TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

[affidavid]

Does anyone have tips for doing a VI but how to go about having key points as notes and like where to put them? It has to come across as natural but I also want to say what I have prepared.

Also, if you have 3 minutes but you finish in around 1 minute but hit all the points is that bad? I'm not sure if it looks bad to finish too soon.

its usually 1 min for each of the 3 questions no?

 

[TC Chaser]

For anybody that has passed the app stage for Bakers this year, did you explicitly name one of their clients in the client question, or did you mention PE houses for example? As I am losing the will to live trying to find a mining client of the firm that uses the London projects team for work, even though I know there are some according to their website, they are just not named.

Hi there, I haven't received a response as I applied on the 30th of Jan; however, I did name the Client I was referring to and tailored my answer to a current problem they're facing. I'll keep you updated.

 

[farr_x]

Has anyone done the WBD : Gateley interactive assessments and can provide some insight? It’s my first time for both so just wondering what the format etc is like )

I did WBD’s last year and it was identical to Dentons & Pinsent’s assessments. There’s a verbal element, where they’ll give you a short passage to read and then you answer a question on it. There’s a numerical element with tables/graphs/numerical information that you need to use to figure out answers. I would brush up on how to find percentage differences/working out averages etc. At the end they asked 3 video interview questions - you had unlimited prep time and I want to say around 2 minutes to answer. Hope that helps

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

When completing a VI, should I look at the camera or screen? I don't seem to pass any of my VIs!

Try to look at the camera.

It is completely cheesy and I sound bonkers for suggesting it (but it works!) - draw a smiley face on a post it note and stick is either as close to or just behind your camera to give you something to focus on. The smiley face also encourages you to smile and remind yourself that there is someone else at the other end watching the video (just not live!).

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Does anyone have tips for the interview Q "tell me about a story you have been following" i'm having a difficult time doing anything but just summarising the article, how can I create links to the firm and explain the impact. I'm struggling to think of anything, would appreciate any rough ideas or guidance

Firstly, you don’t need to link it to the firm unless explicitly asked in the question.

You don’t necessarily need to show the impact either (the question is not asking this).

One approach is to read/listen to the article or story across different news platforms/forms of media and then create your own analysis from the different sources. Secondly try to add is more answers to who/why/how questions rather than just repeat the details:

Why did it happen?
Who benefits from this happening?
How will this improve the market that the business sits within?

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

@axelbeugre - do you have any advice / tips on how to prepare for a group presentation AC? for ref, the firm has used some commercial topics previously. any help would massively appreciated, thank you!

I personally think you cannot prepare much for these exercises - they are purposely designed so that you shouldn’t need to as otherwise individual people in the group would have a direct advantage.

Just go in with an open mindset, be flexible or adaptable in your approach to the task, contribute your thinking, even if it is through supporting or challenging others’ ideas, use any evidence to back up your thinking, bring in others to support your thinkin, bring in quieter members of the group when you can (they may have information that could be useful or your discussion), keep an eye on the time (it will go far too quickly), kee the tasks objectives in mind, and try to take some form of role if you can (time keeper, notetaker, brief reader, facilitator).

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

How can I perhaps best answer these questions:

1.What will you offer us at ** - why should we hire what you have to offer?
2. How will you contribute to our business to make the most of the opportunity a TC offers?

@axelbeugre @Jessica Booker

If these are interview questions, this is about identifying your USPs, whether they are your skill set or your motivations.

A USP does not have to be something complete unique that applies to only you - think about it more than your combination of USPs is likely to be something no one (or very few) other candidates can present.

The first question is reflective/backward looking - where are you now and what has brought you to this point to have a set of skills or motivations that make you stand out against other candidates.

The second question is forward looking - how will you bring those skills/motivations and practically apply them to the working environment as a trainee.

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Is it okay to have notes somewhere, maybe sticky notes along the top of the laptop or is there a better way? Just so I remember to hit key points

Yes - it is okay to do this, especially if they are as you have suggested key words rather than a script/written out sentences.

