2020-21 Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion

[Crastle]

Did anybody with a rejection from BDB Pitmans vac scheme NOT get the email about being considered for a TC? Just trying to work out if it was a generic one

 

[Ron Laflamme]

Reluctant to post this as don't want to appear tone deaf or anything. I was given a TC offer last week, from my first choice firm. However, I have also accepted a VAC scheme elsewhere. There is no doubt in my mind I will be accepting the TC, but I want to be able to do the VAC scheme, not least because I have very little legal experience (and in the event my TC offer falls through for whatever reason, I want at least something on my CV) and also because, in all honesty, I could do with the money.

Is this acceptable, or should I inform the VAC firm that I won't be able to attend this summer. I haven't received my TC contract yet so don't know if I'd be allowed to accept a VAC elsewhere. @Jessica Booker perhaps you could advise?

P.S. To those reading this who haven't been as lucky: Yes, I say lucky, as luck is such an enormous part of this process, and I think that is often overlooked. I was incredibly down a couple of weeks ago with numerous rejections (24 to be precise) at various stages. Sidenote - I firmly believe it is a numbers game. But, as many have said prior to me, you only need one offer. Keep going, trust the process and you will get there. Best of luck to everyone.

 

[JoeyTr]

sounds like BDP aren't running vac schemes this year so are considering all applicants for direct TCs 🤷‍♂️

 

[Bonolaw]

Stephenson Harwood HR interview invite slowly but surely I hope.

 

[Matt_96]

sounds like BDP aren't running vac schemes this year so are considering all applicants for direct TCs 🤷‍♂️

Is BDB Pitmans rolling or non-rolling for its direct TCs?

 

[Nnu]

I just got this too & idk what to think either... hoping they decided that I had enough experience to warrant putting me in the direct TC route? Or I applied too late...

sounds like BDP aren't running vac schemes this year so are considering all applicants for direct TCs 🤷‍♂️

how do you know they're not running? have they said?
or just based on what we've said?

 

[Lawyer101]

Does anybody know if the Eversheds' Vac Scheme is running virtually or in person?

 

[ofm]

sounds like BDP aren't running vac schemes this year so are considering all applicants for direct TCs 🤷‍♂️

I saw a girl post on Linkedin saying she got a vac scheme, but shes the only one I've seen....

 

[ar123]

I saw a girl post on Linkedin saying she got a vac scheme, but shes the only one I've seen....

I got a vac scheme offer from them last week, but they base selection entirely off app forms which is a bit weird!

 

[Samantha]

Anyone else just feeling hopeless. I’m a first class law student from a top Russell group university and my entire life I’ve tried so hard to do well and I just keep getting rejections. All my friends seem to know what they are doing next year and I’m stumped. I feel like I’m simply unemployable.

Update.

Thank you everyone for your advice!

Suddenly everything’s going right... after consistent rejections I’ve scored 4 interviews.

Just goes to show it’s a luck game.

 

[Victoria R]

Is there a website where you can see a firms recent deals? As the firm I am researching does not have their deals on their own website.

I tend to type in the firm's name on thelawyer.com and use their headlines - obviously the full article is always behind a paywall, but the article titles are a good insight into important deals the firm has recently worked on

 

[JoeyTr]

hold your horses everyone - pure speculation and trying to make sense of the situation

 

[Victoria R]

Reluctant to post this as don't want to appear tone deaf or anything. I was given a TC offer last week, from my first choice firm. However, I have also accepted a VAC scheme elsewhere. There is no doubt in my mind I will be accepting the TC, but I want to be able to do the VAC scheme, not least because I have very little legal experience (and in the event my TC offer falls through for whatever reason, I want at least something on my CV) and also because, in all honesty, I could do with the money.

Is this acceptable, or should I inform the VAC firm that I won't be able to attend this summer. I haven't received my TC contract yet so don't know if I'd be allowed to accept a VAC elsewhere. @Jessica Booker perhaps you could advise?

P.S. To those reading this who haven't been as lucky: Yes, I say lucky, as luck is such an enormous part of this process, and I think that is often overlooked. I was incredibly down a couple of weeks ago with numerous rejections (24 to be precise) at various stages. Sidenote - I firmly believe it is a numbers game. But, as many have said prior to me, you only need one offer. Keep going, trust the process and you will get there. Best of luck to everyone.

