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

[eleven14og]

Sorry to hear that! Was the Shearman PFO post-app or after an interview if you don't mind me asking?

No worries! Shearman is post-app and Ashurst is post-AC.

 

[Anisah1]

Hello!

Anyone here had any experience with Charles Russell Speechlys' first-stage pre-recorded VI? I would strongly appreciate any tips 😀

Feel free to DM me!

Hello!

Anyone here had any experience with Charles Russell Speechlys' first-stage pre-recorded VI? I would strongly appreciate any tips 😀

Feel free to DM me!

Best

Congrats! May I ask when you applied and to which office? I’m still waiting to hear back about the London TC, although I did apply on 30th Jan

 

[Sophh182]

Is anyone still waiting to hear back from AG post-VI?
For info, I applied to the Manchester office

 

[TCG]

Congrats! May I ask when you applied and to which office? I’m still waiting to hear back about the London TC, although I did apply on 30th Jan

I applied for the London VS on 17th January. Haven't heard from them.

 

[LawfulRust00]

Guys, in realistic terms, what’s a good percentile to achieve in a Watson Glaser test?

 

[SCN]

Guys, in realistic terms, what’s a good percentile to achieve in a Watson Glaser test?

This one's really hard to say as some firms will have a minimum pass mark which could be quite low like 20th percentile, and others much higher. In addition, some firms might not have a pass/fail system and look at WG scores alongside your application. Also, since some firms benchmark you against different groups, sometimes you could end up scoring 38/40 which puts you in 90th percentile but also 38/40 at other firms could put you at 50th percentile... Very weird! Just do your best, I wouldn't worry about whether your scores are 'good' or 'bad' as so many other factors play a part

 

[Rob93]

Guys, in realistic terms, what’s a good percentile to achieve in a Watson Glaser test?

Jessica has treated this very thoroughly a number of times, but the short answer is - it varies hugely, as the reference group may be highly variable between firms.

Anecdotally, 80th and up is likely to be pretty good, 20th and under is likely to be pretty bad, anything in between really depends massively both on the firm's reference benchmarks and potentially the relative performance of other applicants.

That said I've been in 97th and still rejected, at many firms it isn't a huge factor beyond some kind of de minimis target.

 

[LawfulRust00]

Fladgate Watson Glaser test invite!

 

[ellwilsen]

Does CRS tend to send all VI invitations at once for each office? I really thought my app was good lol

 

[TCG]

Has anyone heard from ANY Irwin Mitchell office? :|

I e-mailed them. They will let us know throughout February...

 

[SOAS22]

Fladgate Watson Glaser test invite!

Me too - hope your WG goes well!

 

[Sophh182]

Addleshaw AC! Does anyone have any advice or tips? It would be very much appreciated

 

[APPLE619]

Hey all! I just received a W&C Video Interview invite. I was wondering if anybody had any advice or tips on what I should look out for? I've never passed a video interview before so I'm a bit nervous haha. Thanks in advance

Details if anyone was wondering; Applied on the 13th of December for the Summer Scheme.

 

[Adrian_S]

Has anyone done a V&E VI and heard back? If so, how long did it take?

 

[Adrian_S]

Excellent point @S87! Both are great approaches which have been tried and tested; I just think there is a slightly different cultural attitude in the US which is manifesting itself in the way US firms recruit here. I recommend candidates apply to a mixture of both UK and US firms and working out which approach seems to suit them better

Are there any UK based firms that value maturity and experience?

I’ve only ever got past the initial application stage for US firms and this makes me wonder if I should just stop investing so much in UK firms.

 

[James Carrabino]

Do people tend to take a full day off for ACs (where the AC is only around 3 hrs)? Not sure if I should work in the morning or use those hours to get some extra rest? (Sorry for the odd question!)

It's a personal decision! If you feel well prepared and don't want to be twiddling your thumbs and getting yourself stressed out waiting for the AC then I would work in the morning to keep your mind off it. If you have any worry that working in the morning will prevent you from getting in the zone, then don't take the full day off!

 

[LEL]

Hey all! I just received a W&C Video Interview invite. I was wondering if anybody had any advice or tips on what I should look out for? I've never passed a video interview before so I'm a bit nervous haha. Thanks in advance

Details if anyone was wondering; Applied on the 13th of December for the Summer Scheme.

Feel free to PM me!

 

[Abii]

Are there any UK based firms that value maturity and experience?

I’ve only ever got past the initial application stage for US firms and this makes me wonder if I should just stop investing so much in UK firms.

I’ve got past the initial sift with a few. Not the MC but other city firms that have a particular sector strength in areas I have a clear demonstrated interest in through both my education and work history. For context I’m late 20s and graduated from undergrad a few years ago now.

 

[James Carrabino]

Are there any UK based firms that value maturity and experience?

I’ve only ever got past the initial application stage for US firms and this makes me wonder if I should just stop investing so much in UK firms.

My sense is that some UK firms focused in quite specific areas (IP, shipping, music etc) may take individuals with more maturity and experience (again my purely anecdotal experience from PGDL friends...)

 

[James Carrabino]

I think both links are for the same page - may I clarify whether it was supposed to be a different link for article-based interviews? Sorry if I've misunderstood, thank you!

@George Maxwell's post was so good that it needed to be linked twice 😀