Ask A Graduate Recruiter Anything!

[Lastseasonwonder]

If you are talking about it as a topic rather than trying to show your skill set developed from mentoring, then yes.

This question is designed to show your knowledge in a topic and ability the write succinctly but informatively about it, rather than show your skill set from the activity/situation.

Ok, I understand what you mean. Thanks, @Jessica Booker.

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

Hello @Jessica Booker hope you are doing well. If we are looking for news articles related to a certain firm on the Law Society Gazette, basically to read more about initiatives that the firm might have taken or any major decisions that the partners would've taken for example, removing individual target hours etc. How many years should we go back in time so that if we pick an initiative and like to talk about it, it should sound recent and not ancient.

Thanks.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hello @Jessica Booker hope you are doing well. If we are looking for news articles related to a certain firm on the Law Society Gazette, basically to read more about initiatives that the firm might have taken or any major decisions that the partners would've taken for example, removing individual target hours etc. How many years should we go back in time so that if we pick an initiative and like to talk about it, it should sound recent and not ancient.

Thanks.

I think you can go back quite far as long as you know that initiative or action is still in place.

 

[corplaw0702]

Hi @Jessica Booker Hope you're doing well, I wanted to ask if it was appropriate to take notes when a partner/associate is answering my questions in an interview?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi @Jessica Booker Hope you're doing well, I wanted to ask if it was appropriate to take notes when a partner/associate is answering my questions in an interview?

You can make notes, but try to keep them to shorthand. You want to still be managing eye contact with them rather than focused on writing down every word they say.

Most people don’t do this though, so it isn’t something you have to do. I know some people often download their thoughts on the interview directly after the interview rather than trying to do it within it.

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

Hello @Jessica Booker hope you are doing well. I had two questions for you:

1- If a firm has tier-1 practices across Corporate, Finance and Disputes and I can't really show an interest in the Finance work (but I still want to be open to experiencing it because I've heard multiple stories of trainees where they thought that they'd absolutely hate something but loved it once they got that seat), should I fake an interest in the Finance work or should I be honest that even though I haven't experienced it, I might end up liking it because I've talked to a lot of trainees who ended up liking departments that they thought they'd hate.

2. For the "How many firms have you applied to..", can we say that we've applied to X,Y, Z but also wanted to apply to firm D but sadly they don't have a direct TC route?

3. For the "How many firms have you applied to..", can we say that we want to apply to firm P but they haven't opened their apps yet.

4. Lastly, for the same question again, if we are being interviewed by an MC firm, and we say that we've applied to this US firm as well because of practice area strengths, would that be okay? I don't know much about the actual differences between US and UK firms but I'm worried that barring the practice area strengths, there might be a lot of differences between the US and the UK firms and the interviewers might feel that I've tried taking a scattershot approach.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hello @Jessica Booker hope you are doing well. I had two questions for you:

1- If a firm has tier-1 practices across Corporate, Finance and Disputes and I can't really show an interest in the Finance work (but I still want to be open to experiencing it because I've heard multiple stories of trainees where they thought that they'd absolutely hate something but loved it once they got that seat), should I fake an interest in the Finance work or should I be honest that even though I haven't experienced it, I might end up liking it because I've talked to a lot of trainees who ended up liking departments that they thought they'd hate.

2. For the "How many firms have you applied to..", can we say that we've applied to X,Y, Z but also wanted to apply to firm D but sadly they don't have a direct TC route?

3. For the "How many firms have you applied to..", can we say that we want to apply to firm P but they haven't opened their apps yet.

4. Lastly, for the same question again, if we are being interviewed by an MC firm, and we say that we've applied to this US firm as well because of practice area strengths, would that be okay? I don't know much about the actual differences between US and UK firms but I'm worried that barring the practice area strengths, there might be a lot of differences between the US and the UK firms and the interviewers might feel that I've tried taking a scattershot approach.

Thanks in advance.

1) no - you don’t need to fake interest in one practice area.

2) you could just write it as “I will apply to” - you don’t really have explain the technicalities of other firm’s application deadlines or opportunities. If you haven’t got a method of applying to that firm, then I wouldn’t include them.

3) as above.

4) yes - that is very common. I advise against labelling up firms as U.K. or US firms anyway, as that often is a too basic comparison. Some US firms will be more similar to U.K. firms than their US counterparts and vice versa.

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

1) no - you don’t need to fake interest in one practice area.

