2020-21 Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion

[Barnsworth]

I'm still waiting for the test as well, submitted my app on the 18th. Hopefully we hear something this week

I heard submitted my application on the 24th of January, was allocated the tests on the 26th. Did you hear back on the 26th too, given you applied before I did? I received my feedback of the tests last Friday. Have you heard anything back or taken the tests? I'm still waiting to hear back as to whether I've got through to the next stage.

 

[layla rose]

Hi does anyone have any general tips for a telephone interview? ive never done one before! Thank you!

 

[Barnsworth]

Anyone heard from Mayer Brown post-telephone interview?

I haven't got through to that stage yet. I'm waiting to hear back as I've just received feedback of my SJT results. How did you do in the SJT? I'm just wondering what core 'strengths' they're looking for, and how well you have to do in the tests to get through?

 

[Lily721]

I am feeling so overwhelmed at the moment. I am trying to come up with examples for different competency questions and I am blank. Completely blank. I feel like I have nothing to talk about. But I also don't want to make up things. How are people tackling such questions and preparing examples?

 

[NikkiT]

@KMRR99 What did you apply for with Fieldfisher? On their website it says: Unfortunately, due to Covid-19 the recruitment for our Training Contracts have been postponed until Summer in 2021. When we reopen our applications, it will be for a Training Contract commencing in 2023.

 

[Barnsworth]

I am feeling so overwhelmed at the moment. I am trying to come up with examples for different competency questions and I am blank. Completely blank. I feel like I have nothing to talk about. But I also don't want to make up things. How are people tackling such questions and preparing examples?

Have you read this? https://www.chambersstudent.co.uk/w...ter/how-to-ace-law-firm-competency-interviews

 

[21wajsz]

I am feeling so overwhelmed at the moment. I am trying to come up with examples for different competency questions and I am blank. Completely blank. I feel like I have nothing to talk about. But I also don't want to make up things. How are people tackling such questions and preparing examples?

I usually start with listing out all my past and existing work experiences and roles of responsibilities in university! Personally for me, just having that list really helps me get inspiration and makes me reflect more directly on my own experiences

 

[Bugsy Malone]

I heard submitted my application on the 24th of January, was allocated the tests on the 26th. Did you hear back on the 26th too, given you applied before I did? I received my feedback of the tests last Friday. Have you heard anything back or taken the tests? I'm still waiting to hear back as to whether I've got through to the next stage.

Hey - I still haven't received the test invite! I've just emailed them and will hopefully receive them soon. Hope yours went well

 

[Victoria R]

I am feeling so overwhelmed at the moment. I am trying to come up with examples for different competency questions and I am blank. Completely blank. I feel like I have nothing to talk about. But I also don't want to make up things. How are people tackling such questions and preparing examples?

First piece of advice is to take a deep breath and make a cup of tea, step away from the screen, etc. Then what really helped for me was writing out a timeline of my life essentially (lol) starting from 16 to now (26!) and including everything I'd done, no matter how big or small. The crucial thing was this timeline was for me, not firms, so I included things that wouldn't traditionally 'impress' a law firm (more on that later...) but were notable to me personally.

After that, I wrote out all the common competencies (teamwork, communication, leadership, integrity, innovation / commerciality, overcoming a challenge, resilience, sorting out a dispute) and put them near my timeline so I had a nice visual encompassing everything. Final thing was to go through the competencies, with the timeline there to jog my memory (sometimes I'd literally run through it with each competency in mind). I would always try and think to myself, 'what genuinely springs to mind when thinking about this quality?' E.G, if a friend asked you the same question, what would you say?

With that approach, I found I actually had quite a lot to draw upon. For instance, a challenge / a time I showed resilience was actually when I was made redundant from a job post-uni. What I did in response was I quickly adapted to the empty year I suddenly had in front of me by volunteering and working in a pub, meticulously saving so I could go travelling, which I couldn't have done if I hadn't been made redundant. Another challenge I often write about is not meeting my predicted A-Level grades, and my example for teamwork is always when I worked Christmas Day at a pub! None of these are on paper 'impressive', but they work for me because they're true, so when prompted I can expand and give detail - this is ultimately what firms are looking for.

