TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)

[Lian Lian]

Has anyone not received the tests from Mayer Brown after submitting an application for a vs? I thought they were automatic but doesn't seem so

I've not either. I checked my application portal and it says that my application is 'completed' even though I didn't complete the tests

 

[letmeintolaw]

hi everyone! just contingency planning here... what is the job market and application process for paralegal roles like? I am in my penultimate year so have another chance next year to secure a TC, but failing that I will want to apply for a paralegal role. Is it super competitive? Do most places want you to have previous experience and not be straight out of uni? What is the application process?

any insight anyone has will be majorly appreciated ta x

 

[Abii]

hi everyone! just contingency planning here... what is the job market and application process for paralegal roles like? I am in my penultimate year so have another chance next year to secure a TC, but failing that I will want to apply for a paralegal role. Is it super competitive? Do most places want you to have previous experience and not be straight out of uni? What is the application process?

any insight anyone has will be majorly appreciated ta x

It really varies but it is competitive, and the entry level salaries often are not very high - so maybe factor your living costs in such as do you/can you live at home especially with the rising living costs. Even now with three years experience the feedback I get when unsuccessful for other paralegal roles is that I don't have enough experience for the more senior paralegal roles.

I secured my first role straight out of uni, a 3 month role before starting my masters, and then a full time role straight after finishing a masters (not the LPC). I leveraged transferable skills as I worked almost full time throughout university, although in a retail customer service role. But I linked that by saying I have time management and organisation skills, ultimately the client or business if in house are your customer and my academic skills etc.

If you have any in demand language skills these can be useful for securing your first role, or temporary contracts.

 

[Deleted member 11671]

hi everyone! just contingency planning here... what is the job market and application process for paralegal roles like? I am in my penultimate year so have another chance next year to secure a TC, but failing that I will want to apply for a paralegal role. Is it super competitive? Do most places want you to have previous experience and not be straight out of uni? What is the application process?

any insight anyone has will be majorly appreciated ta x

You might want to gain some paralegal experience part-time through organisations like flex.legal before you graduate to test the waters maybe?

 

[Jessica Booker]

@Jessica Booker maybe you'll have some insight on this but would you say it's worth a direct TC app with 1 week private practice and 3 weeks in house legal (both city/multinational)? So broken from VS rejections that I don't want to go through it if unlikely to get past app stage

On that information alone, yes you should apply. But I don’t think that will be deciding factors in an application.

 

[h1]

On that information alone, yes you should apply. But I don’t think that will be deciding factors in an application.

Thanks Jessica!

 

[djqb]

Dechert VS offer ✨✨✨ (nicely timed after a Jones Day pfo)

Congrats! Can I ask when you did your AC and when you were invited the for the same for the spring scheme?

 

[Rob93]

hi everyone! just contingency planning here... what is the job market and application process for paralegal roles like? I am in my penultimate year so have another chance next year to secure a TC, but failing that I will want to apply for a paralegal role. Is it super competitive? Do most places want you to have previous experience and not be straight out of uni? What is the application process?

any insight anyone has will be majorly appreciated ta x

It's fairly competitive and can take a while to get your first role. Once you've built up a bit of experience things open up significantly. A lot of genuine entry level opportunities will be in-house, many firms will want you to have the LPC and/or substantial experience - with that said, if you very proactively monitor firms' careers pages you can catch some opportunities that don't have as many hats in the ring because they aren't running through recruiters, LinkedIn or job boards.

Keep an open mind about what you're willing to do for a first gig and how much you expect to get paid.

Get registered with as many legal recruiters as possible, connect with a couple people from each agency on LinkedIn and monitor their posts - don't be shy about sending them a message if they share an interesting opportunity. If you're interested in a specific industry, find recruiters in that industry - at least in financial services, they will sometimes have recruiters specialised in the industry fielding paralegal candidates: this is probably somewhat true in some other industries.

 

[starman]

When did you apply??

