Ask A Graduate Recruiter Anything!

[Jessica Booker]

Hello @Jessica Booker hope you are doing well. Could you please tell me, is it okay to talk about the achievements in the Freshfields' cover letter if we have already listed them in the "scholarships/awards etc." section? Obviously, I will go into a lot more detail in the cover letter.

Thanks.

I personally wouldn’t do this - you obviously can but I think it’s just unnecessary repetition. I don’t think the detail is really needed in the vast majority of instances, especially with the limited word counts.

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

I personally wouldn’t do this - you obviously can but I think it’s just unnecessary repetition. I don’t think the detail is really needed in the vast majority of instances, especially with the limited word counts.

I'm sorry I think I couldn't really put it clearly. What I meant was that, if "Secured third place in XYZ College Legal Opinion Writing Competition" is written as an achievement in the 100-word question that asks for a list of achievements, can I say "I have the ability to break down complex information in an accessible way which is evident from my performance at the XYZ Legal Opinion Writing Competition" in my 800-word cover letter? In the achievement box, I'm simply listing down the achievement but in the 800-word cover letter, I'm talking about what skill I developed from the contest and the result just corroborates that I really did develop that skill. I'm aware that I'm still repeating the name of the contest which is totally useless but how can I put it any differently, I just don't understand.

Thanks.

 

[Jessica Booker]

I'm sorry I think I couldn't really put it clearly. What I meant was that, if "Secured third place in XYZ College Legal Opinion Writing Competition" is written as an achievement in the 100-word question that asks for a list of achievements, can I say "I have the ability to break down complex information in an accessible way which is evident from my performance at the XYZ Legal Opinion Writing Competition" in my 800-word cover letter? In the achievement box, I'm simply listing down the achievement but in the 800-word cover letter, I'm talking about what skill I developed from the contest and the result just corroborates that I really did develop that skill. I'm aware that I'm still repeating the name of the contest which is totally useless but how can I put it any differently, I just don't understand.

Thanks.

It was put clearly. My point still stands based on the above.

1) I don’t think you need to claim the skill - it’s likely to be obvious

2) Its unnecessary repetition

3) It will stop you from detailing more variety in your statement.

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

It was put clearly. My point still stands based on the above.

1) I don’t think you need to claim the skill - it’s likely to be obvious

2) Its unnecessary repetition

3) It will stop you from detailing more variety in your statement.

What should I do if I really want to make use of the achievements that I've put in my 100-word answer, in my cover letter, and I don't have other achievements either? This isn't just about the opinion writing but there was a contract drafting contest too that I did well in and that I want to use to add details in my cover letter. I'm a little stuck here. If I remove these achievements from that question, I wouldn't be able to meet the 100 word requirement since I don't have that many achievements.

 

[Jessica Booker]

What should I do if I really want to make use of the achievements that I've put in my 100-word answer, in my cover letter, and I don't have other achievements either? This isn't just about the opinion writing but there was a contract drafting contest too that I did well in and that I want to use to add details in my cover letter. I'm a little stuck here. If I remove these achievements from that question, I wouldn't be able to meet the 100 word requirement since I don't have that many achievements.

I can only give you my advice here and what I would do. Ultimately it is your personal statement and if you want to include it, you should.

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

I can only give you my advice here and what I would do. Ultimately it is your personal statement and if you want to include it, you should.

Thanks a lot.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thanks a lot.

Tagging in @James Carrabino , @George Maxwell and @AvniD for their views - they may have a different perspective on this.

 

[Lauren]

I was wondering how to go about answering the interview question 'where do you see yourself in 10 years?'. This is a question I struggled with in an interview last year so I am keen to have a really strong answer this time around.

Should I focus on a particular area of law I am interested in and would like to practice in or more long term goals like senior associate? Or equally should I mention more unique characteristics to the firm such as innovation/tech?

