I think you’ve misunderstood. My point was that a TC offer should be available to every candidate that ‘performs well’, not just every candidate.
What you’ve failed to acknowledge in your argument is that candidates who go through the DTC route go through the same ‘not always so rigorous’ process you have mentioned (dependent on the firm) and receive TC offers off the back of that. They do not have to prove themselves to the firm during work experience. Does that make them lesser than a VS scheme applicant who has? Food for thought.
Vacation schemes with low conversion rates can be off putting to candidates because they could go through the exact same vetting process as a DTC candidate and not receive a training contract. That’s not to say the DTC bar may or may not be higher, but the point being you may have a better chance of converting a DTC interview than a VS because of a numbers game rather than your performance, which in my opinion does not make sense.
Although you do make a good point, the experience is definitely valuable and I wouldn’t turn it down. But what I would do is apply for the direct TC route if the conversion rate was evidently higher. But everyone’s situation is different. I am fortunate enough to have a plethora of work experience at different city firms, so I speak from a different place to a candidate with a shorter CV.