15/12

 

[Law2022]

I think the rest of us will have to sit tight until tomorrow to hear back from Skadden… Good luck all⭐️

 

[therealellewoods]

Guys can you apply to Ashurst TC after being rejected from the WVS? The application was the first i ever did (properly) and I was so naive and just didn’t realise what to put etc. but I feel like I could do better now

 

[GXA123]

Guys can you apply to Ashurst TC after being rejected from the WVS? The application was the first i ever did (properly) and I was so naive and just didn’t realise what to put etc. but I feel like I could do better now

do they recruit a lot from direct TCs?

 

[therealellewoods]

hi everyone! just contingency planning here... what is the job market and application process for paralegal roles like? I am in my penultimate year so have another chance next year to secure a TC, but failing that I will want to apply for a paralegal role. Is it super competitive? Do most places want you to have previous experience and not be straight out of uni? What is the application process?

any insight anyone has will be majorly appreciated ta x

Me and three of my friends all studied law at completley dif unis, only one of us has the LPC and we all got good paralegal roles pretty much straight away from graduating - this was in my hometown too I reckon it’ll be even easier in a bigger city where there’s more demand

 

[GXA123]

Guys can you apply to Ashurst TC after being rejected from the WVS? The application was the first i ever did (properly) and I was so naive and just didn’t realise what to put etc. but I feel like I could do better now

You cannot apply for both a vacation scheme and a training contract in the same recruitment window, this is from the website!

 

[nadoodle9]

Anyone heard from Reed Smith today?

 

[antisocial applicant]

Me and three of my friends all studied law at completley dif unis, only one of us has the LPC and we all got good paralegal roles pretty much straight away from graduating - this was in my hometown too I reckon it’ll be even easier in a bigger city where there’s more demand

really happy to read this! If I may ask, how did you go about finding a paralegal role (did you just search firm websites, go through those employment agencies?) and what is the size of your firm (high street, regional, national, that kind of thing)? I'm in my third year and am contemplating the paralegal route if the vacation scheme route doesn't pan out form me

 

[OreoShake]

Finished two ACs. And as I wait for the result, I can think of better answers 🤣

 

[therealellewoods]

really happy to read this! If I may ask, how did you go about finding a paralegal role (did you just search firm websites, go through those employment agencies?) and what is the size of your firm (high street, regional, national, that kind of thing)? I'm in my third year and am contemplating the paralegal route if the vacation scheme route doesn't pan out form me

My firm is a regional commercial firm, my friend worked in an in house paralegal role for a big U.K. company, now works in a regional firm ( so do my other two friends ) - and I honestly just applied to some on a whim, I think one of my friends got hers on LinkedIn but the rest literally just from indeed etc! I wasn’t even really planning on moving back to my hometown I just came back on a temporary basis so just like applied for a few things quickly and got one so I honestly think you won’t find it hard either ☺️ Im baso in the same position this is my first cycle applying as I wanted to do human rights law so hasn’t done vac schemes before so I’m applying now while working and having commercial experience even as a paralegal has really helped!

 

[therealellewoods]

You cannot apply for both a vacation scheme and a training contract in the same recruitment window, this is from the website!

Thank you!! I thought so tbh! I played myself by choosing to apply to them for my first ever try 😂

 

[antisocial applicant]

My firm is a regional commercial firm, my friend worked in an in house paralegal role for a big U.K. company, now works in a regional firm ( so do my other two friends ) - and I honestly just applied to some on a whim, I think one of my friends got hers on LinkedIn but the rest literally just from indeed etc! I wasn’t even really planning on moving back to my hometown I just came back on a temporary basis so just like applied for a few things quickly and got one so I honestly think you won’t find it hard either ☺️ Im baso in the same position this is my first cycle applying as I wanted to do human rights law so hasn’t done vac schemes before so I’m applying now while working and having commercial experience even as a paralegal has really helped!

Thanks so much for your insight. I'm feeling a lot more positive about the application process now