2) you could just write it as “I will apply to” - you don’t really have explain the technicalities of other firm’s application deadlines or opportunities. If you haven’t got a method of applying to that firm, then I wouldn’t include them.

3) as above.

4) yes - that is very common. I advise against labelling up firms as U.K. or US firms anyway, as that often is a too basic comparison. Some US firms will be more similar to U.K. firms than their US counterparts and vice versa.

Just a follow up for Q1- I understood that we don't need to fake an interest but can we be honest and say that even though I haven't experienced it, I might end up liking it because I've talked to a lot of trainees who ended up liking departments that they thought they'd hate.

 

[ilovetheDLR]

Hi @Jessica Booker - if I have a TC lined up for 2024, can I do an internship in the 2022 and 2023 summers to help me financially? And can these internships be at Investment Banks that offer grad roles?

 

[sakaesr99]

Hi @Jessica Booker - can things from work experience be classified as positions of responsibility? I.e. writing for a newsletter during an internship which you haven't mentioned under the work experience section

 

[Jessica Booker]

Just a follow up for Q1- I understood that we don't need to fake an interest but can we be honest and say that even though I haven't experienced it, I might end up liking it because I've talked to a lot of trainees who ended up liking departments that they thought they'd hate.

You wouldn’t focus on the negative aspect. You could just say you think you would be interested in it given conversations you have had with trainees who have sat in that area - you’d need to substantiate this with the detail of what they said that made you think this though.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi @Jessica Booker - if I have a TC lined up for 2024, can I do an internship in the 2022 and 2023 summers to help me financially? And can these internships be at Investment Banks that offer grad roles?

Yes, you can work ahead of starting your TC.

 

[Lawgrad]

Hey @Jessica Booker! I was just wondering, if you have a first overall in your degree but not a consistent first throughout, will this hurt your application for training contracts? I wouldn’t say my grades throughout my 3 years were consistent, but they did consistently increase with each term’s exams! I just know a lot of firms want to see consistency and worry that although a good overall grade, may not be what they want to see.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi @Jessica Booker - can things from work experience be classified as positions of responsibility? I.e. writing for a newsletter during an internship which you haven't mentioned under the work experience section

I personally wouldn’t do that. It’s best to keep the sections separate.

The difference is if you take on extra curriculars at work (eg you are part of an internal network, or your fundraise for charity, you get involved in one of the employer’s sports/social clubs, you get involved in CSR projects/initiatives).

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hey @Jessica Booker! I was just wondering, if you have a first overall in your degree but not a consistent first throughout, will this hurt your application for training contracts? I wouldn’t say my grades throughout my 3 years were consistent, but they did consistently increase with each term’s exams! I just know a lot of firms want to see consistency and worry that although a good overall grade, may not be what they want to see.

Most firms will actually look for a trajectory rather than consistency, so from what you have said, there are positives unless your first year grades were very low.

 

[Aspiring Solicitor 007]

Hi @Jessica Booker , I've seen some applications include a checkbox list of 'resources you have referred to during research'. Could you please explain what the question is trying to assess?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi @Jessica Booker , I've seen some applications include a checkbox list of 'resources you have referred to during research'. Could you please explain what the question is trying to assess?

It’s not trying to assess anything regarding you as an applicant. It’s trying to assess the success of their different marketing approaches across the entire applicant pool. It helps firms work out where to put their money/time into next year’s attraction and marketing campaign.

 

[Aspiring Solicitor 007]

It’s not trying to assess anything regarding you as an applicant. It’s trying to assess the success of their different marketing approaches across the entire applicant pool. It helps firms work out where to put their money/time into next year’s attraction and marketing campaign.

Thank you!

 

[michal98]

Hello @Jessica Booker! Hope you're well.

I have a question in regard to the Norton Rose Fulbright vacation scheme application form. The work experience section consists of four spots for including work experience, and then there is a text box for "additional work experience". Can I used the "additional work experience" box to mention my positions of responsibility (president of uni society, etc.) or should I keep it "work experience" related (open days, volunteering, etc.)?

Thank you very much!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hello @Jessica Booker! Hope you're well.

I have a question in regard to the Norton Rose Fulbright vacation scheme application form. The work experience section consists of four spots for including work experience, and then there is a text box for "additional work experience". Can I used the "additional work experience" box to mention my positions of responsibility (president of uni society, etc.) or should I keep it "work experience" related (open days, volunteering, etc.)?

Thank you very much!

No - it should just be for work experience. Your positions of responsibility at university will be extra curriculars