Is your AC for direct tc or vac scheme?If anyone has done the DWF AC and has any advice, please message me![]()
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Register HereIs your AC for direct tc or vac scheme?If anyone has done the DWF AC and has any advice, please message me![]()
Plenty of other industries offer jobs with intense and expensive training without having do to 2-3 week internships for them.It’s not about you. It’s about them wanting to assess you before they drop ~£100k on training you
A vac scheme obviously doesn’t guarantee quality but it gives the firm many more data points from which to judge a candidate than just an assessment centre.Plenty of other industries offer jobs with intense and expensive training without having do to 2-3 week internships for them.
And plenty of the people doing these vac schemes have a terrible attitude and teamworking skills which only come to light once they get the TC and actually start working - at least thats been my experience working in a law firm for 3 years (and directly meeting a few such).
That is to say, a vac scheme does not guarantee the quality of the candidate. Which is why making it a 2-3 week mandatory step in the application process is ridiculous and alienating for a very large part of the candidate pool, among which some are likely very good candidates for the role, or even better than some vac schemers in the long run.
A vac scheme obviously doesn’t guarantee quality but it gives the firm many more data points from which to judge a candidate than just an assessment centre.
Besides, if the firm is missing out on talent, then that’s their problem isn’t it? There are lots of great law firms out there that run direct TC processes that career changers/graduates can apply for if attending a vac scheme is difficult
iirc investment banks recruit from ~10 week summer internships that they only offer to undergrads which makes law seem very open-minded in comparison!
It does. Did you get an invite?Hi, does anyone who has done the Mayer Brown SJT know whether there is a video interview element?
It’s quite a big talent pool though! Being a graduate in full time work doesn’t preclude you from doing a vac scheme in all cases (as I can personally attest to), nor does being an international student.imo such firms do not care that much about losing out on talent, as long as x amount of candidates tick x amount of boxes from this limited candidate pool.
It’s a problem for older applicants because it limits the amount of firms they have access to apply to, and it especially is a problem for international students/grads who have visa restrictions. Not all firms sponsor visas, and some of the ones that do only recruit from vac schemes, which students and grads may not be able to do due to visa restrictions.
Its a fine route if its one* way of being recruited. If it is the only* way then I really wouldn’t agree.It’s quite a big talent pool though! Being a graduate in full time work doesn’t preclude you from doing a vac scheme in all cases (as I can personally attest to), nor does being an international student.
It obviously sucks when your opportunities are reduced by virtue of the fact that you can’t do a vac scheme but it’s a perfectly rational position for a firm to take when all methods of recruitment have various pros and cons to be balanced
The automatic SJT and Critical Thinking test does not.Hi, does anyone who has done the Mayer Brown SJT know whether there is a video interview element?
thank you very much!The automatic SJT and Critical Thinking test does not.
But the next round does!
has anyone gotten an invite to the trainee simulation for Mayer brown yet? Only got the feedback report but nothing afterthank you very much!
I appreciate your opinion but I personally don’t believe it’s an all-or-nothing thing. I think firms can still have solid records on DEI and social mobility notwithstanding their de facto exclusion of some graduates and career changersIts a fine route if its one* way of being recruited. If it is the only* way then I really wouldn’t agree.
Being in full-time employment precludes many many people from doing a vac scheme. Taking 2-3 weeks off to do a paid internship with another employer may not fly over well with most* bosses. All after you've taken day(s) off to interview and attend assessment centers as well. Not to mention you are literally not guaranteed a job, so you risk using all you annual leave and/or getting fired without a guarantee for employment.
It’s unacceptable for a firm to preach social mobility and DEI while this is their only* recruitment method.
I got incisive as my weakness which I can imagine is probably the worst thing you can get a weakness in. I am wondering if the weaknesses are based off of the SJ type question or if it was the assessment as whole including critical thinking. Anyways I am not too optimistic about those results.Withers SJT: tried to choose answers showing that I like explaining things to people to make info more accessible (and I genuinely do...), and got the Explainer strength as my weakness.... But they show your lowest score compared to other strengths, so maybe it's not that bad. Would like to hear other people's experience with the test
I was told by a partner that you essentially can’t get rid of a bad trainee which is why they do Vac Schemes. They said that there are many candidates who are very impressive on paper but lack certain soft skills that are necessary, or do not fit in well with the firm for whatever reason. Firms invest a lot into trainees and a 2/3 week vacation scheme is a good way of weeding out applicants who aren’t a good fit before committing to hiring them for the full 2 year traineeship.Plenty of other industries offer jobs with intense and expensive training without having do to 2-3 week internships for them.
And plenty of the people doing these vac schemes have a terrible attitude and teamworking skills which only come to light once they get the TC and actually start working - at least thats been my experience working in a law firm for 3 years (and directly meeting a few such).
That is to say, a vac scheme does not guarantee the quality of the candidate. Which is why making it a 2-3 week (10-15 calendar days) mandatory step in the application process is ridiculous and alienating for a very large part of the candidate pool, among which some are likely very good candidates for the role, or even better than some vac schemers in the long run.
ETA: In my firm a very healthy chunk of the TC holders are from the Direct route. The most obvious difference between them and the vac schemers is that they tend to be older with more work experience (and better workload management and communication). Not exactly negatives.
Wish you good luck! Do you know whether there have been any next stage invites?I got incisive as my weakness which I can imagine is probably the worst thing you can get a weakness in. I am wondering if the weaknesses are based off of the SJ type question or if it was the assessment as whole including critical thinking. Anyways I am not too optimistic about those results.