TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Hello!

I have a question about how to effectively answer the common interview question, "Tell us about a recent commercial story you found interesting." How do people structure their response? Do you use PESTLE/SWOT and then link it to the firm? I feel like there is so much to cover. Should I focus on a few key points and discuss them in detail or go through all of them in detail? How much time should I spend on this question during an interview?

Sorry if this is a silly question, just want to make sure I don't embarass myself!!

There is no need to link this to the firm unless the question explicitly ask you to.

PESTLE/SWOT are pretty in-depth analysis tools of something, and you will need a much more summarised answer. You can use PESTLE or SWOT to identify the aspects of the story, but you aren’t going to have enough time to cover everything within them and explain the context of the story.

Therefore, try to aim for 3-4 key messages about the story. What are the three thing you really think are the most interesting/relevant parts of the story that you want your interviewer to remember. Focus on covering them rather than describing everything.

The other part you need to cover clearly is why it interests you. This is actually the most interesting part to them - they basically want to find out why you chose that story over the 100s or 1000s of other stories you could have chosen.

 

[zara elles]

Surely I cannot be the only one still waiting for an Ashurst PFO?

 

[FTS209990]

There is no need to link this to the firm unless the question explicitly ask you to.

PESTLE/SWOT are pretty in-depth analysis tools of something, and you will need a much more summarised answer. You can use PESTLE or SWOT to identify the aspects of the story, but you aren’t going to have enough time to cover everything within them and explain the context of the story.

Therefore, try to aim for 3-4 key messages about the story. What are the three thing you really think are the most interesting/relevant parts of the story that you want your interviewer to remember. Focus on covering them rather than describing everything.

The other part you need to cover clearly is why it interests you. This is actually the most interesting part to them - they basically want to find out why you chose that story over the 100s or 1000s of other stories you could have chosen.

Thank you, that's very helpful.

 

[dw11cfc]

Hi!

I am a non-law student in my final year about to start a vs after I finish undergraduate.

I have been thinking about ways to prepare for my VS and I was wondering whether TCLA offered any sort of mock research tasks we might be given on a VS, specifically related to using tools like LexisNexis or Practical Law? I know forage is good for general in-tray tasks, but getting to grips with how research tools would be used in a law firm is beyond its capacity. Do TCLA offer things like this, or could anyone point me in the direction of somewhere that does?

Also, if anyone has any tips on some other useful outside the box ways I could prepare that would be amazing.

Thank you very much.

 

[NGM4321]

Has anyone else heard from Stephenson Harwood about the summer VS?

 

[legal18]

@SirLancelot7777 did you accept the SH VS?

 

[cjwx]

Surely I cannot be the only one still waiting for an Ashurst PFO?

I am waiting too not sure why others would be offered AC ‘s last month yet they wait so long to pfo those unsuccessful? They said they aim to get back to applicants by 24th of May so we will probably get it by next week.

 

[clyde1313]

Has anyone heard from SH for the VS in July?

 

[neonorange]

Just a little vent, but how do you all deal with useless feedback from grad rec at firms? I had an AC recently that came to nothing, but the feedback call I had was almost frustrating in its uselessness.

The woman I spoke to told me the drafting exercise was "unique to [the firm]" so couldn't offer me any specific improvement tips, and that my performance in the group exercise was "an interesting one" without giving me specifics even when I pushed her. I was expecting the standard "here's what we liked, here's what you could improve on", but the way she presented the feedback to me made me was just so generic and so useless and made me feel like there weren't any positives to mention even though I thought it went well. Even with a few days of space and reflection I still feel frustrated (I know it's just because I care so much).

AC feedback is so valuable because it's the only time I think we get genuine insight into how it's possible to improve. I just feel a bit deflated and dejected when I got the equivalent of the sort of "feedback" some firms give in their PFO email, just in phone call form.

 

[PlscanIhaveaTC]

Just a little vent, but how do you all deal with useless feedback from grad rec at firms? I had an AC recently that came to nothing, but the feedback call I had was almost frustrating in its uselessness.

The woman I spoke to told me the drafting exercise was "unique to [the firm]" so couldn't offer me any specific improvement tips, and that my performance in the group exercise was "an interesting one" without giving me specifics even when I pushed her. I was expecting the standard "here's what we liked, here's what you could improve on", but the way she presented the feedback to me made me was just so generic and so useless and made me feel like there weren't any positives to mention even though I thought it went well. Even with a few days of space and reflection I still feel frustrated (I know it's just because I care so much).

AC feedback is so valuable because it's the only time I think we get genuine insight into how it's possible to improve. I just feel a bit deflated and dejected when I got the equivalent of the sort of "feedback" some firms give in their PFO email, just in phone call form.

