2020-21 Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion

[Bugsy Malone]

I have my first ever telephone interview on Friday and wondered if it is okay to address the same points re 'why the firm' 'why me' that I used in my written application? Or would you recommend coming up with completely different ones? Thank you all

I’m in the same position and would be interested to hear @Jessica Booker opinion on this?

 

[Aspiring.lawyer.to.be]

Has anyone heard back from white & case for the spring VS? I’m still waiting for a VI invite...

 

[OB]

Has anyone heard back from BCLP post SJT?

I did the test in November and have heard nothing since!

 

[Jessica Booker]

I’m in the same position and would be interested to hear @Jessica Booker opinion on this?

It is fine to use the same themes, but I would expect your answers to be more developed/more in depth in interview. You may have also done subsequent research since your application that has refined your answers

 

[Bugsy Malone]

It is fine to use the same themes, but I would expect your answers to be more developed/more in depth in interview. You may have also done subsequent research since your application that has refined your answers

Great, thanks for your quick response

 

[IceFloe]

Does anyone know what the VS application process for Addleshaw Goddard is? I've seen conflicting information online if there is a VI / AC or applicants are jsut picked directly from their forms.

 

[Haz]

Does anyone know what the VS application process for Addleshaw Goddard is? I've seen conflicting information online if there is a VI / AC or applicants are jsut picked directly from their forms.

I believe that following the application form, it's a phone/video interview, then Assessment Centre (which consists of interviews, group and individual exercises and tests).

 

[Daniel Boden]

TC offer from a US firm.

Huge congrats! That's brilliant news Which firm if you don't mind me asking?

 

[BiancaR]

Hi everyone- I was wondering if anyone has advice on dealing with rejection?
Someone told me that each cycle of applications has THE rejection (the most demoralising one), and I received THE rejection from my dream firm today I'm a bit nervous because this is the application I felt most confident about, and now I'm wondering if the rest of my applications are any good. As an international student, I'm also a bit worried that if I'm ultimately unsuccessful this cycle I will have to return to my home country (which is having a bit of a political crisis atm). I've only done 10-11 apps this cycle, but I have put quite a lot of energy into researching individual firms and tailoring my answers. Before today, I felt really optimistic about my chances.
I know it's a bit cliche, but I would really love any tips on dealing with rejection in a positive way! I would also love to know how many applications are standard each cycle- should I try to apply to more firms to maximize my chances of getting an interview?
(Also, I just wanted to say thanks to everyone else who has shared here about being rejected in the past- it's reassuring to know I'm not the only one getting the dreaded "we regret to inform you" email)

 

[anon101]

Hi everyone- I was wondering if anyone has advice on dealing with rejection?
Someone told me that each cycle of applications has THE rejection (the most demoralising one), and I received THE rejection from my dream firm today I'm a bit nervous because this is the application I felt most confident about, and now I'm wondering if the rest of my applications are any good. As an international student, I'm also a bit worried that if I'm ultimately unsuccessful this cycle I will have to return to my home country (which is having a bit of a political crisis atm). I've only done 10-11 apps this cycle, but I have put quite a lot of energy into researching individual firms and tailoring my answers. Before today, I felt really optimistic about my chances.
I know it's a bit cliche, but I would really love any tips on dealing with rejection in a positive way! I would also love to know how many applications are standard each cycle- should I try to apply to more firms to maximize my chances of getting an interview?
(Also, I just wanted to say thanks to everyone else who has shared here about being rejected in the past- it's reassuring to know I'm not the only one getting the dreaded "we regret to inform you" email)

Hey, just wanted to say I'm an international student too and the pressure of not wanting to go back home is definitely a torturous added source of application stress. My best advice about rejections would be to look at your application process and check where exactly you went wrong - is it the application, the watson glaser, video interview, etc. If you don't think you're writing good enough applications, try reaching out to peers who have managed to secure VS and TCs in the past and read and compare your applications. Or ask a few of your friends to read through your applications. Only others would be best able to see the flaws in your writing - if something doesn't add up, and they would also know your experiences enough to tell you what better example you can include in your application instead. You learn something with each rejection which makes your next application stronger. Personally, I would focus on sending out really good applications rather than aiming for quantity. My goal was just sending out as many applications last cycle and I got rejected by all of them. And I also tried applying to firms with different application processes - SJT tests instead of WG, telephone interviews instead of video interviews - just in case if you're not sure if you're good at them, you diversify your options.

Hope you feel better soon! We got this

 

[anon101]

On a separate note, if anyone's already done the NRF telephone interview, how did it generally go for you guys? And did they just call you?