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

I was wondering how to go about answering the interview question 'where do you see yourself in 10 years?'. This is a question I struggled with in an interview last year so I am keen to have a really strong answer this time around.

Should I focus on a particular area of law I am interested in and would like to practice in or more long term goals like senior associate? Or equally should I mention more unique characteristics to the firm such as innovation/tech?

I think rather than simply saying that you'd want to be a senior associate, you should also touch on what aspects of the seniority appeal to you. Basically, what it is that you will enjoy doing once you get to that level.

Also, I believe that showing your interest in a particular area might backfire because you'd still have to do the rest of the seats during your TC and maybe it will give them the impression that you'd hate those seats.

 

[Jessica Booker]

I was wondering how to go about answering the interview question 'where do you see yourself in 10 years?'. This is a question I struggled with in an interview last year so I am keen to have a really strong answer this time around.

Should I focus on a particular area of law I am interested in and would like to practice in or more long term goals like senior associate? Or equally should I mention more unique characteristics to the firm such as innovation/tech?

This is about you, not really about the firm so I don't think you have to draw out specific characteristics to the firm unless they are truly aligned to what you want to achieve.

My advice is not to be too prescriptive or seem completely inflexible though. Very few people ten years into their careers would know where their careers would take them. There is a lot of variables that often mean being open-minded to opportunities is a key ingredient to career success.

The key for this question is thinking about what is going to be important to you to keep you happy, healthy and motivated at work. That will be different things for different people - with one person it could be the practice area, for the next it could be career progression, for the next it could be a unique characteristic, for other people they will answer this with aspects outside of work as well as those within it. Therefore I don't think you should try to "fit" your answer into what you think a firm is looking for, just think about showing your aspirations to the best of your abilities.

 

[AvniD]

What should I do if I really want to make use of the achievements that I've put in my 100-word answer, in my cover letter, and I don't have other achievements either? This isn't just about the opinion writing but there was a contract drafting contest too that I did well in and that I want to use to add details in my cover letter. I'm a little stuck here. If I remove these achievements from that question, I wouldn't be able to meet the 100 word requirement since I don't have that many achievements.

I'm sorry I think I couldn't really put it clearly. What I meant was that, if "Secured third place in XYZ College Legal Opinion Writing Competition" is written as an achievement in the 100-word question that asks for a list of achievements, can I say "I have the ability to break down complex information in an accessible way which is evident from my performance at the XYZ Legal Opinion Writing Competition" in my 800-word cover letter? In the achievement box, I'm simply listing down the achievement but in the 800-word cover letter, I'm talking about what skill I developed from the contest and the result just corroborates that I really did develop that skill. I'm aware that I'm still repeating the name of the contest which is totally useless but how can I put it any differently, I just don't understand.

Thanks.

Hi @futuretraineesolicitor, I hope you're well! I had the same dilemma as you when I was making applications and realised that thinking outside the box for my cover letter when my application already states my more obvious/attention-grabbing achievements helped me resolve this.

For example, if you want to talk about your ability to break down complex information in an accessible way, try thinking of instances where you have done this in a group project, volunteering, as a member of society, while organising an event, in your part-time job etc instead of just the competition you secured third place in.

If you're not able to talk about a competency/skill with the evidence you would like to mention without risking repetition, then I would encourage you to find other competencies/skills that match the firm's criteria and elaborate on that through the evidence that you have. Usually, firms list these on their website or mention them more generally in the sections where they elaborate on what the training contract/vacations scheme entails.

The only situation in which I would repeat information I have mentioned elsewhere in my application is if I am providing new context. So if you've mentioned that you won XYZ competition and honed your teamwork skills through it, I would only mention XYZ again if you talk about something new, like how you demonstrated your creativity through it.

Lastly, I would be careful about stating achievements and related skills and leaving it up to the reader to deduce how they're linked. When I worked as a journalist, it was obvious that being creative was a big part of my career, but how I applied that creativity, in conjunction with my other skills, was up to me to demonstrate to the reader/interviewer, and I wish I learnt that earlier in the application process.

