2020-21 Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion

[hopefullawyer101]

Can someone remind me how to approach news stories, in relation to preparation for an AC? Is there specific things/ angles I should be thinking about as I read them and prepare?

 

[N.9]

Can someone remind me how to approach news stories, in relation to preparation for an AC? Is there specific things/ angles I should be thinking about as I read them and prepare?

Try not to think of news stories in isolation - implications (long and short term) for other sectors, businesses, and law firms are good ways to bring a nuanced analysis.

 

[Jessica Booker]

@Jessica Booker If Freshfields have started sending out their AC invites, will they send them all at once? Or is it likely there may be batches?

Would expect batches.

 

[lawstudent12345]

Has anyone been rejected from Freshfields just from application alone/pre WG? I know people have had the WG invites and now AC invites but I still havent heard from them post application. Just want to know if I should be expecting a PFO.

I haven't heard from them post-app either !

 

[Jaysen]

Hey TCLA

Thought I'd come with a word of encouragement - after 4 years of "Unfortunately we've decided not to progress your application forward" emails, I got the "We'd like to offer you a Training Contract with us". This journey was NOT a walk in the park, it took a lot of being kicked down, dusting myself off, getting back up, entering with a fresh mind and trying something new.

My success cannot only be attributed to myself but everyone around me, friends, family, colleagues and strangers over the internet (that's you guys!). It has been a GRUELLING journey. Remember you literally only need ONE yes!

To those that got TCs this time round - congratulations!

To those that didn't, I genuinely believe your time will come. Keep at it and stay connected to a community like this, it really helps!

Incredible news, well done you!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hey TCLA

Thought I'd come with a word of encouragement - after 4 years of "Unfortunately we've decided not to progress your application forward" emails, I got the "We'd like to offer you a Training Contract with us". This journey was NOT a walk in the park, it took a lot of being kicked down, dusting myself off, getting back up, entering with a fresh mind and trying something new.

My success cannot only be attributed to myself but everyone around me, friends, family, colleagues and strangers over the internet (that's you guys!). It has been a GRUELLING journey. Remember you literally only need ONE yes!

To those that got TCs this time round - congratulations!

To those that didn't, I genuinely believe your time will come. Keep at it and stay connected to a community like this, it really helps!

Amazing news! Congratulations 🥳

 

[hrb_pg]

Does anyone have any advice as to how to tackle partner interviews based on articles(I.E, discussing articles etc with partners). I've never done one before. Would also appreciate any advice re this

 

[BiancaM]

macfarlanes pfo ☹️ i wish i knew why, i've been using the ULaw app review service, i've thoroughly researched and tailored my apps to a select few firms and i've done a lot of virtual internship programmes post-GDL this year. i've been trying to learn from successful candidates on linkedin by seeing if there are any gaps in my education and experience in comparison to them. i'm not a consistent distinction student nor president of some society but that's beyond my control now. i feel so restless but placing a lot of effort into upskilling on online business courses and virtual legal programmes haven't really done much to my prospects. i've not passed the post-wg stage ever and i know this is my first cycle but i feel so inferior. i thought having a background in architecture would have appealed to firms with a construction/built environment practice area but it hasn't been the case. sorry long rant, has anyone felt this? i don't think i'm lacking in social and soft skills either, i've worked in architectural teams to facilitate project progression and have had exposure to clients and external consultants where i had to demonstrate written and oral communication skills. ☹️

 

[N.9]

macfarlanes pfo ☹️ i wish i knew why, i've been using the ULaw app review service, i've thoroughly researched and tailored my apps to a select few firms and i've done a lot of virtual internship programmes post-GDL this year. i've been trying to learn from successful candidates on linkedin by seeing if there are any gaps in my education and experience in comparison to them. i'm not a consistent distinction student nor president of some society but that's beyond my control now. i feel so restless but placing a lot of effort into upskilling on online business courses and virtual legal programmes haven't really done much to my prospects. i've not passed the post-wg stage ever and i know this is my first cycle but i feel so inferior. i thought having a background in architecture would have appealed to firms with a construction/built environment practice area but it hasn't been the case. sorry long rant, has anyone felt this? i don't think i'm lacking in social and soft skills either, i've worked in architectural teams to facilitate project progression and have had exposure to clients and external consultants where i had to demonstrate written and oral communication skills. ☹️

Hi there, really sorry about the PFO and your disappointment, but please know it's nothing abnormal in this process - when I first got going I was woefully unprepared for the reality of the process and the fierceness of the competition. You'll get there!

Can I ask when you applied to Macs, please?

