Ask A Graduate Recruiter Anything!

[Giovanni Figa]

Hi Jessica

For firms that recruit their trainees two years in advance am I correct in assuming the referencing will take place at the start of that period, once the offer and acceptance has taken place, rather than towards the end just before the actual training contract is about to commence?

Giovanni

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica

For firms that recruit their trainees two years in advance am I correct in assuming the referencing will take place at the start of that period, once the offer and acceptance has taken place, rather than towards the end just before the actual training contract is about to commence?

Giovanni

Not necessarily. Most likely to happen about 3-4 months before joining.

depends on what you are doing though - some firms may do the referencing earlier if they are putting you through the LPC and therefore know what you are committed to during that time.

 

[Giovanni Figa]

Not necessarily. Most likely to happen about 3-4 months before joining.

depends on what you are doing though - some firms may do the referencing earlier if they are putting you through the LPC and therefore know what you are committed to during that time.

Thanks Jessica

 

[ELA]

Hi Jessica,

If at during a video interview, a question was asked which was also part of the written application (e.g. 'Why commercial law?' or 'Why us?'), is it okay to focus on the same ideas you included in your written application? It seems logical, insofar as those were my genuine reasons, but at the same time, I worry about not adding anything new, if that makes sense.

Thanks,
Elise

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi everyone,

Anyone who has submitted an application for the crash course should have just received a link to Doodle.

The link will provide you with various time slots for us to arrange a call/meeting to discuss your application feedback - there are 15 minute slots, so please book in at a time that suits you. Times start from tomorrow morning, running all day tomorrow, Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday.

I will be at the course from around 2.45pm, so hope to meet you all, although know it will be a busy afternoon!

Please let me know if you haven't received the link to the Doodle platform.

Jess

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica,

If at during a video interview, a question was asked which was also part of the written application (e.g. 'Why commercial law?' or 'Why us?'), is it okay to focus on the same ideas you included in your written application? It seems logical, insofar as those were my genuine reasons, but at the same time, I worry about not adding anything new, if that makes sense.

Thanks,
Elise

I think it is important to bring more depth to your answers than you may have presented on your application form. It seeming like it is literally word for word might seem more that is too rehearsed/not as genuine.

The person reviewing your video interview may not have your application in front of them though - so its difficult to know how important this is/isn't.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Please can I also ask a BIG favour.

I have been getting more private messages of late, and although I am more than happy to answer them, I often feel the questions you are asking will benefit other members if they saw the answers.

If your matter is more personal, e.g. you want to talk about your individual circumstances, then it makes sense to PM me with the detail. But if your question is more generic, and could apply to other people, please could you post in this thread. Otherwise, please feel free to tag me in other threads if that is easier (it is really easy to do this - just type @Jess and my name will pop up)

I think this approach will benefit everyone; it also helps me not having to repeat things to people too!!!

 

[Jaysen]

Please can I also ask a BIG favour.

I have been getting more private messages of late, and although I am more than happy to answer them, I often feel the questions you are asking will benefit other members if they saw the answers.

If your matter is more personal, e.g. you want to talk about your individual circumstances, then it makes sense to PM me with the detail. But if your question is more generic, and could apply to other people, please could you post in this thread. Otherwise, please feel free to tag me in other threads if that is easier (it is really easy to do this - just type @Jess and my name will pop up)

I think this approach will benefit everyone; it also helps me not having to repeat things to people too!!!

I would echo this. Unfortunately I receive too many PMs that it's difficult for me to respond to them all. If it's a generic question, please post in the forum and tag me. If it's something personal or can't be answered in the forums, it would be great if you can email [email protected].

 

[Soliha]

Hi Jessica, I am sorry if this question has been already asked, but I could not find it in the thread.
'Please give details of any interests and extra-curricular activities, including any positions of responsibility or achievements'-no word limit

1. Should I just include the dates and names of extra-curricular activities? How detailed do they need to be?
2. Is it fine to give the answers in bullet points?
3. How do the positions of responsibility differ from extra curricular activities?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica, I am sorry if this question has been already asked, but I could not find it in the thread.
'Please give details of any interests and extra-curricular activities, including any positions of responsibility or achievements'-no word limit

1. Should I just include the dates and names of extra-curricular activities? How detailed do they need to be?
2. Is it fine to give the answers in bullet points?
3. How do the positions of responsibility differ from extra curricular activities?

1) yes being specific with names and dates is helpful in most instances. Otherwise saying things like “for 3 years” gives a sense of how long you did something for.

2) yes - should be fine

3) sometimes they are the same thing.

Extra curricular tends to be the things attached to your school/college/university. PoR can be things outside of that environment (eg volunteering in your local community instead). PoR also tends to be something where you have had to turn up regularly - is if you didn’t, you’d be letting people down (eg you are taking on responsibility and are therefore accountable). Extra curricular can be less demanding - and can be things like individual pursuits too (eg you like pursuing a hobby, but you are never accountable for it).

