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

[GXA123]

hey, I've just been offered a vac scheme with them, feel free to message me I'm happy to help

hey! me too, please add me to the convo

 

[LikeAG6]

This week I was offered a place on an Easter vacation scheme (yay!) and it will be in person. I did a vacation scheme last summer but it was virtual, so I'm keen to hear about people's experience doing an in-person one and if they had any tips

Thanks!

 

[robynm09]

Hi @corinium!

Huge congratulations on being invited to your first AC. I am really chuffed for you. It is a very surreal feeling and you have done extremely well to get so far in the process.

In line with @S87's insight above, I would really recommend Watson's Daily for brushing up on commercial awareness. The forum's commercial awareness updates are also fantastic (I wish I had used them when I applied!). If you can, start now and try to work on this little and often if you can (commercial awareness is very difficult to cram. You have plenty of time to do this, so just get stuck in as early as you can.

For a general breakdown of AC preparation, this post is a breakdown how I approached AC preparation. Please do not take it as a perfect approach, but it really is the one I employed!



Hey @robynm09,

I am so sorry about my error in my previous post. I have now amended the original post with the correct link. For ease though, this is the page I was talking about regarding article interviews!

Please do let me know how it goes



Hi @starbright,

So I do not think that it makes a difference either way honestly. I personally always did this. I know Partners interview lots of people and may not even read it. However, on the off chance they do, I always wanted to say thank you for the opportunity. I know opinion on this is divided though! I wouldn't overthink it though.

I hope that helps 🚀



Hey @gracelaw_,

My advice would be to make the most of the opportunity. You can never interview too many times for one. And as another user pointed out, if you did get offered a TC, you could ask for an extension.

It is a huge achievement to have been progressed so far with two firms too! Great going Grace!



Hey @lawvc2021,

I know others have responded to you on this, but I really recognise this feeling and empathise. I always suffered from self-doubt following my ACs/interviews. All I would say is that it is extremely difficult to objectively evaluate how you did in an AC. As best you can, try not to predict the outcome of your AC. So long as you did your best, you really cannot do any more.

It goes without saying, my fingers are crossed for you! 🤞



Alright alright @James Carrabino enough with the roasting 🍗.

The post is now amended.

I hope @robynm09 has recovered from their disappointment on discovering the error too. 😅

Haha 😅😂 - thank you for the help! I'll have a look at the new link👍

 

[YUKI1201]

Does anyone know how competitive it is for people to get into MC firms? Like what percentage of applicants get a TC?

I read on chamber students that it's roughly 2%? But don't quote me on that

 

[Abii]

Does anyone know how competitive it is for people to get into MC firms? Like what percentage of applicants get a TC?

This is impossible to answer really. In terms of percentage of overall applicants to each firm that get a TC at that firm not many but each persons individual chances will be different and they will vary from firm to firm depending o what they are looking for and each persons individual strengths. A person with a high first A*A*A* a levels and is very up to date with current affairs and commercially aware is likely to have much better chances than someone with a low 2.1, and little commercial awareness.

 

[captainhilts]

No - there is no harm in a polite request for an update.

The only time it could be an issue is if you were told you would hear back until mid to late Feb (or even later).

Do you think it is likely that I have been rejected if considering the fact that I haven't heard from them ?

 

[m.n]

can anyone who has done the OC AC possibly give me any insight into the commercial exercise? thank you

 

[average_jo123]

Anyone heard from Latham post-VI for their summer vac scheme? I did my VI on 24 Jan and haven't heard back since.

✅ - AC invite
👍 - no news post-VI
❌ - PFO post-VI

 

[James Carrabino]

Thank you! Also, is preparing a few hours before the AC recommended.. remember seeing something in the forum suggest that I should try to do something unrelated immediately prior to the AC to help with nerves.

It's really a matter of personal preference! I often used to plan to be done with my preparation the night before and do something unrelated on the morning, but if I had nothing to do on the morning then without exception I found myself thinking of topics I could read up on in advance of the interview etc.

The extra last-minute prep rarely helped prepare me for topics that I was not prepared on previously, but it gave me peace of mind going into the interview so for that reason alone I was very happy to do it! For others, it just leads to more stress and gets them into too nervous of a state for their actual interview, which is not a good outcome.

If you feel ready and don't have anything else you want to prepare, then I'd recommend doing something else to stay relaxed, but if you can't stop thinking of other things that you should quickly read up on then allow yourself to indulge this urge if it would make you more relaxed going in

 

[SamG]

Hello,
Does anyone have any tips for a Simmons & Simmons AC please?

 

[YUKI1201]

Hi all! Just curious if you can request changing the date of your vacation scheme (the firm runs two schemes over the summer) after signing the offer letter?

 

[SamG]

Hi,
Does anyone have an experience of sitting an AC with Simmons? If yes, please get in touch. Would be really appreciated!

 

[NikkiT]

Fieldfisher AC!! If anyone who has already done it has any tips I would be so grateful.

Case studies tend to let me down so just wondering what the best way to prep and come to terms with them would be?

Timeline in case it helps: applied for the London 2023 TC a couple of days after apps opened, invited to online assessment 13 Dec, invited to TI 15 Jan, TI 31 Jan, invited to AC today. When booking mine (mid-March) there was also a second AC at the end of April so hope this reassures those who are waiting to hear!

Is your AC the 17th March? 😊

 

[FK7991]

Is your AC the 17th March? 😊

It is! Are you going to book this one too? Would be lovely to have a friendly face there! 😍 Huge congratulations for getting one too and I hope you celebrate this weekend!!

 

[Scandi]

Congrats on hearing back! Did you apply for the VS or direct TC?

Thank you!

I applied for the VS in mid-Jan. Any handy tips here? Guess it's pretty standard, but by the looks of it.

 

[John Doe]

no freshfields aha and ive been waiting for over three weeks!!!

Hi, did you apply to 2024 TC and if so, when did you apply? 🙂

 

[captainhilts]

Hi, did you apply to 2024 TC and if so, when did you apply? 🙂

no I applied to VS aha

 

[kmax301]

Is your AC the 17th March? 😊

Hi, is it for 2023 or 2024 tc?

 

[Beluga]

Hi all! Just curious if you can request changing the date of your vacation scheme (the firm runs two schemes over the summer) after signing the offer letter?

Hi Yuki! I have done this before — they had to put me on a waiting list because both were full but got back to me a few days later saying they could move me. If you need to change it I think nothing to lose if you just ask )

 

[James Carrabino]

After an AC, is it common practice to send an email to the interviewers thanking them for their time?

I always did - maybe this is a US thing but all my friends who did consulting recruitment in the US were told that interviewers looked to see if they received a thank you e-mail and that it could make the difference between two very equal candidates. That said, I do get the sense that it is not such an important thing in London TC/VS recruitment.

Regardless, I always believed that it was a polite gesture to send a kind note thanking the interviewer for their time. I also do this whenever anyone has a call with me or helps me out with something - it is good practice throughout one's career to recognise when others have invested their time on your behalf and thank them for it. I often received some really lovely responses (some even telling me how well they thought my interview went which I feel like they were not supposed to reveal)!