 

[BiancaM]

Hi there, really sorry about the PFO and your disappointment, but please know it's nothing abnormal in this process - when I first got going I was woefully unprepared for the reality of the process and the fierceness of the competition. You'll get there!

Can I ask when you applied to Macs, please?

🥲 🥲❤️ thank you, i didn't want to sound so depressing, i think i just need to take a time-out. 27th july!

 

[ssolicitorz]

macfarlanes pfo ☹️ i wish i knew why, i've been using the ULaw app review service, i've thoroughly researched and tailored my apps to a select few firms and i've done a lot of virtual internship programmes post-GDL this year. i've been trying to learn from successful candidates on linkedin by seeing if there are any gaps in my education and experience in comparison to them. i'm not a consistent distinction student nor president of some society but that's beyond my control now. i feel so restless but placing a lot of effort into upskilling on online business courses and virtual legal programmes haven't really done much to my prospects. i've not passed the post-wg stage ever and i know this is my first cycle but i feel so inferior. i thought having a background in architecture would have appealed to firms with a construction/built environment practice area but it hasn't been the case. sorry long rant, has anyone felt this? i don't think i'm lacking in social and soft skills either, i've worked in architectural teams to facilitate project progression and have had exposure to clients and external consultants where i had to demonstrate written and oral communication skills. ☹️

Honestly I completely get what you're saying and can understand how you're feeling. I applied to vac schemes and didn't get any for the 2020-2021 round. I ended up being able to secure legal internships at an American Law firm and an inhouse legal internship at a middle east regional company. With legal experience under my belt I thought it would be worth applying to some TC's. I also meet the requirement of having a 2:1 (a 63), albeit not the highest. And just like you, I truly tried my best to tailor my applications and had people look over them. But so far I've been rejected by 7/12 of the firms I applied to for TC's. I think it really just has to do with luck and how the grad recruitment person feels that day. It's so hard to know what you're doing wrong. But don't stress. Eventually we'll get there!

 

[N.9]

🥲 🥲❤️ thank you, i didn't want to sound so depressing, i think i just need to take a time-out. 27th july!

It's okay! It's very normal to feel demoralised, but I think taking a break before the next cycle would be a good idea, so you're ready to go full steam ahead!

 

[Kubed]

macfarlanes pfo ☹️ i wish i knew why, i've been using the ULaw app review service, i've thoroughly researched and tailored my apps to a select few firms and i've done a lot of virtual internship programmes post-GDL this year. i've been trying to learn from successful candidates on linkedin by seeing if there are any gaps in my education and experience in comparison to them. i'm not a consistent distinction student nor president of some society but that's beyond my control now. i feel so restless but placing a lot of effort into upskilling on online business courses and virtual legal programmes haven't really done much to my prospects. i've not passed the post-wg stage ever and i know this is my first cycle but i feel so inferior. i thought having a background in architecture would have appealed to firms with a construction/built environment practice area but it hasn't been the case. sorry long rant, has anyone felt this? i don't think i'm lacking in social and soft skills either, i've worked in architectural teams to facilitate project progression and have had exposure to clients and external consultants where i had to demonstrate written and oral communication skills. ☹️

Sorry to hear this, all I can say is keep going! One piece of advice which has been useful for me as a career changer coming in from a totally unrelated field is that you've got to sell a story. Loads of people have the academic credentials, extracurriculars, society positions etc but what about your construction/built environment experience will appeal to firms? You can't take for granted that they'll make the links, you really do have to spell it out for them.

All the best, as you've said just now, take a break and come back ready for the next cycle

 

[Law2022]

Any update on AG?

 

[SamTam99]

Any update on AG?

Nothing since VI for me 😭

 

[Jessica Booker]

macfarlanes pfo ☹️ i wish i knew why, i've been using the ULaw app review service, i've thoroughly researched and tailored my apps to a select few firms and i've done a lot of virtual internship programmes post-GDL this year. i've been trying to learn from successful candidates on linkedin by seeing if there are any gaps in my education and experience in comparison to them. i'm not a consistent distinction student nor president of some society but that's beyond my control now. i feel so restless but placing a lot of effort into upskilling on online business courses and virtual legal programmes haven't really done much to my prospects. i've not passed the post-wg stage ever and i know this is my first cycle but i feel so inferior. i thought having a background in architecture would have appealed to firms with a construction/built environment practice area but it hasn't been the case. sorry long rant, has anyone felt this? i don't think i'm lacking in social and soft skills either, i've worked in architectural teams to facilitate project progression and have had exposure to clients and external consultants where i had to demonstrate written and oral communication skills. ☹️

I don’t think comparing yourself to people on LinkedIn is helpful. People only put certain information on LinkedIn which means it is rarely a reflection of what they have actually done in life. It also gives no insight into their applications or interviews. I’d strongly advise against trying to fit into what you see in others. If anything, it’s more about selling your uniqueness rather than trying to fit into someone else’s mould.

