'Which other firms have you applied to?'
How honest should you be in answering this question, esp if youve applied to a range of firms - PE-focused US firms, full-service silver circle firms, etc. etc.
if the firm that you subsequently accept a tc from finds out that you had applied to places which you did not disclose when answering this question at interviews, would that be a problem? thx.
Hello!
I think there are two ways of approaching this, and it'll depend on whether you have applied for similar firms or a wide range of firms. I would definitely be honest about the firms you have applied for! The most important part to this answer is that you can explain your approach to the application process, and what has driven you to apply to the firms you have mentioned. For instance, in my last cycle, I completed vacation schemes at a private client firm, a maritime-heavy firm, and a finance focused firm - however, I could explain my reasoning for my decisions in applying to these firms and why they were varied.
If you have applied to a variety of different firms, this is totally fine as long as you can explain your reasoning for doing this - such as wanting to try different areas of law so that you can find what interests you the most and where you perform the best. Similarly, if you are stating that you have applied to firms that are similar, it's important that you explain why you are interested in the common areas and where that motivation has come from.
In relation to your last point, I can't imagine that would be a problem as it is unlikely that they would find out (unless you received a TC offer from the other firm) and there are data protection laws in place that would prevent that information being discussed.
I hope that helps!
