2020-21 Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion

[Mandy M]

congrats! when did you apply and for what scheme?

I applied on December 15th for the Spring VS!

 

[dosblancos7]

I used a blurred background for everything, including in the working world with client meetings! I think it's more professional than a non-blurred background as it's not as personal and is less distracting. Plus it makes you look like you're in a real life portrait headshot hehe

Thank you

 

[Samantha]

anyone heard back from Cleary recently?

 

[Andrew M]

AC invite for Mills and Reeve! A little emotional because this was my top choice last year and I got rejected at this partner review stage.

 

[Jacob Miller]

If a firm asks about a commercial story that interested me at interview, does talking about the increasing interest in SPACs count as a commercial story?

I would say so, yes. Have a look at my last article to see which included structuring an answer to this type of question too:

Definitive Guide to Law Firm Interviews! *Monday Article Series*

In this week's (slightly delayed - sorry!) Article, we take a look at law firm interviews. Introduction Almost every law firm’s application process involves some form of interview. This style of interview is designed to find out about your motivations, experiences, skills and characteristics...

www.thecorporatelawacademy.com

 

[dosblancos7]

Morgan Lewis Telephone Interview (first stage)Invite . They assigned the slot to me. I have a separate AC task that day later so it's a bit sticky 😳😳- does anyone know if I can reschedule or how to do this as they gave a fixed time without me picking a slot? If not, will just try and hope for the best.

If anyone went through this process this year last cycle, any tips would be helpful . Also, for reference, I applied on the 26th Jan

 

[LeilaScott]

Sorry, just looked over my Ropes and Gray app and noticed I didn't fill out anything on my work history? I have been shooting out applications like crazy and wanted to check I hadn't missed something? Do they just not ask???

 

[collie_121]

For those doing the Gibson Dunn cover letter, did you include their address? I'm weary of word count

 

[Holly]

Sorry, just looked over my Ropes and Gray app and noticed I didn't fill out anything on my work history? I have been shooting out applications like crazy and wanted to check I hadn't missed something? Do they just not ask???

There was no work history section!

 

[WannabeSolicitor24]

Sorry, just looked over my Ropes and Gray app and noticed I didn't fill out anything on my work history? I have been shooting out applications like crazy and wanted to check I hadn't missed something? Do they just not ask???

I noticed this and no they didn't ask for your work history

 

[LeilaScott]

There was no work history section!

Omg legend thank you for telling me, I was having a real existential moment and wondering how on earth id managed to skip a whole section lol

 

[FM302989]

Ok everyone now that *almost* all apps are in, I am very interested in which application system is everyone's favourite... I have listed my (strong) preferences below, but am interested in hearing other people's thoughts! React to the post using the symbols next to each to show your preference - they should simply be in order of which symbol comes up first when you hover over the 'Like' button.



👍 1. Direct E-mail (Cover Letter/Application Form and CV by e-mail, used by firms like S&C and Winston & Strawn - This was the easiest by far but I'm not sure how they are able to get away without asking you to approve all the privacy statements and give diversity information??)

👎2. Apply4Law (probably the most common?- This is my favourite other than the direct e-mail apps. When I first filled in all my details on Apply4Law it took me like three hours and I thought it was a massive nightmare, and a huge negative about the system is that it does not automatically fill your details and work experience on subsequent applications. It does provide a drop-down list of what you have filled in before though, so that is a positive, and I got a rhythm down where I would copy and paste from a previous app and I could complete everything but for the written answers within 15-20 mins. The reason I like it is that it is very clear and there are no weird formatting issues)

😍3. cvMail (close second for how common it is?- Probably also my next favourite. There is something I don't like about cvMail, however, including the fact it has crashed on me many times. I like the fact that it automatically fills your details in, but does anyone else find that strangely deletes spaces in your written answers? Plus there is nowhere really to get a sense of whether your app has been updated, or even to look at your app online after you have submitted it? I find firms have different number of slots for work experience each time which also bothers me - at least with Apply4Law you can choose how many slots you need)

🤣4. Linklaters - They had their own system which I thought was fairly accessible, but a slightly unusual process.