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Thanks, Axel! Sorry, I have another question about this question! How many sectors should I bring in? I think I have focused too heavily on the first limb of the question and have brought in other reasons why I think the firm would be a good fit for me (whilst also linking to my skills). For example, I have talked about my interests in employment law and the quality of training offered by the firm. I only have one paragraph dedicated to a sector so far. I am now worried I have gone off on a tangent ...

I don’t think only talking about 1 sector is a bad thing, especially given the answer is only 250 words and there are multiple questions you have to answer within it. Just be mindful that employment law may not be considered a sector (sectors are usually groups of industries), it may be more of a practice area.

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Does anyone have tips for doing a VI but how to go about having key points as notes and like where to put them? It has to come across as natural but I also want to say what I have prepared.

Also, if you have 3 minutes but you finish in around 1 minute but hit all the points is that bad? I'm not sure if it looks bad to finish too soon.

If you have been given three minutes to answer a question, I would try to at least cover two of the three minutes if you can. This wont always be necessary, but given you have a greater amount of time, you can afford provide a bit more detail/rationale/analysis to make our answer have more depth.

You can use notes and use them how works well for you. For some people this will be post it notes around the laptop or just behind it, for other people it will be notes on the desk. The key thing really is to keep the notes very short and focused on key words so you speak naturally and not speak like you are reading word for word in a speech like format.

 

[futuretrainee7]

What are some common reasons as to why some firms extend their work experience deadlines? Is it due to a lack of good applicants in the cycle?

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

What are some common reasons as to why some firms extend their work experience deadlines? Is it due to a lack of good applicants in the cycle?

Can be down to a range of reasons - maybe the quality isn’t there, maybe they have diversity targets they want to hit and that isn’t seen in the application pool, maybe the recruitment process can just be delayed due to resource, maybe they have an event happening later in the year and want to keep applications open for that.

 

[Pennine Valley]

Can be down to a range of reasons - maybe the quality isn’t there, maybe they have diversity targets they want to hit and that isn’t seen in the application pool, maybe the recruitment process can just be delayed due to resource, maybe they have an event happening later in the year and want to keep applications open for that.

So grad rec do use applicants diversity data as part of the selection process?

 

[Sunshinepink]

its usually 1 min for each of the 3 questions no?

They’d given 3 minutes each for 2 questions

 

[S87]

Try to look at the camera.

It is completely cheesy and I sound bonkers for suggesting it (but it works!) - draw a smiley face on a post it note and stick is either as close to or just behind your camera to give you something to focus on. The smiley face also encourages you to smile and remind yourself that there is someone else at the other end watching the video (just not live!).

Thank you @Jessica Booker

 

[legallyells]

I personally think you cannot prepare much for these exercises - they are purposely designed so that you shouldn’t need to as otherwise individual people in the group would have a direct advantage.

Just go in with an open mindset, be flexible or adaptable in your approach to the task, contribute your thinking, even if it is through supporting or challenging others’ ideas, use any evidence to back up your thinking, bring in others to support your thinkin, bring in quieter members of the group when you can (they may have information that could be useful or your discussion), keep an eye on the time (it will go far too quickly), kee the tasks objectives in mind, and try to take some form of role if you can (time keeper, notetaker, brief reader, facilitator).

thank you SO much @Jessica Booker , this is really helpful!

 

[addy2004]

What websites and resources do you use to research firm deals other than their own website? I find the firm's website gives very little detail, but I'm struggling to research firm deals in any other way

 

[Deleted member 17013]

What websites and resources do you use to research firm deals other than their own website? I find the firm's website gives very little detail, but I'm struggling to research firm deals in any other way

If one of the parties is a public company, you can go on their investor relations page and there's usually a press release/document explaining the rationale behind the deal

If it's a high value / otherwise significant transaction then the business press may also write about it

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

So grad rec do use applicants diversity data as part of the selection process?

No - this information is protected and only accessible from a reporting across candidates basis. They will monitor general application levels from diverse groups though and then try to supplement this with targeted advertising or marketing to attract more diverse applicants.

 

[s2203]

Just read back a timed written assessment I did for a firm and had two spelling mistakes and a grammatical error. Will this impact my score massively? @Jessica Booker