TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)
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I wanted to know in the activities and interests and give details of any prizes, scholarships, positions of responsibility and any other noteworthy achievements questions. If you should add a sentence at the end like through these I have developed skills which will help me as a trainee solicitor at this firm. Is this necessary or not. I mean do the better answers in these questions add that at the end of the answer to these types of questions.
Hi, are the SJT questions part of the VI or are part of the written test?
Hi all, Happy New Year!
I was wondering whether anyone could give me guidance on the below:
I am wanting to apply to Trowers & Hamlins LLP for a training contract. The application is due in 10 days for the Vacation Scheme, but I am unsure whether I want to apply for the vac scheme or training contract. I work as a paralegal in a law firm, and have a limited amount of days to take for vacation schemes. I would like to only apply to firms that only really recruit from vacation schemes. I have emailed the grad team asking if they take from direct training contract applications, and they replied:
'Our preference does lean towards the vacation scheme and we tend to recruit the majority of our trainees via that route. However, we do ring-fence positions for this exact reason, so if you are unable to take the annual leave for a vac scheme, please do apply for the training contract.'
Can someone please advise whether I would be in a better chance of applying to the vac scheme? I really love this firm and want to give myself the best possible chance.
Any help will be amazing! Thanks!
@Jessica Booker
I was wondering whether anyone could give me guidance on the below:
I am wanting to apply to Trowers & Hamlins LLP for a training contract. The application is due in 10 days for the Vacation Scheme, but I am unsure whether I want to apply for the vac scheme or training contract. I work as a paralegal in a law firm, and have a limited amount of days to take for vacation schemes. I would like to only apply to firms that only really recruit from vacation schemes. I have emailed the grad team asking if they take from direct training contract applications, and they replied:
'Our preference does lean towards the vacation scheme and we tend to recruit the majority of our trainees via that route. However, we do ring-fence positions for this exact reason, so if you are unable to take the annual leave for a vac scheme, please do apply for the training contract.'
Can someone please advise whether I would be in a better chance of applying to the vac scheme? I really love this firm and want to give myself the best possible chance.
Any help will be amazing! Thanks!
@Jessica Booker
I'm so sorry to hear that! May I ask when you applied as I've been waiting for quite a while?
thank you SO SO much!!! Really appreciate it!! Do you have any advice on preparing beyond knowing the firm's values etc?
Congratulations on getting through. If you don’t mind me asking, when did you submit your application?
@Jessica Booker
1. On the Education section of the Sidley Austin application form, there's the following declaration:
Please confirm that you have entered a complete breakdown of all grades awarded, by subject, during secondary school, college or university. Entering the overall grade does not provide sufficient information to support your application.
For uni results this seems straightforward enough - I'm able to enter the class I'm predicted to get (e.g. 2:1), and a breakdown of my modules so far. What confuses is me is what they mean by a "complete breakdown" for secondary school and college - do you reckon they want candidates to enter every grade they got in every exam?
(If this were the case, there doesn't seem to be anywhere to differentiate between grades in individual exams, and grades in subjects as a whole - which makes me think that, like pretty much every other application form, Sidley Austin wants candidates simply to enter (in the secondary school and college sections) the final grade they got in every subject rather than every module - but the ambiguous wording of the declaration makes me wonder whether this is actually the case).
2. If a question asks candidates "which personal qualities make a successful lawyer", does the lack of an explicit reference to "commercial" in the question mean that it'd be unwise to mention commercial awareness as an essential quality?
1. On the Education section of the Sidley Austin application form, there's the following declaration:
Please confirm that you have entered a complete breakdown of all grades awarded, by subject, during secondary school, college or university. Entering the overall grade does not provide sufficient information to support your application.
For uni results this seems straightforward enough - I'm able to enter the class I'm predicted to get (e.g. 2:1), and a breakdown of my modules so far. What confuses is me is what they mean by a "complete breakdown" for secondary school and college - do you reckon they want candidates to enter every grade they got in every exam?
(If this were the case, there doesn't seem to be anywhere to differentiate between grades in individual exams, and grades in subjects as a whole - which makes me think that, like pretty much every other application form, Sidley Austin wants candidates simply to enter (in the secondary school and college sections) the final grade they got in every subject rather than every module - but the ambiguous wording of the declaration makes me wonder whether this is actually the case).
2. If a question asks candidates "which personal qualities make a successful lawyer", does the lack of an explicit reference to "commercial" in the question mean that it'd be unwise to mention commercial awareness as an essential quality?
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Honestly just answering as genuinely as possible whilst, like you said, bearing in mind the firm’s values! I’ve generally found scenario interviews to actually be quite relaxed and conversational, so just go in there as calm as you possibly can (easier said than done, I know) and try to build a good relationship with the interviewer ☺️
No worries- I applied on the 19th of Dec! Hope you get an update soon!
So the 'VI' itself is a blend of situational judgement multiple choice questions and video questions. Its kind of a whole online simulation of the experience of a trainee at a firm and aims to work out how you would react to certain situations. The only thing I would say you need to prep for are the video questions that ask why clyde and co, that kind of thing
Jessica Booker
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There is no need to do this. It would only be if the question specifically asks you to link then back to a career in law that this should be done.
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