 

[Lastseasonwonder]

Anyone else still without a response from A&O (summer VS). I thought I should have had a response by now. I have heard of some rejections and AC invites already. Does that mean I have yet to be considered or in a "maybe pile" - does this even exist?

 

[s10]

Got selected to attend an assessment centre at CMS!

 

[RyanM1]

Got selected to attend an assessment centre at CMS!

Well done! When did you apply?

 

[Dheepa]

I have a question somewhat related to this, but it's a bit of a weird one. I've never gotten this question in an interview or application (usually it's just interests and positions of responsibility, which I can use societies and extracurriculars for), but one of my main hobbies is pole dancing and I don't know whether or not to mention that if I get asked about hobbies in an interview. It is an actual sport but there are also a lot of preconceived notions about it and I don't want to come across as unprofessional or make them uncomfortable if they feel like it's inappropriate to discuss with an employer. On the one hand, I want to be authentic, but on the other hand, I don't want them to have a negative perception of me if they happen to have their own views on it. What would you suggest in this case?

Me too! I’ve always just said ‘member of X dance studio’ as the studio I go to also does dance, but I’m interested to know other people’s thoughts on this

I second this! I previously used to be an amateur boxer and I'm never sure whether to mention it. I'm worried about what preconceptions the interviewer/assessor may have about it.

I did pole for awhile and by no means am I the best at it but I enjoyed it and wrote about it in some apps and talked about it at interviews. It was never once received badly. The only thing I ever got asked at an AC was "Are you not afraid that it would be perceived badly" and I said "No, because to me it's just a sport. I've developed strength in parts of my body that I didn't even think possible before and I'd never be ashamed of something I enjoy doing." They seemed to like that answer - think they appreciated the fact that I wasn't shy/on the fence about it. While I agree with everything Jacob has said about sometimes erring on the side of caution, if it's something that adds an interesting angle to your personality and especially if it's something that you have spent time and effort and dedication on, you shouldn't be afraid to mention it. If anyone interviewing you is particularly rude about it, then it just seems to me that that isn't the kind of place you'd be happy working for anyway.

 

[Dheepa]

Hi guys!

I have done a few application cycles and I am just not being able to sell myself. I find myself especially stuck on the, "why do you want to be a solicitor" question. I've tried listing all the reasons I do plus the skills and experiences that go with it, yet I can't help but think something is missing, maybe I need more commercial insight or I don't know really. Is there any structure or advice anyone thinks really worked for them? Would be super grateful for any guidance!

Thanks for the help

It sounds to me like you do have good reasons but that you're just second guessing if they're good reasons! I think that especially if you have experiences that co-relate to the work done in commercial law and the skills needed to be a commercial lawyer, they are most definitely going to be strong reasons for applying.

On the commercial insight point, you don't necessarily need something that demonstrates that but it could be beneficial. This doesn't mean you need something like work experience at a bank or at a huge company, but it can just be smaller things. Maybe you worked in retail and enjoyed learning the different strategies that business use to generate revenue/make up for losses. Or maybe you attended a presentation at a firm on a specific deal and enjoyed hearing about the different commercial considerations that went into it. The reality of applying for a graduate job straight out of uni is that many people don't actually know for sure what it takes, and if they have the experience for what it takes. The best thing that you can do is be authentic about your reasons so that they come across as convincing as possible in your application. As long as you're really explaining why those experiences and skills make commercial law the best career for you instead of just using generic words like "interesting", "exciting" etc. you're more than fine.

The only other general bit of advice I have is that when I was attending a series of workshops with Dentons as part of the AS programme, something grad rec said is make sure that when writing apps to strike a balance between an interest in the legal of side of things and and interest in the commercial side of things. So I generally structured my answers to explain why I enjoyed the skills involved with working with both black letter law and commercial/business issues.

 

[Dheepa]

Hi everyone- I was wondering if anyone has advice on dealing with rejection?
Someone told me that each cycle of applications has THE rejection (the most demoralising one), and I received THE rejection from my dream firm today I'm a bit nervous because this is the application I felt most confident about, and now I'm wondering if the rest of my applications are any good. As an international student, I'm also a bit worried that if I'm ultimately unsuccessful this cycle I will have to return to my home country (which is having a bit of a political crisis atm). I've only done 10-11 apps this cycle, but I have put quite a lot of energy into researching individual firms and tailoring my answers. Before today, I felt really optimistic about my chances.
I know it's a bit cliche, but I would really love any tips on dealing with rejection in a positive way! I would also love to know how many applications are standard each cycle- should I try to apply to more firms to maximize my chances of getting an interview?
(Also, I just wanted to say thanks to everyone else who has shared here about being rejected in the past- it's reassuring to know I'm not the only one getting the dreaded "we regret to inform you" email)

Hi Bianca!

