Ask A Graduate Recruiter Anything!

[Lily721]

If we are just talking about academics, then yes. It will ultimately not look as good as an application who has consistently scored 2.1s or above in every module.

But a lot more goes into considering what makes a good application than academics. It’s about the only thing on an application that can be directly compared to other candidates and so people often think it is that which is making them successful or not, when reality is the decision is much more likely to be made by other factors on an application form.

Thank you

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi @Jessica Booker

Why do some firms ask if I have applied to a position at their firm previously?

Is it a disadvantage to have applied before?

Because some people will apply multiple times to the same vacancy within the same cycle and so asking people if they have applied before allows you to effectively screen out people who do that.

You are at a disadvantage if you have applied before, was unsuccessful and little has changed in your application since.

 

[Lastseasonwonder]

Hi @Jessica Booker

With the following question: Please give details of any positions of responsibility and achievements or awards at school, university or elsewhere

I just wanna get it right - when a firm says details, what should I write specifically and how should I write? Should I detail tasks and responsibilities and says what I achieved as a result of those efforts?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi @Jessica Booker

With the following question: Please give details of any positions of responsibility and achievements or awards at school, university or elsewhere

I just wanna get it right - when a firm says details, what should I write specifically and how should I write? Should I detail tasks and responsibilities and says what I achieved as a result of those efforts?

no set answer here - really depends on the evidence you have and the word limit you have available.

There isn’t one right way of approaching this apart from presenting the information in the best way that works for you.

 

[Lastseasonwonder]

no set answer here - really depends on the evidence you have and the word limit you have available.

There isn’t one right way of approaching this apart from presenting the information in the best way that works for you.

There is no word limit for that question and the the question below too.

Please give details of your main extra-curricular activities and leisure interests.

I dont understand what Travers Smith is looking for in this question. So for example, I play Rugby and I talked about that. Why do firms ask this question?

 

[Jessica Booker]

There is no word limit for that question and the the question below too.

Please give details of your main extra-curricular activities and leisure interests.

I dont understand what Travers Smith is looking for in this question. So for example, I play Rugby and I talked about that. Why do firms ask this question?

Because a degree alone won’t prepare you for the world of working in a law firm. Extra curriculars show a whole range of skill sets and attitudes much more than a degree does.

 

[bendico1860]

I have two questions about applications I recently submitted.

I made a grammatical error in one, and yet got invited for the WG. Is that a sign that they've overlooked the error, or that they'll only look at it after the WG?

In another, I accidentally put a full stop in the middle of a sentence instead of a comma - is that more likely than not going to lead to a rejection?

Thanks very much!

 

[Jessica Booker]

I have two questions about applications I recently submitted.

I made a grammatical error in one, and yet got invited for the WG. Is that a sign that they've overlooked the error, or that they'll only look at it after the WG?

In another, I accidentally put a full stop in the middle of a sentence instead of a comma - is that more likely than not going to lead to a rejection?

Thanks very much!

depends - the firm might not have fully reviewed the form and just invited you to WG on some basic information rather than a full application review. They may have read your application in full but decided it was strong enough even with the error, or they may have not spotted the error.

It an error - the weight of which is impossible to determine unless you spoke to the person who reviewed your application.

 

[matpart]

Would doing an MA in Arabic and possibly IR after having done an LLB be complete suicide in terms of gaining a TC in the future? I am in my third year and looking for back up plans in case I do not secure a TC now. I am not saying this plan is smarter than let's say working, paralegaling, doing the LPC or an LLM, but I am just genuinely curious to learn more and continue being a student. I lived in Jordan for a bit and I really want to study the region more, both in terms of language but also the insane amount of politics, economics and global affairs that occur in the Middle East. I am passionate about law, but I do not feel like my LLB has made me into the well-rounded, knowledgable and international citizen I wish to become. If my plan is to be a lawyer for the rest of my life I think I will regret having not used my student days to their fullest by exploring other fields I might not encounter ever again in my adult life. Will this be viewed negatively by law firms, as moving away from law by doing a non-legal masters make it seem like I lost interest in the legal field?

Thanks!

 

[legalthrowaway]

Hey Jessica, I would like some advice here! I'm a final year law student who has secured an offer from a silver circle firm but am interested in exploring other options and potential offers from other firms.

Unfortunately, under the Voluntary Code to Good Practice in the Recruitment of Trainee Solicitors, I only have 4 weeks to make a decision, and once I accept a training contract I am obliged to tell all the other firms I have applied to that I have already accepted a training contract. I thus have three questions I would like help with:

1. Is it possible to get an extension of time (say 6 months) to explore other options and if so, is this only rarely given?
   
   
2. Would it look like a red flag to other firms if I have accepted a training contract for a silver circle firm and yet still am applying for another firm?
   
   
3. How likely is it for anyone to find out if I have breached the Voluntary Code by accepting the training contract but continued with the application process at other firms?
   

Thank you!