 

[tractor12]

Hey Jess, so I was wondering what sort of things you read on applications that tells you that the candidate has done extensive research on the firm, rather than just fact listing?

Also on a cover letter structured with why commercial law/why the firm/why you, is it okay to leave the first and third parts largely untouched when using it for other firms?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hey Jess, so I was wondering what sort of things you read on applications that tells you that the candidate has done extensive research on the firm, rather than just fact listing?

Also on a cover letter structured with why commercial law/why the firm/why you, is it okay to leave the first and third parts largely untouched when using it for other firms?

I don’t need to know a candidate has done extensive research. An application form is about the person not the firm.

Fact listing is not telling me anything about the applicant. It’s just telling me things about the firm that I already know (or don’t need to know). The difference between fact listing and a good application is linking it back to you - why is this relevant to you, why is it important to you etc.

I wouldn’t say “untouched” - parts of the why you may need to be modified slightly to align to what the firm is particularly recruiting. I don’t think it should be “why commercial law” though, I say it should be “why the opportunity”, although in part that will cover commercial law.

 

[tractor12]

I don’t need to know a candidate has done extensive research. An application form is about the person not the firm.

Fact listing is not telling me anything about the applicant. It’s just telling me things about the firm that I already know (or don’t need to know). The difference between fact listing and a good application is linking it back to you - why is this relevant to you, why is it important to you etc.

I wouldn’t say “untouched” - parts of the why you may need to be modified slightly to align to what the firm is particularly recruiting. I don’t think it should be “why commercial law” though, I say it should be “why the opportunity”, although in part that will cover commercial law.

Thanks Jess! I was also wondering the approximate ratios of each stage. E.g. the percentage of applications getting to the second stage, video interview to assessment centre, AC to VS etc

 

[Paralegal178]

Hi @Jessica Booker, I was just wondering whether there are any questions that grad rec are asked during an interview that you get really bored of hearing? Aside from those to which answers could have been found elsewhere. Thanks!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thanks Jess! I was also wondering the approximate ratios of each stage. E.g. the percentage of applications getting to the second stage, video interview to assessment centre, AC to VS etc

Varies massively, from firm to firm, from application cycle to application cycle, to vacancy to vacancy. I have had the same vacancy see 80% drop in applications, just because the dates clashed with other firms' schemes. An 80% of applications skews your ratios massively. Don't worry about how many people are getting through to what stage.

Firms will typically bring in somewhere from 2.5-4 x the number of candidates to final stage as they have vacancies though. That will factor in people declining offers/people no-showing at interviews etc too though.

Non-completion rates for tests and video interviews also makes ratios brought through to those stages not important.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi @Jessica Booker, I was just wondering whether there are any questions that grad rec are asked during an interview that you get really bored of hearing? Aside from those to which answers could have been found elsewhere. Thanks!

For a recruiter the questions that annoyed/bored me where when people were asking me about legal stuff. You have to know your audience first - there is little point asking partners about how secondment allocations/seat rotations work and there is little point asking a graduate recruiter what major deals the firm has worked on recently.

I sometimes would get frustrated by people trying to be too clever with their questions - for instance, they would ask a question but front-load it with something they hadn't had a chance to talk about yet, and so would tell this whole long story before asking the question.

If you are ever in doubt, ask the interviewer about their opinions/experiences of working in the firm. They have been listening to you talk for sometime, they typically don't mind talking about themselves for a little while

 

[R203]

Hi Jessica!

If the firms I am really into are technology-focused, is it right to assume that I should articulate an interest in tech in my applications? Would I have to back up my interests with experiences/events?

Thank you so much!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica!

If the firms I am really into are technology-focused, is it right to assume that I should articulate an interest in tech in my applications? Would I have to back up my interests with experiences/events?

Thank you so much!

If the firm has a clear focus on technology, you should align your answers to that.

It doesn’t necessarily have to be events. You could be someone who has self taught yourself coding and that would demonstrate a transferable skill. It doesn’t have to be a skill though, you could demonstrate your interest in knowledge instead.

 

[R203]

Thanks so much Jessica!

By transferable skills, do you also mean having done something which has built my "creativity" and therefore that enables me to align to the firm's adaptive and innovative culture?

Also, in terms of knowledge, would it be too diluted an answer if I spoke about having an interest in eg, blockchain, and that I have read widely about it and that appeals to me, therefore pursuing a career in the firm is exciting for me?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thanks so much Jessica!

By transferable skills, do you also mean having done something which has built my "creativity" and therefore that enables me to align to the firm's adaptive and innovative culture?

Also, in terms of knowledge, would it be too diluted an answer if I spoke about having an interest in eg, blockchain, and that I have read widely about it and that appeals to me, therefore pursuing a career in the firm is exciting for me?

If you are trying to discuss the firm's adaptive and innovative culture rather than technology, then yes you should think about your transferable skills in this area too.

No - that is not diluted at all - I am not sure why you think it would be.