I cannot even begin to tell you how much I relate to the "Tier 4 visa I only have one more year to secure my dream job" anxiety. This time last year I would wake up everyday and feel this crushing panic that I could not ignore no matter how much I tried.

My dream firm rejection actually came in November 2019, and this was a firm that I'd applied to numerous times before and I'd spent two months (!!!) drafting their app. Funny how we can convince ourselves that a certain firm is our dream place to be without even spending so much as a couple of days there. Before that, the most crushing rejection I had was post VS when I failed to convert the vac into a TC. The amount of anxiety and self doubt I went through in the months after that doesn't compare to anything else I've ever experienced.

My best advice to you when dealing with particularly difficult rejections is to take all the time out that you need. If you need to just block out anything app related for awhile, then just do that. My biggest source of comfort was always Netflix, ranting to my friends and sometimes just having a good cry about it. I think all of us place so much of our self-worth on this process that it's good to remind yourself of the other things in life that bring you the validation, reassurance and simple comforts that you need. I may not know you personally, but I have no doubt that you are an incredibly talented, hardworking and deserving person. The reality is that so much of this process can come down to luck. Does the person reading your app notice the minor spelling mistake you made, does the partner interviewing you resonate and identify with your experiences, etc. The only thing you can do is keep working and keep trying until the 1% of luck you need is finally on your side. Something else that really helped me in my final app cycle was completely deleting Linkedin. Personally I think it's a terrible platform where people only choose to share their worst experiences once they've made it out the other side. Any and all the help and advice I ever needed I received from the amazing amazing community here on TCLA. And I really felt that blocking out the noise on Linkedin just helped me stop comparing and focus on myself, my journey and my applications so much more.

The final piece advice I have is that your journey to securing a training contract doesn't have to end if you leave the UK. I know so many people who have come back to my home country and are still trying, and still applying. Albeit it becomes a bit harder just because you are no longer able to do vacation schemes, but the direct TC option is still open to you. If this is something that you really want for yourself don't give up. I was lucky enough to get my TC offers in my final year, but I know that if I hadn't I would still be applying right now because nothing could have made me feel like I should give up or like I didn't deserve the job.

Remember that sometimes rejection is just re-direction (I am so glad that I didn't convert my vac in my second year just because I was so much happier with all the firms that did make me the TC offer). I have absolutely no doubt that your TC offer from a firm that you may even end up liking more than your "dream firm" is coming soon. You honestly got this, and I am 100% rooting for you.

 

[MzM]

Has anyone hears from V&E? Wondering if they only start replying after the deadline on the 15th?

 

[HCY]

Has anyone hears from V&E? Wondering if they only start replying after the deadline on the 15th?

I didn’t apply to them but I heard on one of their insight evenings they will only respond after the deadline.

 

[Andrew M]

Hi everyone- I was wondering if anyone has advice on dealing with rejection?
Someone told me that each cycle of applications has THE rejection (the most demoralising one), and I received THE rejection from my dream firm today I'm a bit nervous because this is the application I felt most confident about, and now I'm wondering if the rest of my applications are any good. As an international student, I'm also a bit worried that if I'm ultimately unsuccessful this cycle I will have to return to my home country (which is having a bit of a political crisis atm). I've only done 10-11 apps this cycle, but I have put quite a lot of energy into researching individual firms and tailoring my answers. Before today, I felt really optimistic about my chances.
I know it's a bit cliche, but I would really love any tips on dealing with rejection in a positive way! I would also love to know how many applications are standard each cycle- should I try to apply to more firms to maximize my chances of getting an interview?
(Also, I just wanted to say thanks to everyone else who has shared here about being rejected in the past- it's reassuring to know I'm not the only one getting the dreaded "we regret to inform you" email)

Last year my 'dream firm' rejected me a couple of days before my birthday - so I can definitely sympathise! The process is stressful enough without having to worry about visas... It can be tough not to take it personally when you have committed so much time and energy into applying. I think the key is to try and be detached about it and reflect on what you did/did not do. That way you can focus on improving. Or maybe the firm/opportunity isn't actually what you think it is? It's easy to get carried away when you've done research and think that it's absolutely the firm for you. I know a girl at my Uni who was OBSESSED with landing a TC at Hogan Lovalls (to the point of being quite annoying at events!). She now trains with DLA Piper and absolutely loves it! Like @Dheepa said, sometimes rejection is just a redirection to where you actually need to be.

Good luck with your remaining applications!