TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2024-5

[m25]

Hi @Jessica Booker - I wondered if you could provide some insight into how best to answer the following question on Fieldfisher's application:

Describe the personal life experiences that have given you the unique perspective you would bring as a Trainee at Fieldfisher, and how this perspective will support your success. (800 characters)

Firstly, where it refers to 'personal life experiences', does this mean non-working experiences from your personal life?

Secondly, given the limited word count, how many experiences would it be appropriate to mention - is it better to mention experiences more broadly rather than go into detail on them?

Thanks in advance!

hey can you tell what the deadline for the TC is? I am unable to find!

 

[GV]

Does Clifford Chance have a video interview stage?

 

[nodustollens]

Hi, does anyone have any insights on deloitte job simulation?

 

[Maddy]

Did anyone receive a video interview link after submitting application for Kilburn & Strode?

 

[tc_hopeful]

Hi all, hope everyone's applications are going well!

For those who graduated a couple of years ago and are currently working, how would you approach the following question:

• Please outline the details of your main extra-curricular activities and leisure interests.

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure how to respond. When I was still studying I would have listed any clubs and societies I used to be involved in, but that all seems quite outdated at this point. Ever since I started at my current role, my social life has undoubtedly taken a bit of a nose-dive and I can only think of truly leisure activities (i.e. travelling, hiking, exercise etc), but I'm unsure how to demonstrate any quantifiable "achievements" from these activities?

Any thoughts would be much appreciated! Thank you

 

[LegalLordLox]

Hi, does anyone have any insights on deloitte job simulation?

Congrats! I just received the invite too!

 

[nodustollens]

Congrats! I just received the invite too!

thank you! congratulations to you too!

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

can people who have applied to a&o s via the direct route clarify if you've got to dress professionally even while taking the SJT and not just the vi questions? Thanks.

 

[Lawyering13]

can people who have applied to a&o s via the direct route clarify if you've got to dress professionally even while taking the SJT and not just the vi questions? Thanks.

nah, not for the SJT I’m pretty sure I was in my pyjamas , I wore a nice shirt (no tie or blazer) for VI and got to AC for direct last cycle.

 

[HelpAStudentOut]

Does anyone know how long Slaughters take to respond post AC? Had mine on Thursday and forgot to ask HR for a timeline. I presume a rejection will come pretty quickly, whereas an offer would take longer as they have to contact the people I put for my references??

 

[KBanana]

Does anyone know how long Slaughters take to respond post AC? Had mine on Thursday and forgot to ask HR for a timeline. I presume a rejection will come pretty quickly, whereas an offer would take longer as they have to contact the people I put for my references??

I think the videos on Slaughters' website said 2 weeks.

 

[KBanana]

Has anyone heard of ppl starting their contracts early at any MC firm? e.g. if they applied for a 2026 TC but were able to start in 2025 instead?

 

[Aspiringsolicitor01]

Hi, does anyone have any insights on deloitte job simulation?

I don’t but there’s an assessment insight webinar Deloitte are hosting on Tuesday evening at 6pm (check the early careers events page). I expect we can find out more there. I’ll have plenty of questions

 

[Empisal43]

nah, not for the SJT I’m pretty sure I was in my pyjamas , I wore a nice shirt (no tie or blazer) for VI and got to AC for direct last cycle.

Does this mean that we do not have to complete the SJT and and the VI in one sitting. If so, how long do we have to complete the VI after the SJT?

 

[Lawyering13]

Does this mean that we do not have to complete the SJT and and the VI in one sitting. If so, how long do we have to complete the VI after the SJT?

nope my understanding is that you can log off and log back in, picking up where you left off.

 

[ke.nabbk26]

So the general rule is that firms will not normally be willing to sponsor visas for vacation schemes - as from their perspective, the costs which range from 3000-5000 pounds are not justified given the duration of the work experience. Paul, Weiss and Slaughter and May do cover flights for international students, and while that might suggest they could be easier to convince to sponsor VS visas when compared to other firms, I would not make a strong inference in this regard. The only way to find out is to email/send a LinkedIn message to the graduate recruitment team to ask.

