TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2024-5

[User5678]

Hi @Maddy and @User5678

I wanted to send across the PwC training contract application. Here is the link, though it's worth noting that one needs to complete a vacation scheme with them in order to be considered for the training contract. Hope this helps and good luck!

Thank you very much for your help!!

 

[Ram Sabaratnam]

Pleasure's all mine! @Maddy and @User5678

 

[Kodak123]

Do law firms call you, rather than email, to offer you a TC?

 

[legallady123]

Do law firms call you, rather than email, to offer you a TC?

I was called when I was offered mine. This was following a vac scheme and the call was made about a month later.

 

[pfotherecord]

Do law firms call you, rather than email, to offer you a TC?

As far as I’m aware, it varies from firm to firm. However, the two TC offers I have received both have come via a phone call

 

[Andrei Radu]

Do law firms call you, rather than email, to offer you a TC?

I think the general policy is to first call and then follow up with an email - almost everyone I know who got a TC was first called by someone from the firm. However, some firms (especially the ones offering a high number of TCs) can also just email if they are particularly busy.

 

[Andrei Radu]

I'm currently on a year abroad and want to make the most of an extra year of the recruitment cycle, however I won't be able to do any vacation schemes this year as my year abroad is in Australia and I can't just pop back to London to do it (my bank account definitely would not allow that) so I was thinking of applying for some direct TCs. I haven't done a vac scheme before, so do you guys think I stand a chance at all with the direct TC apps? Would firms hold it against me if I were to go for a direct TC this year, get rejected, and then try for the vac scheme next year when I'm back in the UK? Sorry if it's a stupid question, I just don't want to waste this extra year, especially as so many people around me had great success in the last cycle and I only had one AC. @Jessica Booker

Firstly, regarding your inability to apply for vac schemes this year: there are some firms which will cover travel costs for you, including flights. Two firms I can think of on the spot who are willing to do this are Slaughter and May and Paul, Weiss. As such, supposing there is no conflict with your term dates/other reasons why traveling is not possible for you, you could apply for vacation schemes at these firms. Something to take note of here is that not all law firms who cover travel costs advertise this policy, so it may be worth it to ask directly by sending some emails/LinkedIn messages to recruiters at the firms you are interested in.

For the second issue (your chances of securing a direct TC), I agree with @NMA's points. As long as you write a high number of high-quality applications and you know how to leverage your current experiences, you will have good enough chances to be worth applying.

For the third issue (about reapplying): different firms have different policies here. Some actively encourage reapplying, while others directly ask you not to reapply if you have not substantially improved your candidate profile. In general, there are more firms that will not mind reapplying than firms that will - especially if you first got rejected for the more competitive opportunity (the direct TC). Besides looking for any announced firm policy in FAQs, you can also try to infer whether a firm is likely to care about the fact that you got rejected once by seeing if they directly ask about this on the application form. If they ask whether you have applied in the past and at what stage you got rejected, it is more likely that they use that question to filter some applicants.

 

[VMS]

Slaughter & May PFO, applied on the 2nd Sept.

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Do law firms call you, rather than email, to offer you a TC?

Most likely call unless they can’t get hold of you.

 

[Amjaya]

Anyone who has completed the Taylor Wessing assessment PM me.

 

[MaheeVohra]

Dentons PFO after VI
Date of VI: 02.08.2024

 

[lawyerdreams]

Can firms give out less TC offers than spaces they have available in a given cycle, or will they endeavour to fill all spots?

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Can firms give out less TC offers than spaces they have available in a given cycle, or will they endeavour to fill all spots?

They can give out fewer places than advertised, especially given the time lag to recruitment. Generally firms can top up recruitment in the following cycle if needed.

Firms can also go slightly over hiring numbers too though.

 

[johnnn821]

Hey guys, does anyone else have also trouble accessing Bird & Bird's Direct TC application? When I click on apply it redirects me to their allhires website, but every deadline has passed. Their website said the vacancy opened in 19th Sept, but I havent been able to find the application.

 

[Kodak123]

They can give out fewer places than advertised, especially given the time lag to recruitment. Generally firms can top up recruitment in the following cycle if needed.

Firms can also go slightly over hiring numbers too though.

When would this usually happen. Say for example a firm only offers 12 training contracts, if the quality of applicants was really high would they offer more?

 

[Z48]

Hey guys, does anyone else have also trouble accessing Bird & Bird's Direct TC application? When I click on apply it redirects me to their allhires website, but every deadline has passed. Their website said the vacancy opened in 19th Sept, but I havent been able to find the application.

They didn’t update the TC page, only the VS and general early careers pages, but here’s the link:

Candid Applicant Tracking System

Rare Candid Applicant Tracking System

twobirds.app.candidats.io

 

[johnnn821]

They didn’t update the TC page, only the VS and general early careers pages, but here’s the link:

Candid Applicant Tracking System

Rare Candid Applicant Tracking System

twobirds.app.candidats.io

Ahh I see. Thank you very much!

 

[Andrei Radu]

When would this usually happen. Say for example a firm only offers 12 training contracts, if the quality of applicants was really high would they offer more?

@Jessica Booker will definitely be able to tell you a lot more about this, but just to offer some of my thoughts beforehand:

Yes, this can sometimes happen, although not very often in absence of other contributing factors. At all the four firms I did a vacation scheme this year, the firm's lawyers and recruiters kept praising the vacation schemers as being the most talented they had seen. All of them said the quality of the candidates was significantly higher than in other years and that the decision-making process was therefore very difficult. However, assuming these statements were not all hyperbole or just meant as encouragement, this would show that firms don't generally up their TC numbers simply because of the quality of the candidates - as far as I know, none of the four firms ended up recruiting more than initially advertised.

However, I heard stories of this happening in the past. I think what is needed is either (a) exceptionally high quality candidates, which partners simply like so much that the firm can't let go of them; or (b) a quality of candidates higher than normally expected, in conjunction with some other favorable circumstances, such as:

• New changes in firm's growth strategy, which lead to an expectation of an increased need of trainees/NQs
• Incoming/current trainees reneging on their contracts or leaving the firm
• Lower than expected number of TCs signed in the past recruitment cycle
• Changes in the factors influencing the legal market which cause an expectation of a significant increase in demand for the firm's core practice areas

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

When would this usually happen. Say for example a firm only offers 12 training contracts, if the quality of applicants was really high would they offer more?

Yes - it could be that they found excellent candidates or just that business demand means they can increase the number of trainees hired. Finding excellent candidates does not mean they will increase numbers though - it just happens on occasion.

 

[mfuturetrainee]

y'all can somebody lmk where wilkie's apply page is, ive been trying to navigate the website and can't see where i can apply for the tc?