Guys RS said they'll be responding this week, it's only halfway through Monday! Please try not to get disheartened or assume a PFO. I know it's hard, but take comfort that you will be out of your misery by COB Friday! Good luck all
Sorry to read you are going through this - I’ve been struggling with long covid since summer 2020 and wouldn’t wish it on anyone. Hope you are seeing progress with your recovery.As someone who got Covid pre-vaccinations and now having to go through a very drawn out process for long covid assessments over a year later, l completely agree with this. If you can get your vaccines and you want to get them, don’t wait about IMO!
For what it's worth I'll still be doing direct TCs. Best to be a bit strategic on this front as with some firms the odds for direct TC are vanishingly slim and imo the best thing about flunking out of the VS cycle is being able to enjoy evenings and weekends unbothered by the Damocles' Sword of rejection. Top priority for me will be firms whose vacs aren't open to grads - Freshies, SullCrom - and who don't actually have vac schemes - Fried Frank, Paul Hastings - + some with hefty enough intakes that direct recruitment is nontrivial (W&C, Bakers (I think), Ashurst (again, I think)).This might be covered elsewhere, but I thought I might as well ask:
If none of my vac scheme applications pan out, is it even worth applying to direct training contracts? I've had solid summer work experience doing legal aid, but I get the feeling that that alone won't convince recruiters I'm serious about a career in commercial law. Sigh.
It's brutal out here.
Ye been in the aether since Christmas DayAnyone still waiting to hear back from DLA Piper post WG?
Congratulations! Is this for training contract?OH MY GOD just got FF AC invite??
I literally did the WG yesterday??
appreciate any tips on FF AC!!! 😭
In general yes they are looking for immediate starts or asap but legal recruitment isn’t fast - it’s usually several rounds of interviews and then background checks etc so start date is usually quickest 4-6 weeks after the offer is made. Interviews will again take 4-6 weeks. And you often don’t hear back from the application for around 4 weeks. So that’s 3-4 months right there. Can be quicker via recruiters.When is a good time to start applying to paralegal roles? When they're posted aren't they for immediate start? I finish my degree in June so when would be a good time to apply? Also do you know if firms sponsor visas for paralegals?
TodayWhen was your portal updated ?
What do you mean by recruiters? if possible, could you recommend ones?In general yes they are looking for immediate starts or asap but legal recruitment isn’t fast - it’s usually several rounds of interviews and then background checks etc so start date is usually quickest 4-6 weeks after the offer is made. Interviews will again take 4-6 weeks. And you often don’t hear back from the application for around 4 weeks. So that’s 3-4 months right there. Can be quicker via recruiters.
Highly variable, but would agree with the above that it can take potentially a few months - really depends though.When is a good time to start applying to paralegal roles? When they're posted aren't they for immediate start? I finish my degree in June so when would be a good time to apply? Also do you know if firms sponsor visas for paralegals?
8-12 weeks before you are available to start a role.When is a good time to start applying to paralegal roles? When they're posted aren't they for immediate start? I finish my degree in June so when would be a good time to apply? Also do you know if firms sponsor visas for paralegals?
You can do, yeah, but options will usually be more limited especially in London - be prepared for mediocre pay while building experience. I do know someone who got in with a regional firm up north before doing any legal ed.Can one do be a paralegal or legal assistant as a non-law without having done the GDL or LPC/SQE? I am just prepping for when I fail and get rejected post- AC 🥲
What do you mean by recruiters? if possible, could you recommend ones?
Thank you! It's summer VS!Congratulations! Is this for training contract?
I've haven't done an interview at Skadden but having a pre-written set of questions is fairly common and probably fairer all round. It means that the recruitment process is somewhat standardised and everyone has an equal opportunity to demonstrate their skills & suitability in a way that is comparable.How did everyone find the Skadden final interview? For me it was one-sided and based on questions they had to ask (ie pre-written I think - they moved onto the next question as soon as I finished the last). Ended about 8ish minutes beforehand to leave time for questions. It reminded me a lot about what people were saying here for V&E's vac scheme interview last year (ie one-sided, used a list of questions etc).
Did anyone else have a similar experience?
Yeah, agreed! It can defo make it harder to gauge whether you've done well or not, but I think it does wonders for ensuring fairness and equal standards of assessments.I've haven't done an interview at Skadden but having a pre-written set of questions is fairly common and probably fairer all round. It means that the recruitment process is somewhat standardised and everyone has an equal opportunity to demonstrate their skills & suitability in a way that is comparable.
For my paralegal role the interviews round took 1 month between first interview and offer, they wanted me to start in 3 weeks from the offer so I’d start looking in AprilWhen is a good time to start applying to paralegal roles? When they're posted aren't they for immediate start? I finish my degree in June so when would be a good time to apply? Also do you know if firms sponsor visas for paralegals?
You can, especially if you can leverage other skills or knowledge that will be particularly useful to that paralegal role (e.g fluency in another language, knowledge of a particular sector/industry/practice area). However, many firms will have a preference for the GDL and/or the LPC/SQE, so you are likely to find it trickier than someone who has obtained those qualifications.Can one be a paralegal or legal assistant as a non-law without having done the GDL or LPC/SQE? I am just prepping for when I fail and get rejected post- AC 🥲
What do you mean by recruiters? if possible, could you recommend ones?