2020-21 Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion

[Renemccarthy]

Anyone heard from Shoosmiths post VI?

 

[GK8997]

Dechert VS offer! This officially closes out my cycle! I made 16 applications this year , with 5 getting past the application stage, 4 reaching AC and 4 VS offers! So grateful for all the insight and support on this forum honestly!

 

[Jaysen]

Dechert VS offer! This officially closes out my cycle! I made 16 applications this year , with 5 getting past the application stage, 4 reaching AC and 4 VS offers! So grateful for all the insight and support on this forum honestly!

Superstar!

 

[GK8997]

Superstar!

Thank you, that's very kind!!

 

[Lastseasonwonder]

W&C stats are correct. I attended their open day and the GR Team said they usually take 10-15% from direct TC apps.

So that's about 5-8 from direct TC app per year? I believe they recruit 50 trainees annually.

BTW, chambers says "80% to 85% of trainees complete a vacation scheme with the firm before starting", so 15-20% from direct TC then?

 

[Lastseasonwonder]

Intake numbers will usually be found on firm profiles on websites like Chambers student guide or Lawcareers.net.

Unfortunately there are very few details of conversion rates between the two though. The Lawyer did an article but it is now 4-5 years old and has never been updated.

Thank you but I meant intake from the 2 different routes (VS and direct TC) - can I go anywhere to find updated info on that?

 

[Kola]

Dechert VS offer! This officially closes out my cycle! I made 16 applications this year , with 5 getting past the application stage, 4 reaching AC and 4 VS offers! So grateful for all the insight and support on this forum honestly!

Amazing, congrats! Will you be able to accept all 4, or do some clash, in which case, which ones will you pick?

 

[GK8997]

Amazing, congrats! Will you be able to accept all 4, or do some clash, in which case, which ones will you pick?

Thank you so much!! So I have done 1 and got a TC offer and am in the middle of my second- I think my second two also don't clash so I should be able to accept all 4 if I want to/ can get time off work!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thank you but I meant intake from the 2 different routes (VS and direct TC) - can I go anywhere to find updated info on that?

That is what I meant by conversion rates.

Unfortunately there isn’t really one area to find this information consistently across firms, mainly where it changes every year.

 

[AAA_a]

For MoFo, Gibson and Dechert, if I still haven't heard from them regarding summer VS post app, is it likely that I am in a "maybe" pile? Or is it pending PFO on the way at this stage? Like, I believe Gibson and Dechert are both rolling and many have completed the process already...

 

[M777]

For MoFo, Gibson and Dechert, if I still haven't heard from them regarding summer VS post app, is it likely that I am in a "maybe" pile? Or is it pending PFO on the way at this stage? Like, I believe Gibson and Dechert are both rolling and many have completed the process already...

Not sure what's going on with Gibson- I did my round 1 interview about 2 weeks ago but have heard they did second round interviews and made some offers last week.

As for MoFo, I've heard absolutely nothing either. I emailed them for an update and they never replied to me

 

[AAA_a]

Not sure what's going on with Gibson- I did my round 1 interview about 2 weeks ago but have heard they did second round interviews and made some offers last week.

As for MoFo, I've heard absolutely nothing either. I emailed them for an update and they never replied to me

Did you email Gibson? I chased them yesterday but don’t know if I should call, I fear calling may look bad.

 

[jasonweee]

is the legal cheek vac scheme hard to get into? what does it involve? do you Get a TC interview? Just a bit curious.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Did you email Gibson? I chased them yesterday but don’t know if I should call, I fear calling may look bad.

If you only emailed yesterday, you don’t really need to chase for another week or two.

 

[M777]

Did you email Gibson? I chased them yesterday but don’t know if I should call, I fear calling may look bad.

I emailed them just now!

I chased them before my application got progressed to first round interview. They didn't respond to it and then inv'd me to round 1 interview about a week later, so don't lose hope.

 

[tractor12]

is the legal cheek vac scheme hard to get into? what does it involve? do you Get a TC interview? Just a bit curious.

No, if it is the same as the summer one - everyone who applies should get on and it is more to give you an insight into the profession/different practice areas/topics than anything else. There is no opportunity to get a TC from there

 

[Kubed]

is the legal cheek vac scheme hard to get into? what does it involve? do you Get a TC interview? Just a bit curious.

As far as I know it's not a competitive process to get accepted onto the scheme. It's not attached to any firm and does not lead directly to a TC interview, although firms do run sessions and give presentations. I did it last summer and it was a useful initial insight into the commercial legal sector.

 

[Abbie4329]

is the legal cheek vac scheme hard to get into? what does it involve? do you Get a TC interview? Just a bit curious.

I did the winter one. You just sign up for it. There was a bunch of webinars from the sponsor firms and some networking opportunities. No interviews. Overall, it was alright but nothing spectacular and I wouldn’t do it again. The firms give similar presentation at virtual law fairs/ open days/ other legal cheek events.

 

[ola830]

Hi guys!

I am looking for some advice and was hoping you could help me.

I know some of you have different careers and jobs (non-law related), and some have recently graduated and been able to secure some great jobs. I wanted to ask you what are your tips and thoughts on writing a great cover letter? And I mean cover letters for positions other than vac schemes or TCs.

I am currently actively seeking a full time job and most of the opportunities I am applying for require cover letters. While I have written cover letters for law firm applications, I am unhappy with the cover letters I have written for other job opportunities and feel that I fall short with my applications because of that. So I would welcome any insights into what I could do to ensure that I write some strong cover letters.

 

[Deleted member 8227]

Hi guys!

I am looking for some advice and was hoping you could help me.

I know some of you have different careers and jobs (non-law related), and some have recently graduated and been able to secure some great jobs. I wanted to ask you what are your tips and thoughts on writing a great cover letter? And I mean cover letters for positions other than vac schemes or TCs.

I am currently actively seeking a full time job and most of the opportunities I am applying for require cover letters. While I have written cover letters for law firm applications, I am unhappy with the cover letters I have written for other job opportunities and feel that I fall short with my applications because of that. So I would welcome any insights into what I could do to ensure that I write some strong cover letters.

Hi, I'm no expert but as a recent graduate, I found the cover letters that I have progressed to interviews with were heavily based on the skills in the job description and person specification. I tend to structure my answer by showing how I demonstrated each of the skills asked of me in a similar way to a law application, using STAR and quantifying my experiences where I could. I'd also include specific information on the criteria they requested like my availability and right to work in the UK. Hope that helps!