I really hope this helps! 😇

 

[Lauren]

This is about you, not really about the firm so I don't think you have to draw out specific characteristics to the firm unless they are truly aligned to what you want to achieve.

My advice is not to be too prescriptive or seem completely inflexible though. Very few people ten years into their careers would know where their careers would take them. There is a lot of variables that often mean being open-minded to opportunities is a key ingredient to career success.

The key for this question is thinking about what is going to be important to you to keep you happy, healthy and motivated at work. That will be different things for different people - with one person it could be the practice area, for the next it could be career progression, for the next it could be a unique characteristic, for other people they will answer this with aspects outside of work as well as those within it. Therefore I don't think you should try to "fit" your answer into what you think a firm is looking for, just think about showing your aspirations to the best of your abilities.

Thank you!

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

Hi @futuretraineesolicitor, I hope you're well! I had the same dilemma as you when I was making applications and realised that thinking outside the box for my cover letter when my application already states my more obvious/attention-grabbing achievements helped me resolve this.

For example, if you want to talk about your ability to break down complex information in an accessible way, try thinking of instances where you have done this in a group project, volunteering, as a member of society, while organising an event, in your part-time job etc instead of just the competition you secured third place in.

If you're not able to talk about a competency/skill with the evidence you would like to mention without risking repetition, then I would encourage you to find other competencies/skills that match the firm's criteria and elaborate on that through the evidence that you have. Usually, firms list these on their website or mention them more generally in the sections where they elaborate on what the training contract/vacations scheme entails.

The only situation in which I would repeat information I have mentioned elsewhere in my application is if I am providing new context. So if you've mentioned that you won XYZ competition and honed your teamwork skills through it, I would only mention XYZ again if you talk about something new, like how you demonstrated your creativity through it.

Lastly, I would be careful about stating achievements and related skills and leaving it up to the reader to deduce how they're linked. When I worked as a journalist, it was obvious that being creative was a big part of my career, but how I applied that creativity, in conjunction with my other skills, was up to me to demonstrate to the reader/interviewer, and I wish I learnt that earlier in the application process.

I really hope this helps! 😇

This was super helpful, thanks for taking out the time to go into this much detail, Avni!

 

[AvniD]

This was super helpful, thanks for taking out the time to go into this much detail, Avni!

Not a problem- glad to be of help! 😊

 

[Lawyerwithadream]

Hi @Jessica Booker, I recently submitted an application and did not input the results of the skills exams for the LPC (competent grade) - will that present an issue? I did upload the transcript but not sure if they may regard that as an inconsistency in my application since they were not listed in the education section. Shall I contact them?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi @Jessica Booker, I recently submitted an application and did not input the results of the skills exams for the LPC (competent grade) - will that present an issue? I did upload the transcript but not sure if they may regard that as an inconsistency in my application since they were not listed in the education section. Shall I contact them?

It is fine. You can just update them if you are invited to interview.

 

[Lawyerwithadream]

It is fine. You can just update them if you are invited to interview.

Thanks Jessica

 

[anon123456789]

For a 300 word 'what skills can you bring to the role' question, how many skills do you think I should detail? I was thinking about three in-depth at 100 words per point but I wasn't sure if that's enough?

 

[Jessica Booker]

For a 300 word 'what skills can you bring to the role' question, how many skills do you think I should detail? I was thinking about three in-depth at 100 words per point but I wasn't sure if that's enough?

If you can be super concise you might find you can squeeze in another one to get it to 4 or you might find you are able to combine two skills if they are connected. But I would expect 3-5 for this type of question and word limit.

 

[anon123456789]

If you can be super concise you might find you can squeeze in another one to get it to 4 or you might find you are able to combine two skills if they are connected. But I would expect 3-5 for this type of question and word limit.

Thank you!