TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

[mhs234]

Has anyone received the shoosmiths feedback report. What was everyone’s strength and weaknesses? I got open connector as my weakness and considering it’s one of their top values, not sure I’ll be getting the good news from them anytime soon

Yes, i got effective communicator as my weakness, which is also one of their top values, so i’m not too optimistic about them

 

[starbright]

Is Freshfields WG timed or untimed?

 

[Zi48]

Is Freshfields WG timed or untimed?

It’s timed, 30 mins

 

[jesslawapps]

Has anyone been rejected from CRS yet / not heard back ?

 

[LehmanBrothersRiskManagementIntern]

Katten PFO. Today is not my day

 

[starbright]

It’s timed, 30 mins

Thank you!

 

[prospectiveswitcher]

HOW TO CONVERT YOUR VACATION SCHEME INTO A TRAINING CONTRACT?

Congratulations on obtaining your vacation scheme offers! This is a huge achievement and you should be so proud of yourself! There is so much effort, drive, perseverance and some late nights that go into securing a vacation scheme and so recognising that all of this was worth it is the first step. Whenever I think about when I got my offers, I remember being so ecstatic at the chance of experiencing, for the first time, a law firm as well as meeting associates and partners. However, getting a vacation scheme is not the finish line. In fact, once you get the vacation scheme, how do you manage to convert it into a training contract? What can you do during your time at the firm that can set you up for success? Here are some tips that helped me secure my training contract offer.

Start building connection before the scheme

Starting to connect with people before the scheme is extremely beneficial as you will be exposed to the kind of people that you will meet at the firm earlier on. I personally reached out to many people before my scheme as I was keen to understand people’s journeys to the firm and to law, and to see if I would like the people working at the firm too. It also serves as an opportunity for people at the firm to know you before the scheme starts, enabling you to build a rapport with them from the start. Whilst reaching out to people, you will be able to learn more about their role, the practice areas they work in and why they decided to choose it. You will be able to be inspired by so many people you meet.

Understand the practice areas of the firm (lawyers, deals, cases)

This is a key tip. By preparing on the cases, deals, clients and trends going on in the practice areas that the firm has you will be able to ask more genuine and interesting questions to your supervisors and mentors at the firm. This is important especially if you know which practice area you are going into when you join the firm for the vacation scheme beforehand. This can be done reading the firm’s articles about the developments of the deals and cases it is working on, looking at the LinkedIn posts of the firm or reading the FT, Chambers Students, The Lawyer etc. I think that having a general understanding of the trends within a specific practice area you will be exposed to at the firm is crucial and will make you stand out. You do not have to be an expert in the sector but being able to ask specific questions about what interests you or something that struck your attention in a specific deal or case will help you massively.

Introduce yourself to everyone in the office the first day

Introducing yourself to everyone you meet in the office is something that might not come natural to you, however it is the key for a positive first impression. During my vacation scheme, my trainee buddy was kind enough to introduce me to everyone at the firm as soon as we went to our desks and that allowed me to, not only build rapport with the partners and associates working on the floor, but it also allowed them to offer to give me work and go through what they were working on. I personally think that was one of the reasons why I was able to convert my vacation scheme into a training contract. I personally recommend going around the office during your first day and make your presence known.

Socialise with your cohort of vacation schemers

It is important for you to be friendly, not only to partners, associates and staff at the firm, but also with your fellow vacation schemers. I did not understand the importance of this before applying but once I was in the vacation scheme, being around a group of people that I genuinely liked and I could genuinely relate to and have nice conversations with was unparalleled. During my scheme, I used to spend some breaks talking to some of my fellow vacation schemers and I think that the graduate recruitment genuinely liked seeing each other bonding as the profession is a collaborative and people-oriented, so being able to build relationships with your peers is extremely important.

Speak to everybody at the firm

During your time at the firm, it is important to make sure to talk to as many people as possible. In fact, the vacation scheme is an opportunity for the firm to assess you but also for you to assess the firm’s values, cultures and the quality of the work they do. I made it a point to speak to as many people as possible, from diverse backgrounds and journeys, to really understand if I could genuinely see myself at the firm. Whether it is asking for people for coffee chats or have spontaneous conversation during social events, being able to get to know as many people as possible is imperative. This will also increase the chances of you being liked by multiple people at the firm which will consequently increase your chances of getting offered a training contract at the firm.

Be kind to everyone

Some people assume that it is only important to be very nice to partners as they are expected to be the main decision-makers on who gets the training contract and who does not. As cliché as it sounds, being kind and genuinely nice to everybody you meet, from partners, associates to the staff goes a long way. Everyone at the firm, in certain cases, is given a chance to give feedback on you and so making a wrong impression on someone or being rude to them because they are not senior will not help you in the long run. Additionally, being respectful to everyone you meet, despite of their diverse backgrounds or characteristics, is key to succeed in the vacation scheme, and in life too!