Personally, I would do the VS (if your TC allows it) as I assume it's rare for firms to give every single vac schemer a TC, so you wouldn't be taking an opportunity from anyone else (also assuming the firm has finished their VS recruitment cycle for this year).

I don't think you necessarily need to disclose accepting the TC either - if anything, it's good to keep your options open if you unexpectedly end up loving the firm and want to train there instead.

 

[Jessica Booker]

if a law firm say they can't offer you a vacation scheme bt you're still under consideration for a TC is that a bad thing ? can't really gauge it

I’m not sure how that can be considered a bad thing at all. You are still under consideration for a role, just not the one you originally applied to.

 

[MzM]

Reluctant to post this as don't want to appear tone deaf or anything. I was given a TC offer last week, from my first choice firm. However, I have also accepted a VAC scheme elsewhere. There is no doubt in my mind I will be accepting the TC, but I want to be able to do the VAC scheme, not least because I have very little legal experience (and in the event my TC offer falls through for whatever reason, I want at least something on my CV) and also because, in all honesty, I could do with the money.

Is this acceptable, or should I inform the VAC firm that I won't be able to attend this summer. I haven't received my TC contract yet so don't know if I'd be allowed to accept a VAC elsewhere. @Jessica Booker perhaps you could advise?

P.S. To those reading this who haven't been as lucky: Yes, I say lucky, as luck is such an enormous part of this process, and I think that is often overlooked. I was incredibly down a couple of weeks ago with numerous rejections (24 to be precise) at various stages. Sidenote - I firmly believe it is a numbers game. But, as many have said prior to me, you only need one offer. Keep going, trust the process and you will get there. Best of luck to everyone.

I think that one of the terms of you signing your TC contract will be withdrawing from all stages of the application process with other firms. So you would have to be very careful the way you go about this - I think your first point of call will be asking the firm who offered the TC to extend their acceptance deadline.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Massive apologies as I am aware this has been spoken about recently. I received two vac scheme offers yesterday & OVER THE MOON (calls came through legit at the same time hahaha what are the odds)..

But of course the dates clash. I plan on asking one of the firms if alternative dates are available (one of them I know can't change the dates as its like a set time), what I want to know is the best way to go about this... as in the best way to word it haha. Then if they can't change it what should my plan be, I know @Jessica Booker recommends asking to be considered for a TC but should I include that in my original email asking to change dates or only if they respond saying they can't change the dates? If anyone has a recommending wording of this or has done it before please let me know!

Don’t email!!!!!!!

Call them - this type of conversation is one to have over the phone so you can discuss options rather than the back and forth of email. You’ll also get your enthusiasm for the firm across much better in a spoken conversation AND you will get an answer quicker to because you can discuss things/options with the firm.

 

[GK8997]

Reluctant to post this as don't want to appear tone deaf or anything. I was given a TC offer last week, from my first choice firm. However, I have also accepted a VAC scheme elsewhere. There is no doubt in my mind I will be accepting the TC, but I want to be able to do the VAC scheme, not least because I have very little legal experience (and in the event my TC offer falls through for whatever reason, I want at least something on my CV) and also because, in all honesty, I could do with the money.

Is this acceptable, or should I inform the VAC firm that I won't be able to attend this summer. I haven't received my TC contract yet so don't know if I'd be allowed to accept a VAC elsewhere. @Jessica Booker perhaps you could advise?

P.S. To those reading this who haven't been as lucky: Yes, I say lucky, as luck is such an enormous part of this process, and I think that is often overlooked. I was incredibly down a couple of weeks ago with numerous rejections (24 to be precise) at various stages. Sidenote - I firmly believe it is a numbers game. But, as many have said prior to me, you only need one offer. Keep going, trust the process and you will get there. Best of luck to everyone.

Hiya, I think most TC offers require you to not have VS elsewhere and VS acceptance letters require you to state that you have not accepted a TC elsewhere so I would just ask first to see if the deadline can be extended because otherwise you could risk putting yourself in a situation where you're on the bad side of two firms! Massive congratulations btw!

 

[SF1234]

I don’t think anyone was offered a vac scheme by K&E! How weird

 

[Jessica Booker]

It’s been 11 days? If that’s what ‘shortly’ means then I’ve been living life all wrong 😭

By the time you get to your late thirties, “shortly” is months let alone weeks 😂

 

[Binco5919]

I had my interview with Willkie last Monday and haven't heard back - which I assume is a rejection - or possibly I'm in an in-between category.