Ask A Graduate Recruiter Anything!

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica,
I have been working as a paralegal for about a month now, should I tell GR at firms I already applied about my new role? Is this something that would boost my application at all?

If you can update your application, then do it yourself.

You can also email them to explain the update, but some firms will take it as they have to take the information you submitted as a matter of fairness. No harm in updating them though.

 

[gg332dd]

If you can update your application, then do it yourself.

You can also email them to explain the update, but some firms will take it as they have to take the information you submitted as a matter of fairness. No harm in updating them though.

Thank you Jessica!

 

[MariSierra]

Hi @Jessica Booker! Hope you're well! Just wondering what you think about future trainees updating their title on LinkedIn to "Future Trainee Solicitor at ...". It seems to be a pretty common thing to do, but I wondered if this is a good thing to do or one that you should avoid? If it is a good thing then when would it be the right moment to do so?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi @Jessica Booker! Hope you're well! Just wondering what you think about future trainees updating their title on LinkedIn to "Future Trainee Solicitor at ...". It seems to be a pretty common thing to do, but I wondered if this is a good thing to do or one that you should avoid? If it is a good thing then when would it be the right moment to do so?

It’s not a problem doing it. If you are committing to the firm and aren’t trying to get other offers go for it. You can do it anytime you have accepted an offer onwards (and knowing you won’t renege).

 

[MariSierra]

It’s not a problem doing it. If you are committing to the firm and aren’t trying to get other offers go for it. You can do it anytime you have accepted an offer onwards (and knowing you won’t renege).

Thanks so much Jessica! Very helpful as always!!

 

[SecretSantaxx]

Hi @Jaysen @Alice G @Jessica Booker , from your experience, do written exercises and presentations usually mean case study? If we have both a written exercise and a presentation is it usually the same case study? Do critical thinking tests refer to Watson glazer? Thanks!

 

[hashneevvora]

Hello
I am applying for Baker McKenzie one of there questions is
Please list other work experience or career events you have attended (this can include open days). Outline Details/Responsibilities if required (500 words max)
What would be the best way to format to answer this question.
Thanks

 

[tractor12]

Hello
I am applying for Baker McKenzie one of there questions is
Please list other work experience or career events you have attended (this can include open days). Outline Details/Responsibilities if required (500 words max)
What would be the best way to format to answer this question.
Thanks

Hey! If you have attended many events, I would probably just list them all and expand with 2/3 sentences on the ones that are most relevant to you/BM. If you only attended a few then maybe expand on each one. By expand, I mean just explain the types of things you did/listened to at the event and how it might have contributed to facilitating your knowledge in that area. I don't think it matters all that much though.

Is this for Direct TC? Do you know if BM recruit a lot from Direct and if they're rolling/non rolling?

 

[Veep9]

Hi @Jessica Booker please could I DM you to ask about advice related to disability confident firms and guaranteed interview schemes?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi @Jessica Booker please could I DM you to ask about advice related to disability confident firms and guaranteed interview schemes?

Of course - please do... I have got a few PMs to respond to but I am hoping to get through them tonight/tomorrow

 

[Veep9]

Of course - please do... I have got a few PMs to respond to but I am hoping to get through them tonight/tomorrow

Thank you, have just DM’d!

 

[Lauren]

Hi,

I have been invited to a video interview with Baker McKenzie but I also have a training contract interview in the same period and I am working full time.

Do you think I could email Baker McKenzie for an extension or do you think this is likely to reflect badly on me?
Thank you!

 

[Daniel Boden]

Hi,

I have been invited to a video interview with Baker McKenzie but I also have a training contract interview in the same period and I am working full time.

Do you think I could email Baker McKenzie for an extension or do you think this is likely to reflect badly on me?
Thank you!

Are the interviews on the same day?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi,

I have been invited to a video interview with Baker McKenzie but I also have a training contract interview in the same period and I am working full time.

Do you think I could email Baker McKenzie for an extension or do you think this is likely to reflect badly on me?
Thank you!

If it is a pre recorded interview that you can do in your own time, I suspect you will just need to complete it within the timeframes given. It would only be if it is a set time/date that clashes with your TC interview that I would ask for an extension.