Be inquisitive

Ask questions to everyone you meet on anything that caught your attention. You really want to show how curious and interested you are in everything you are told so ask a lot of questions when you can. I personally asked a lot of questions to my supervisors and I made sure that they were interesting questions about their work, their interests and the firm. Asking a lot of questions will allow you to show that you are genuinely interested in the firm, the work they do, but also in the people that work at the firm’s experiences.

Good advice on all points - but my two cents would be some of this (the point about connecting before the scheme and introducing yourself) can come off as perhaps a little overbearing or brash if executed poorly. I would consider avoiding spamming people on Linkedin before you've even stepped foot in the office unless you have a very specific reason for speaking with them (e.g. 'I'm deciding between X or Y seat, would you mind if we had a quick chat about X as you are in that dept').

Similarly, while I would definitely make an effort to be friendly and enthusiastic, I would caution that you be quite tactful in going around introducing yourself to everyone at once. Your trainee buddy/supervisor will hopefully basically facilitate this for you, but I wouldn't necessarily do it off your own bat if it could be bothersome. Just my two cents, agree with everything else.

 

[ah898]

If you are asked about a recent commercial case, does this need to be an actual deal/transaction, or could it be a wider issue like the attacks in the Red Sea?

 

[Apple]

is it appropriate to talk about rising interest rates as a commercial news story?

aren't they stabilising now lol

 

[Ali A]

is it appropriate to talk about rising interest rates as a commercial news story?

Yes, it is a commercial topic

 

[sediofoifsf]

aren't they stabilising now lol

* high interest rates

 

[Legalstalker]

is it appropriate to talk about rising interest rates as a commercial news story?

I spoke about it today in a case study I was asked. I expressed that investors need to be wary when investing because if this. Interview was happy with my answer. I think as long as you know why you’re saying it and why it’s relevant is okay.

 

[Jimz]

Katten PFO

 

[studentdelaw786]

reading on here from some people that have already got responses from NRF post games assessment. does a quick response indicate success?

 

[Hana (aaah I want a TC)]

reading on here from some people that have already got responses from NRF post games assessment. does a quick response indicate success?

I might be wrong but I haven't seen anyone who heard back post-arctic shores yet

 

[mfuturetrainee]

reading on here from some people that have already got responses from NRF post games assessment. does a quick response indicate success?

I might be wrong but I haven't seen anyone who heard back post-arctic shores yet

word I was gonna say the same, wasn't their deadline for their test yday for most people?

 

[studentdelaw786]

I might be wrong but I haven't seen anyone who heard back post-arctic shores yet

saw a response from someone saying they got called straight away but i think that might have been an experience from a previous cycle lmfao. ignore me😂😂

 

[Jessica Booker]

How do I answer why I have not yet secured a TC yet? @axelbeugre Thank you!

It’s difficult to guide on a question like this because it is very dependent on your journey to this point. For some people, it may be that securing a TC hasn’t been a priority until now. For the next person, it maybe that their journey hasn’t taken them in a direct route to where they are now - they may have tried other careers or other type of law firms/legal roles and realised only after those experiences that they aren’t right for them. For some their will be a need for personal growth and development so they are in the right place to succeed in securing and completing a TC.

Whatever your reason is, don’t be afraid to highlight the journey to this point rather than the negative of why you haven’t crossed the line yet. The “yet” is coming (and the firm knows that as they wouldn’t have invited you to this stage if they didn’t think you could secure a TC).

 

[Jessica Booker]

This is probably a really stupid/funny question. When inviting people on coffee chats on a VS - what do you do at firms that do not have a canteen? Do you suggest a nearby coffee shop? Also would paying for the coffee be going too far or is it expected as you are the one that extended the invitation? I feel like there is a really obvious answer I'm missing lol

Most firms will have a coffee machine or kitchen if they don’t have a canteen. You can always say to the person you are inviting whether they want to stay in the office or pop outside for a coffee.

I’d say there is absolutely no expectation for you to pay for a coffee if you agree to go to a coffee shop for one. If you feel comfortable in doing so, you are welcome to offer to pay for it, but most decent humans would know you are earning far less than them and will at least pay for their own (some generous people may pay for yours too - but I would just never expect this!).

 

[Jessica Booker]

If you are asked about a recent commercial case, does this need to be an actual deal/transaction, or could it be a wider issue like the attacks in the Red Sea?

What is the specific wording of the question?