Based on a previous discussion on the forum in 2021 (which you can find here), people who spoke to graduate recruitment only identified two firms that are willing to sponsor VS visas: Macfarlanes and Mishcon de Reya. Besides that, @Jessica Booker said that sometimes firms are willing to make exceptions in the case of US/Indian/Australian nationals, but I am not sure whether this applies to anyone else.

Taylor Wessing says they sponsor visas for vacation scheme (there is not a direct training contract route).

According to the FAQ, Travers Smith does not sponsor visas for vacation schemes but “recommend companies such as BUNAC to help you acquire a visa”. Not sure how this company can help with the visa process.

 

[Ram Sabaratnam]

Hi all, hope everyone's applications are going well!

For those who graduated a couple of years ago and are currently working, how would you approach the following question:

• Please outline the details of your main extra-curricular activities and leisure interests.

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure how to respond. When I was still studying I would have listed any clubs and societies I used to be involved in, but that all seems quite outdated at this point. Ever since I started at my current role, my social life has undoubtedly taken a bit of a nose-dive and I can only think of truly leisure activities (i.e. travelling, hiking, exercise etc), but I'm unsure how to demonstrate any quantifiable "achievements" from these activities?

Any thoughts would be much appreciated! Thank you

Hiya @tc_hopeful

As someone who's worked with several career changers, I completely appreciate the worry here. But thankfully there’s no need to limit yourself to discussing interests or activities you undertook at university. This point actually applies to applicants at any point in their careers - whether you're in school or not. Ultimately, just focus on what you’re passionate about and how it has positively shaped you outside of work.

For instance, leisure activities are completely fine to mention here. As a career changer myself, I used this space to discuss my hobbies or interests that I genuinely enjoyed outside of work. If there are any activities you started during university and have continued, that could be great to highlight too. For example, I often mentioned starting improv comedy whilst at university and continuing to be involved in this sort of activity after graduation. When discussing the hobby, I tried to describing briefly what the it involved and how it’s helped me develop skills like quick thinking and confidence.

You could even mention purely leisure activities like travel, hiking, or exercise. These all involve a range of different skills. For instance, I'm also passionate about travelling and I especially love going to countries with really unfamiliar places and terrain and cultures. I mentioned this as part of my answer to this question, citing all the different countries that I've backpacked through and some of the quite incredible things that I had the chance to see and do in certain parts of the world. Whilst these aren't achievements per se, they're experiences that have allowed me to become more adaptable and resourceful.

Overall, I'd have a good think about the kinds of things you're interested in/passionate about, or even just things you enjoy doing on a regular basis. Discussing such things in a thoughtful way can really allow you to standout as an applicant.

 

[Ram Sabaratnam]

Has anyone heard of ppl starting their contracts early at any MC firm? e.g. if they applied for a 2026 TC but were able to start in 2025 instead?

Howdy @KBanana


While it’s definitely possible for some candidates to start their training contracts earlier than planned, it really depends on the firm and their current availability. Sometimes spaces open up if others change their start dates or aren’t able to begin as scheduled. In some cases, candidates who have already completed the SQE or other professional studies might be allowed to start sooner if the firm has room. From my own previous experience though, it seems like this is generally handled on a case-by-case basis. If you're interested in starting earlier, I think it's best approach is to check directly with graduate recruitment to see if this option might be available for you. They’ll definitely have a better idea and can advise you on any flexibility with start dates. Good luck!

 

[nya]

anyone know whether the VI questions for A&O are commercial/situational/competency?

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Has anyone heard of ppl starting their contracts early at any MC firm? e.g. if they applied for a 2026 TC but were able to start in 2025 instead?

Yes - it sometimes happens but there is no guarantee of it happening. It can depend on a whole range of variable factors, none of which are really in your control. There is no harm in asking though, as the worst that happens is the firm says no and you just start in your original intake group rather than earlier (or later).