 

[AS2000]

Hi Jessica,

I recently received an email from Linklaters saying they have added me to their database. Is this of any importance? I was rejected by them a few weeks ago despite doing quite well on the WG test.

Thank you!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Would doing an MA in Arabic and possibly IR after having done an LLB be complete suicide in terms of gaining a TC in the future? I am in my third year and looking for back up plans in case I do not secure a TC now. I am not saying this plan is smarter than let's say working, paralegaling, doing the LPC or an LLM, but I am just genuinely curious to learn more and continue being a student. I lived in Jordan for a bit and I really want to study the region more, both in terms of language but also the insane amount of politics, economics and global affairs that occur in the Middle East. I am passionate about law, but I do not feel like my LLB has made me into the well-rounded, knowledgable and international citizen I wish to become. If my plan is to be a lawyer for the rest of my life I think I will regret having not used my student days to their fullest by exploring other fields I might not encounter ever again in my adult life. Will this be viewed negatively by law firms, as moving away from law by doing a non-legal masters make it seem like I lost interest in the legal field?

Thanks!

no - not complete career suicide. You’ll just need to invest word count in future applications to explain why you took this route.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hey Jessica, I would like some advice here! I'm a final year law student who has secured an offer from a silver circle firm but am interested in exploring other options and potential offers from other firms.

Unfortunately, under the Voluntary Code to Good Practice in the Recruitment of Trainee Solicitors, I only have 4 weeks to make a decision, and once I accept a training contract I am obliged to tell all the other firms I have applied to that I have already accepted a training contract. I thus have three questions I would like help with:

1. Is it possible to get an extension of time (say 6 months) to explore other options and if so, is this only rarely given?
   
   
2. Would it look like a red flag to other firms if I have accepted a training contract for a silver circle firm and yet still am applying for another firm?
   
   
3. How likely is it for anyone to find out if I have breached the Voluntary Code by accepting the training contract but continued with the application process at other firms?

Thank you!

Responded here for anyone who stumbles across this post

Voluntary code response

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica,

I recently received an email from Linklaters saying they have added me to their database. Is this of any importance? I was rejected by them a few weeks ago despite doing quite well on the WG test.

Thank you!

no - it’s just a standard data protection process.

 

[DonnieDarko]

maximum word count ** sorry! I’m not entirely sure but she was suggesting that I should discuss the international aspect of the firm or discuss another one of their practice areas. This has made me question whether the 3 reasons I discussed are satisfactory enough in quality ( as mentioned above)

I believe what your friend might be suggesting is that those are 3 generic reasons, have you managed to make those personal to you? I.e. on the secondments, is it that there is a client they work with or an area you would like to explore a seat in? Or in the case of low trainee intake, is it that you want to have a better connection with fellow trainees or learn well in smaller environments and thus would appreciate the greater attention you might receive as one of a few?

For me, my word count was split more 30/70. Where I was successful, I kept the reason for "why law?" response brief (I was transitioning career and worked in an adjacent sector very closely with solicitors) and focused a lot more on the firm. In my experience "why law?" elicits a fairly templatized response, it's not going to vary significantly no matter where you apply. Whereas what you're attracted to at any given firm will/should.

If you are confident that you've used those three examples to highlight your interest with a high degree of specificity, you should be fine!

 

[Lastseasonwonder]

Hi @Jessica Booker

For the Travers Smith cover letter, I have to address Germaine VanGeyzel.

Therefore, should I write Dear Germaine VanGeyzel OR Dear Ms VanGeyzel?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi @Jessica Booker

For the Travers Smith cover letter, I have to address Germaine VanGeyzel.

Therefore, should I write Dear Germaine VanGeyzel OR Dear Ms VanGeyzel?

The latter is most appropriate if you have never met the person. You could use Dear Germaine if you have met them though.

 

[hopefullawyer123]

Hi @Jessica Booker

I am answering a 'why us' application question - I have researched that the firm is top 10 in the UK for gender-diversity ranked by % of female partners - if i link this to why this interests me to apply, is this a sufficient reason I could use?

 

[Paaris]

I have a few questions if I'm okay to ask:

1. When is "enough" enough? If somebody was approaching 30, is 30, past 30s, is this time to give up the TC search? Do grad rec look unfavourably on someone that hasn't managed to get a TC yet? Perhaps view their inability to secure one suspiciously?

2. If you have already interviewed with a firm before, is it okay to re-apply?

3. I know firms say they do consider candidates with grades that don't strictly match their criteria, but what do they usually look for to make up for that? In terms of experience etc, do you need to show that you are basically already a commercial lawyer? Or have something else unique to you?

Sorry for the mass questions!!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi @Jessica Booker

I am answering a 'why us' application question - I have researched that the firm is top 10 in the UK for gender-diversity ranked by % of female partners - if i link this to why this interests me to apply, is this a sufficient reason I could use?

not on its own. It is fine to include things like this, but you also need to factor in why you will like the day job with the firm as well as why you might like the environment you do that day job in.