I can relate. My feedback after a failed vac scheme was that I needed more confidence and more experience within professional services as my background was predominantly retail. But otherwise I have “lots of potential”. It really made me feel like I was just there to tick a diversity box.

 

[zara elles]

I am waiting too not sure why others would be offered AC ‘s last month yet they wait so long to pfo those unsuccessful? They said they aim to get back to applicants by 24th of May so we will probably get it by next week.

I just got an email saying they now intend to get back by 31st May. Not sure either why they are waiting so long when it’s surely a pfo at this point

 

[cjwx]

I just got an email saying they now intend to get back by 31st May. Not sure either why they are waiting so long when it’s surely a pfo at this point

Maybe everyone who applied gets individual feedback so even though it’s likely a pfo it’s still taking long. However, I think they should really send a blanket rejection email to put everyone out of their misery then just give the individual feedback at a later date.

 

[zara elles]

Maybe everyone who applied gets individual feedback so even though it’s likely a pfo it’s still taking long. However, I think they should really send a blanket rejection email to put everyone out of their misery then just give the individual feedback at a later date.

I haven’t heard back since the initial application stage so I doubt they would be giving feedback for my application, i think firms only give feedback if you passed got to the interview stage.

I agree I think they should’ve just sent out the blanket rejection email but not sure if I’m being too hopeful in thinking there’s still a shot if they have not finalised everything yet

 

[FTS209990]

Does anyone know if it's possible to get feedback after successful AC (before starting the VS)?

 

[desperateTCseeker1998]

I haven’t heard back since the initial application stage so I doubt they would be giving feedback for my application, i think firms only give feedback if you passed got to the interview stage.

I agree I think they should’ve just sent out the blanket rejection email but not sure if I’m being too hopeful in thinking there’s still a shot if they have not finalised everything yet

I'm pretty certain Ashurst don't give individual feedback post-app. I'm feeling the same as you, cautiously optimistic when I had previously given up all hope? I'm thinking perhaps they haven't marked all the written ACs yet and they're waiting to see if people did well enough on them or not, and if they didn't then they might give out some more ACs? That's my current theory because I don't see why else they wouldn't reject us. Either that or something completely random has happened that couldn't have been foreseen like one of grad rec has had to go on sick leave or something and so there's been a delay in getting through applications and less capacity to oversee ACs

 

[zara elles]

I'm pretty certain Ashurst don't give individual feedback post-app. I'm feeling the same as you, cautiously optimistic when I had previously given up all hope? I'm thinking perhaps they haven't marked all the written ACs yet and they're waiting to see if people did well enough on them or not, and if they didn't then they might give out some more ACs? That's my current theory because I don't see why else they wouldn't reject us. Either that or something completely random has happened that couldn't have been foreseen like one of grad rec has had to go on sick leave or something and so there's been a delay in getting through applications and less capacity to oversee ACs

Exactly my thoughts which is why I’ve suddenly become slightly hopeful. However, the pessimist in me is also thinking that they have probably filled up their TC places from the ACs but legally cannot send out rejections unless they have reviewed the application. Which is why they are just needing the extra week for someone to skim over them before they reply

 

[legallybrunette8]

this has probably been asked a thousand times, but how do you actually compare a firm to their competitors? what kind of factors are they looking for us to mention during interviews, and how do we research them?

 

[desperateTCseeker1998]

Exactly my thoughts which is why I’ve suddenly become slightly hopeful. However, the pessimist in me is also thinking that they have probably filled up their TC places from the ACs but legally cannot send out rejections unless they have reviewed the application. Which is why they are just needing the extra week for someone to skim over them before they reply

They weren't rolling though so idk why they would have not reviewed some apps but definitely be rejecting them? Don't get me wrong haha I think it's probably still a PFO but I've gone from thinking it's 100% a PFO to thinking it's 98% a PFO

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Exactly my thoughts which is why I’ve suddenly become slightly hopeful. However, the pessimist in me is also thinking that they have probably filled up their TC places from the ACs but legally cannot send out rejections unless they have reviewed the application. Which is why they are just needing the extra week for someone to skim over them before they reply

There is no legal requirement to review forms, so I don’t think that particular assumption will be true.

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

this has probably been asked a thousand times, but how do you actually compare a firm to their competitors? what kind of factors are they looking for us to mention during interviews, and how do we research them?

There is no definition on this - in fact what they are really looking for is for you to analyse and explain how you have defined the competitors and explained the importance of why you have chosen that criteria.

There are lots of different criteria you can apply, and in an answer you are not going to be able to use them all. Some of the aspects to consider are:

Locations
Client base
Sector expertise
Practice areas
Who they lose or gain talent to/from (eg have any partners jumped ship either to or from this firm)
Revenue.

Some of those categories can also be defined themselves - for instance, one competitor in one practice area might be different to another.