Edit: Just to add this, I have done a few work experiences in law firms, and funnily enough these are the examples I drew upon the least in competency questions... I would say they were way more useful for justifying my interest in law / specific practice areas. So don't worry at all about a lack of law expo, there are ways to justify your interest without it and I barely use them for competencies anyway.

 

[CF]

@KMRR99 What did you apply for with Fieldfisher? On their website it says: Unfortunately, due to Covid-19 the recruitment for our Training Contracts have been postponed until Summer in 2021. When we reopen our applications, it will be for a Training Contract commencing in 2023.

Hi Nikki, Fieldfisher run a Diversity Access Scheme in the summer, so the candidate may have applied for that!

 

[LS12]

I am feeling so overwhelmed at the moment. I am trying to come up with examples for different competency questions and I am blank. Completely blank. I feel like I have nothing to talk about. But I also don't want to make up things. How are people tackling such questions and preparing examples?

This was me - being honest I found with competency ones it was a bit unnatural to me to identify the positive attributes I had demonstrated because it was like 'bigging myself up' in a way I hadn't done before.

I would say don't push yourself too hard for answers. Ask people who know you - I remember one question I had (not sure if it's competency per se) was name a time you've been in a competitive situation. As someone who only really gets competitive when playing a family game of monopoly I was really struggling to find an answer. But talking to my mum she reminded me that I've played tennis for years - which is in fact a competitive sport - and played in tournaments - the only reason it wasn't obvious to me was because this was something I enjoyed and I didn't associate the excitement for tournaments with the feeling of wanting to win.

The other thing I would say is have a table of all your experiences to cross-check against! I have a list of all my experiences with key points. This allows you to make links between your experiences and the question

Also don't be afraid to talk about non-legal stuff. Or even more niche stuff. It doesn't have to be directly linked to uni or the law.

I view competency questions as less of a way to prove you can do stuff but as a way to show off your achievements.

 

[Alisha S]

Mills and Reeve PFO, the only firm to have given me a sliver of hope! Just made it to the second review stage

 

[Elle W]

Just received a PFO from Herbert Smith Freehills

 

[NikkiT]

Anyone who has done the Taylor Wessing Arctic Shores tests - did you do them on a phone or laptop? I thought it needed to be on a touchscreen?

 

[Kopperskjold]

Feel free to drop me a private message at any time. Sometimes we can all get so caught up with the 'process' that we forget we're all actually in incredibly unusual circumstances (more so if you've just moved to a foreign country!).

My PMs are also open to anyone else struggling through isolation to rant, vent or if you just need someone to talk to ✌️

Thanks so much! Really appreciate that

 

[Ifeoluwa]

This is a super long shot but does anyone happen to have any tips for professional looking hair styles for ACs and interviews? 😂 I've never quite been able to imitate the neat, professional blow-dry type hair styles or even fancy updos I see most fellow gals wearing on open days because my hair is super thick, wavy textured and ALWAYS seems to look messy (perks of mixed race parent lol). I know firms shouldn't/won't discriminate against me as a candidate for hair texture of all things, but it definitely doesn't make me look very put together! I usually flat iron and try and make it into nice curls but after a while it tends to look a bit fried. Anyone else out here have a similar problem and any tips? 😂😂

I have tight curly hair so I understand what you mean. I usually do a slick back bun for open days or interviews.
There are many videos on YouTube on how to do it. You can look for a video with similar hair texture to yours and see how they do theirs. All you need is water, hair gel/leave in conditioner, hair scarf(optional) and a hair bobble/hair tie.

 

[Legalmel_99]

@KMRR99 What did you apply for with Fieldfisher? On their website it says: Unfortunately, due to Covid-19 the recruitment for our Training Contracts have been postponed until Summer in 2021. When we reopen our applications, it will be for a Training Contract commencing in 2023.

It was for their diversity scheme deadline was end of January too

 

[Legalmel_99]

Hi Nikki, Fieldfisher run a Diversity Access Scheme in the summer, so the candidate may have applied for that!

Yeah it was this that I applied to ☺️

 

[summer207]

Anyone who has done the Taylor Wessing Arctic Shores tests - did you do them on a phone or laptop? I thought it needed to be on a touchscreen?

I did mine on a laptop

 

[p9b]

Sorry if this is a silly Q or completely wrong - but is ASOS's purchase of Topshop (but not of their physical stores) an example of an asset purchase agreement?