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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Abbie Whitlock" data-source="post: 233294" data-attributes="member: 42112">Hi!This is a great question! As a general rule of thumb, most firms recruit primarily from their vacation scheme participants. A significant proportion of trainees are recruited this way as it gives the firm a chance to assess candidates over a longer period, in a real working environment, and it also gives candidates more opportunity to demonstrate strengths that might be difficult to convey in an assessment centre. For that reason, if you perform well on the scheme, the conversion rate can be relatively strong (depending on the individual firm).However, the direct training contract route is still a viable option (and I got my TC through the DTC route!). Firms that offer a direct TC route might do this for a number of reasons (such as to accommodate those who work full time or cannot complete a vacation scheme), and if a candidate is particularly good at interviews or already has legal experience, there is still a good chance of receiving an offer.I would say that the vacation scheme is likely the experience that offers a better probability of getting a training contract (although I say this generally, as I failed to convert 3 VS' and converted my only DTC application, so there are always exceptions!). However, rather than thinking in terms of probability, it might be more helpful to ask:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Which route best suits how you perform (e.g. in-person over time vs formal assessments)?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Are you at the stage where you would benefit from experiencing the firm before committing to a TC there?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Does the firm openly state that most of its trainees come from the vacation scheme?</li> </ul>If a firm recruits heavily from its vacation scheme and you are able to complete this, I would always encourage you to apply for the vacation scheme, as it is usually the most sensible strategic choice. However, applying directly is definitely not a "second-best" option, and many candidates secure TCs that way every cycle.TCLA previously had a thread that discussed where firms primarily recruit from, which might be helpful for you to have a look at (though it may be slightly outdated): <a href="https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/threads/where-firms-recruit-from-vacation-scheme-vs-direct-tc-applications-2024-2025.9147/" target="_blank">Where Firms Recruit From</a>. I would ultimately based your decision on: (1) the amount of candidates a firm takes through the DTC route and, (2) which route you believe you are best suited to (based on your overall skillset, and whether you would benefit from experiencing the firm first-hand).I hope that assists, and best of luck with your applications (whichever route you choose)! <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

Verification: Our company is called, "The Corporate ___ Academy". What is the missing word here?

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