 

[LegalNim]

Hi @Jessica Booker
I've been emailed three times now by Hogan Lovells encouraging me to apply to them. I've previously visited the firm (years ago) and decided that it's just not the firm for me (they didn't do anything wrong, it was a completely intangible feeling that I just couldn't see myself working there). However, when I visited them, I had a different name and a different email address (I got married and changed everything). I have no idea where they got my email address because I obviously don't publish it.
I'm curious whether application systems like Apply4Law provide information to graduate recruitment from firms you haven't applied to and whether it's normal for firms to actively seek out candidates.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi @Jessica Booker
I've been emailed three times now by Hogan Lovells encouraging me to apply to them. I've previously visited the firm (years ago) and decided that it's just not the firm for me (they didn't do anything wrong, it was a completely intangible feeling that I just couldn't see myself working there). However, when I visited them, I had a different name and a different email address (I got married and changed everything). I have no idea where they got my email address because I obviously don't publish it.
I'm curious whether application systems like Apply4Law provide information to graduate recruitment from firms you haven't applied to and whether it's normal for firms to actively seek out candidates.

If they do, you would have to sign a disclaimer allowing them to do it.

Sounds unlikely in my opinion though.

just ask them to remove you from their database if you don’t want correspondence from them.

 

[Matt_96]

Hi Jessica,

I understand from looking at the Reed Smith thread that I will probably be sent the following research question to answer, which looks pretty challenging, and I have a few questions about how to approach it:

'Taking into account the firm's core values and drawing on any examples you have from your experiences, would you feel confident enough to challenge your colleagues if they were carrying out a process incorrectly?'

Firstly, do you think that the way this is phrased means that I should be doing multiple small examples rather than one big example? I don't know how long the word limit is yet, but in all of RS's other questions, it is 250 words.

Secondly, what is a good way of going about putting a firm's values into an answer? Should I spell each value out and how I demonstrated it explicitly? Or should I try and aim to do so more implicitly just with my examples?

Really curious to hear your thoughts on this.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica,

I understand from looking at the Reed Smith thread that I will probably be sent the following research question to answer, which looks pretty challenging, and I have a few questions about how to approach it:

'Taking into account the firm's core values and drawing on any examples you have from your experiences, would you feel confident enough to challenge your colleagues if they were carrying out a process incorrectly?'

Firstly, do you think that the way this is phrased means that I should be doing multiple small examples rather than one big example? I don't know how long the word limit is yet, but in all of RS's other questions, it is 250 words.

Secondly, what is a good way of going about putting a firm's values into an answer? Should I spell each value out and how I demonstrated it explicitly? Or should I try and aim to do so more implicitly just with my examples?

Really curious to hear your thoughts on this.

To me this suggests multiple examples - this would generally make sense as I would expect in most cases one example wouldn't hit multiple values well. The examples don’t have to be direct examples of you calling out someone for not doing a process correctly.

I think it is fine to be explicit - the firm is basically asking you to do this given the question. At the same time you could be more subtle, but to me I think the firm wants to see you have done your research and know what the values are and so that shouldn’t be too subtle

 

[topsawyer]

Hi Jessica,

I hope you're well.

I have been offered a summer vac and the firm runs two sets of dates for the scheme. The other firms I'm interviewing for all have schemes which clash with the first set of dates. I was wondering if there's a slight disadvantage in doing the second (and last) scheme of the firm's cycle. As they would've offered TC places to winter vac students/summer vac 1 students, would there be extra competition for fewer places for summer vac 2 students or do firms tend to recruit more uniformly across schemes and have space for enough offers from each scheme? I'm guessing the latter but wanted to know if there's a statistical disadvantage of doing a later scheme?

Thank you and have a lovely weekend ahead!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica,

I hope you're well.

I have been offered a summer vac and the firm runs two sets of dates for the scheme. The other firms I'm interviewing for all have schemes which clash with the first set of dates. I was wondering if there's a slight disadvantage in doing the second (and last) scheme of the firm's cycle. As they would've offered TC places to winter vac students/summer vac 1 students, would there be extra competition for fewer places for summer vac 2 students or do firms tend to recruit more uniformly across schemes and have space for enough offers from each scheme? I'm guessing the latter but wanted to know if there's a statistical disadvantage of doing a later scheme?

Thank you and have a lovely weekend ahead!

Highly unlikely you will be at a disadvantage, otherwise there would be little reason in running the later scheme.

Grad Rec tend to work out how many people they have across schemes and then work out roughly how many people could be offered collectively, based on their previous year offer and acceptance rates.

They also tend to hold position back for vac schemers for this purpose, even if they have had earlier recruitment processes completed.