnessed so many positive results. This made me feel better and it made all those rejections worth it in the end. Consider rejection a chance for personal development and introspection. Consider how you can get better going forward and what you can learn from the experience. Rejection also taught me that it is not a temporary thing. You will not experience rejection all the time and this is important to remember!

Take time to understand what went wrong

More often than not this is going to be very difficult to do especially if you were rejected at application stage as feedback is not provided. What I mean by this is to try to reach to someone who was successful in the process and try to compare your application and your style of writing and putting things down to them. Chances are you will understand why the application was not successful this cycle and you can work to improve it for the next.

Stay consistent with improving your weaknesses

One of my main issues when I first started applying was improving my writing. Many struggle with commercial awareness, video interview, case studies or partner interviews. I think it is important to stay consistent with preparation regardless of the rejections you face and stay persistent. Working on your weaknesses calls for some help most of the time. When I received a rejection, I used to contact a friend and have them read my answers and tell me what they thought was missing or did not sound right or correct. That exercise in itself allowed me to ameliorate my writing so much. Never hesitate to ask for help and encouragement from friends and family. You can process easily what you did wrong and get perspective by talking about them with someone. If you got rejected after an assessment centre, chances are you will be able to receive a piece of feedback. That would be invaluable as it will serve as a starting point for your improvement.

Keep your eyes on the prize

Remember that it is important for you to keep going regardless of the amount of rejections. You really need to keep your eyes on the prize if becoming a commercial solicitor is what you really want to do. Whilst facing my rejections, I did not have a plan B I could fall back on. I was determined to get a training contract. Strive to maintain your positive attitude and concentrate on the areas of your application journey that you can ameliorate easily. If you know you struggle with commercial awareness, staying up to date with commercial awareness even when you are not applying to law firms will allow you to be very confident and knowledgeable when it comes to technical interview/ case study/ commercial interviews. It is also important to remind yourself of your accomplishments and strong points outside of this process, that will make you realise the strengths of your application and distance yourself from the rejections. This is something that really helped me to stay focused and seeing results later down my application cycle.

 

[Shreya Verma]

This makes me feel so much better 😌

HOW TO DEAL WITH REJECTIONS?

Rejections seem to be an inevitable part of the process that everybody, at some point, will experience. Although they are very difficult to face, especially as many applicants are high-achievers in the legal industry, they can teach us so much. They contribute to making us understand if the legal industry is a sector we are genuinely passionate about or not, as so many quit after their first two/three rejections. However, if being a lawyer is really what you want to be, quitting is not an option. It certainly was not an option for me. After 15+ rejections, some of which came back to back the same day sometimes, I knew I could not give up as being a lawyer has always been my goal in life. One thing that I always pushed myself to think whilst receiving many rejections is that rejection does not determine your potential or value, although it might be difficult to comprehend that in the moment. Keep in mind that each "no" you receive today will get you one step closer to the appropriate "yes." This setback is merely a stepping stone towards something even better. Your value and abilities remain unaltered. It is fundamental that you maintain your resilience, believe in your own abilities, and have faith that better days are ahead and your dreams will become true. I want to share some tips that helped me dealing with rejections when I was applying:

Acknowledging your feeling is key

After being rejected, it's common to experience hurt, disappointment, or even rage. You invest so much time, effort and energy in the applications so it is totally understandable to feel this way. Instead of repressing these feelings, let yourself to experience them. It shows that you do care about your dream and it is something that you should be proud of. This rejection is merely a diversion, not the end of the road; you are capable of accomplishing great things. Spend some time taking care of yourself, regain your strength, and continue along. You can succeed at this! I think it is also important to put everything into perspective. When I was receiving rejections, my friends and family had to remind me that rejection does not, in and of itself, indicate your personal worth. Keep this in mind. Most of the time, it's the outcome of particular situations, tastes, or standards that might not match your own.

Pay attention to what the rejection has taught you

With every rejection, I felt like I was learning how to write better answers to application questions. As a matter of fact, by my 16th application onward, I witnessed so many positive results. This made me feel better and it made all those rejections worth it in the end. Consider rejection a chance for personal development and introspection. Consider how you can get better going forward and what you can learn from the experience. Rejection also taught me that it is not a temporary thing. You will not experience rejection all the time and this is important to remember!

Take time to understand what went wrong

More often than not this is going to be very difficult to do especially if you were rejected at application stage as feedback is not provided. What I mean by this is to try to reach to someone who was successful in the process and try to compare your application and your style of writing and putting things down to them. Chances are you will understand why the application was not successful this cycle and you can work to improve it for the next.

Stay consistent with improving your weaknesses

One of my main issues when I first started applying was improving my writing. Many struggle with commercial awareness, video interview, case studies or partner interviews. I think it is important to stay consistent with preparation regardless of the rejections you face and stay persistent. Working on your weaknesses calls for some help most of the time. When I received a rejection, I used to contact a friend and have them read my answers and tell me what they thought was missing or did not sound right or correct. That exercise in itself allowed me to ameliorate my writing so much. Never hesitate to ask for help and encouragement from friends and family. You can process easily what you did wrong and get perspective by talking about them with someone. If you got rejected after an assessment centre, chances are you will be able to receive a piece of feedback. That would be invaluable as it will serve as a starting point for your improvement.

Keep your eyes on the prize

Remember that it is important for you to keep going regardless of the amount of rejections. You really need to keep your eyes on the prize if becoming a commercial solicitor is what you really want to do. Whilst facing my rejections, I did not have a plan B I could fall back on. I was determined to get a training contract. Strive to maintain your positive attitude and concentrate on the areas of your application journey that you can ameliorate easily. If you know you struggle with commercial awareness, staying up to date with commercial awareness even when you are not applying to law firms will allow you to be very confident and knowledgeable when it comes to technical interview/ case study/ commercial interviews. It is also important to remind yourself of your accomplishments and strong points outside of this process, that will make you realise the strengths of your application and distance yourself from the rejections. This is something that really helped me to stay focused and seeing results later down my application cycle.

 

[Shah74k]

For Freshfields, those who got the WG invite on Monday (12/02), has anyone heard back since?

 

[yeezyee]

For Freshfields, those who got the WG invite on Monday (12/02), has anyone heard back since?

the deadline is today so id assume they won’t send anything until next week at the earliest

 

[BM99]

For Freshfields, those who got the WG invite on Monday (12/02), has anyone heard back since?

I think people got the WG invite on Tuesday (at least I did), unless there’s another batch I don’t know about lol

 

[BM99]

FYI for Freshfields, this is their response after asking when will we hear back:


We will try to inform all candidates of their outcomes within the next week or two.

 

[law2022x]

Does anyone have the email address for Brown Rudnick?

 

[Zaakir]

FYI for Freshfields, this is their response after asking when will we hear back:


We will try to inform all candidates of their outcomes within the next week or two.

Is this post WG?

 

[Shah74k]

I think people got the WG invite on Tuesday (at least I did), unless there’s another batch I don’t know about lol

Fairs I thought Monday was the last batch because people started getting PFOs after that

 

[zdi2024]

Anything from Bristows post-VI partner review?

They said might take a week. But waiting on edge for that email with exams next couple of weeks...