 

[kr253]

macfarlanes pfo ☹️ i wish i knew why, i've been using the ULaw app review service, i've thoroughly researched and tailored my apps to a select few firms and i've done a lot of virtual internship programmes post-GDL this year. i've been trying to learn from successful candidates on linkedin by seeing if there are any gaps in my education and experience in comparison to them. i'm not a consistent distinction student nor president of some society but that's beyond my control now. i feel so restless but placing a lot of effort into upskilling on online business courses and virtual legal programmes haven't really done much to my prospects. i've not passed the post-wg stage ever and i know this is my first cycle but i feel so inferior. i thought having a background in architecture would have appealed to firms with a construction/built environment practice area but it hasn't been the case. sorry long rant, has anyone felt this? i don't think i'm lacking in social and soft skills either, i've worked in architectural teams to facilitate project progression and have had exposure to clients and external consultants where i had to demonstrate written and oral communication skills. ☹️

Hey, I don't really have any very helpful advice but just wanted to sympathise! I'm in a v similar position, I worked in PR for 4 years and I thought that background would appeal more to firms than it seems to - I was delivering professional services to clients and have a ton of really relevant and useful skills, so I thought very transferrable, but apparently firms aren't that interested in it! Not sure if this is the best route but I have decided to put my all into trying to get some legal work experience now, and hopefully that will help. Try not to let yourself get too down though, take some time off and as Jessica said, try not to compare yourself too much with other people!

 

[Veep9]

macfarlanes pfo ☹️ i wish i knew why, i've been using the ULaw app review service, i've thoroughly researched and tailored my apps to a select few firms and i've done a lot of virtual internship programmes post-GDL this year. i've been trying to learn from successful candidates on linkedin by seeing if there are any gaps in my education and experience in comparison to them. i'm not a consistent distinction student nor president of some society but that's beyond my control now. i feel so restless but placing a lot of effort into upskilling on online business courses and virtual legal programmes haven't really done much to my prospects. i've not passed the post-wg stage ever and i know this is my first cycle but i feel so inferior. i thought having a background in architecture would have appealed to firms with a construction/built environment practice area but it hasn't been the case. sorry long rant, has anyone felt this? i don't think i'm lacking in social and soft skills either, i've worked in architectural teams to facilitate project progression and have had exposure to clients and external consultants where i had to demonstrate written and oral communication skills. ☹️

Sorry to hear this, all I can say is keep going! One piece of advice which has been useful for me as a career changer coming in from a totally unrelated field is that you've got to sell a story. Loads of people have the academic credentials, extracurriculars, society positions etc but what about your construction/built environment experience will appeal to firms? You can't take for granted that they'll make the links, you really do have to spell it out for them.

All the best, as you've said just now, take a break and come back ready for the next cycle

Hey, I don't really have any very helpful advice but just wanted to sympathise! I'm in a v similar position, I worked in PR for 4 years and I thought that background would appeal more to firms than it seems to - I was delivering professional services to clients and have a ton of really relevant and useful skills, so I thought very transferrable, but apparently firms aren't that interested in it! Not sure if this is the best route but I have decided to put my all into trying to get some legal work experience now, and hopefully that will help. Try not to let yourself get too down though, take some time off and as Jessica said, try not to compare yourself too much with other people!

Also a career changer and I think there is real truth in what @Kubed says. Firms will say that they appreciate the experience that career changers bring and, if I talk to grad recruitment informally, they are very impressed by my experience. But because training contract recruitment is so regimented and follows a formula, and because there is so much competition for it, I think you really have to work hard to spin a narrative and succeed at the tick box exercise that firms carry out as part of the process.

like you @kr253, I know I have the skills to succeed as a solicitor and I have the experience of working with clients, even working with lawyers, that the average second year law student just does not. But I have realised over the last cycle that the reason I lose out is because I am not demonstrating to the firm how my experience will benefit them. So I can say I have all this professional experience but unless I tie that do a career in law, they don’t pay any attention to it.

I obviously haven’t succeeded in getting a training contract yet, so take this with a sack of salt if you will, but I think that is my learning from this last cycle of applications.

 

[John Travoni]

Why has W&C not got back to us regarding TC applications ?😭 their applications closed on like the 16th July😩

 

[Jessica Booker]

Why has W&C not got back to us regarding TC applications ?😭 their applications closed on like the 16th July😩

Three weeks isn't a long time in recruitment, particularly if there are hundreds/thousands of applications to review.