😲5. Slaughter and May - Am I right in thinking they had their own system? I though it was fine.

🙁6. Taleo (CC, DLA Piper, Freshfields, probably others I have forgotten - also fine, seemed a bit outdated though).

😡7. Rare CRS (Willkie - I think it is great, but for the fact that only one firm uses it. It means I had to fill in everything from scratch just for one firm, which is not great. Also its strangely re-orders what you have previously filled in if you go back to it)

✅8. Brassring (A&O, HSF, probably others - pretty bad. What kind of application system doesn't allow you to go back and review what you have filled in previously? It would save my applications and allow me to continue them later, which made me think I could leave my education details to fill in at the end... but no, I had to start a new app from scratch! The worst was when A&O Middle East told me the projected time for filling in the application was '10 - 15 minutes' and I saw on the first page that they asked for a Cover Letter and CV, I assumed that these were the only requirement. I may have left my application until close to the deadline after labouring over my cover letter and CV, only to find that once I uploaded them, there were seven further short-answer (250 words) questions that I had to rush off).

❌9. viDesktop (used by firms like Cleary Gottlieb and Vinson & Elkins - it doesn't even remember you if your browser times out! For Vinson & Elkins, where there were written-answer questions that required you to put a '//' to separate paragraphs and where non-letter symbols mysteriously transfigured into code, I thought that there were absolutely no redeeming qualities)


Let me know if I have forgotten any!

Bro any application that doesn't ask me 9 300-word complex/niche questions and a cover letter before HR have even sniffed at my profile can work with me

 

[Jacob Miller]

Any tips on group exercises in the virtual environment? I’ve been told at an AC last year I could’ve pushed my ideas more

My article on assessed negotiations may help here, I break down a lot of teamwork issues:

Definitive Guide to Assessed Negotiations! *Monday Article Series*

Hi All! Please see below my Guide to Assessed Negotiation Exercises at Assessment Centres and during Vacation Schemes. This guide has been built from my own experiences of assessed and real-world negotiations as well as having consulted with Grad Rec specialists. This is also the first in a...

www.thecorporatelawacademy.com

 

[FM302989]

For those doing the Gibson Dunn cover letter, did you include their address? I'm weary of word count

No I wouldn't bother with that. Just address it to the named individual and get straight into it

 

[Jessica Booker]

I think if Mayer Brown are experiencing what a lot of the other firms are this year in terms of just a never-ending influx of applicants, they might be re-considering their criteria for AC?

(this is what I imagine graduate recruitment looks like )

Pretty accurate on the 31st Jan/1 Feb 😂

 

[law230]

Anyone heard about the mishcon case study recently?

 

[Phoenix for all]

Does any know if there's an option to pause briefly between Simmons&Simmons's online written exercise and VI, e.g. by not clicking a certain button? Just want to see if it's possible to do my written assessment in pj 😅

 

[Jacob Miller]

Just out of curiosity, which firms have asked “why not investment banking?” I’ve never been asked this anywhere

Depends a lot on the applicant. Applicants who've got IB experience will likely be asked about it, similarly those with consulting experience etc.

I've personally been asked "why law and not stay a full-time day trader?" and "why law and not a career entrepreneur?" (as a result of being a trader and having launched a few businesses). I was once at an AC and another applicant was a junior doctor in the NHS, he was asked "why law and not continue in medicine?" etc.

 

[Victoria R]

Can anyone suggest some good questions to ask at the end of a case study interview? I drew a bit of a blank last time, I'd used up all my good ones in the previous partner interview! I also am not sure if it's appropriate to ask the same type of questions in a case study 🙄

 

[Helpme12345]

If a firm asks about a commercial story that interested me at interview, does talking about the increasing interest in SPACs count as a commercial story?

I spoke about this in one of my interviews and got the offer!

I would recommend covering in depth the advantages/disadvantages vs an IPO or direct listing as well as why the craze hasn’t really been a thing in the UK