Ask A Graduate Recruiter Anything!

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica,

Would you recommend that I provide my address and the firm's address when writing cover letters on the application portal? Or could I jump straight into it by writing Dear XYZ... ?

Thank you so much!

If it is just a text box, I wouldn't bother with these formalities - it is only if it is an uploaded word doc or PDF, I would both with these formalities.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica. I just realised that I made a mistake on an application form and accidentally over inflated my land law grade by 6% - should I email grad rec and correct the grade, or wait to see whether I progress to interview stage and then let grad rec know?

I would wait until you know whether you get the to an interview stage first and then let them know immediately.

Something like this can be looked upon pretty badly - there is a chance they could retract your interview.

 

[Emily Collett]

Hi Jessica,

I'm currently applying to Simmons & Simmons. I have a winter scheme at Travers lined up. Their form is really limited, so the only place I'd be able to mention this would be if I added it as a work experience section. A) do I want to mention it on forms before I've done it and B) would I need to put it at the top of the work experience section and just write 'I am going to sit in the X and Y department at Travers Smith for 2 weeks...'?

Thanks!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica,

I'm currently applying to Simmons & Simmons. I have a winter scheme at Travers lined up. Their form is really limited, so the only place I'd be able to mention this would be if I added it as a work experience section. A) do I want to mention it on forms before I've done it and B) would I need to put it at the top of the work experience section and just write 'I am going to sit in the X and Y department at Travers Smith for 2 weeks...'?

Thanks!

This is up to you - I would suggest it depends on whether you think you have better things to talk about (e.g. other recent legal work experience). If so, maybe don't highlight it here, so you don't have to sacrifice work experience that you can actually talk about.

If not, then I would definitely include it and describe it as you have said (although you won't need to say 2 weeks if you have to put the dates in, nor say Travers Smith if this is in any headings). If you do include it, it should definitely be your most recent entry (i.e. at the top).

The other place to put it is in "is there any further information you'd like to provide" type section (if there is one).

 

[Emily Collett]

This is up to you - I would suggest it depends on whether you think you have better things to talk about (e.g. other recent legal work experience). If so, maybe don't highlight it here, so you don't have to sacrifice work experience that you can actually talk about.

If not, then I would definitely include it and describe it as you have said (although you won't need to say 2 weeks if you have to put the dates in, nor say Travers Smith if this is in any headings). If you do include it, it should definitely be your most recent entry (i.e. at the top).

The other place to put it is in "is there any further information you'd like to provide" type section (if there is one).

Hey again,

Thanks for the advice!

Simmons & Simmons have 4 designated sections for work experience and then an 'other relevant experience' section at the bottom. Perhaps down there? Or is that inappropriate because it wouldn't be chronological...

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hey again,

Thanks for the advice!

Simmons & Simmons have 4 designated sections for work experience and then an 'other relevant experience' section at the bottom. Perhaps down there? Or is that inappropriate because it wouldn't be chronological...

have you got 4 other bits of work experience that you think are more important? If so, then put it in the last section

 

[Emily Collett]

have you got 4 other bits of work experience that you think are more important? If so, then put it in the last section

Yes I reckon so. Thank you!

 

[PSM]

well either way, it’s still a tricky question. If it is yes, you need to explain why you aren’t looking to take up that TC offer with that firm.

If no, I think it’s not appropriate to go “into detail” about your feedback, but I think it’s important to focus on one or two key areas of the feedback and then explain why or how you have moved on/developed from that.

Hi Jessica,

I was wondering why do law firms ask this? If I answer that I was not offered a TC following a vac scheme will they see this as a negative? I feel as though this is a really tricky question. There is no word limit for this and seems to be a small add on.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica,

I was wondering why do law firms ask this? If I answer that I was not offered a TC following a vac scheme will they see this as a negative? I feel as though this is a really tricky question. There is no word limit for this and seems to be a small add on.

Because they can. It’s a good question to work out if 1) the firm thought you were good enough to get an offer and 2) find out why you are motivated to drop that offer in favour of their firm or 3) work out if you weren’t suited to that firm and will be to them or 4) have worked on your development points since then

it’s not always a negative.

 

[PSM]

Because they can. It’s a good question to work out if 1) the firm thought you were good enough to get an offer and 2) find out why you are motivated to drop that offer in favour of their firm or 3) work out if you weren’t suited to that firm and will be to them or 4) have worked on your development points since then

it’s not always a negative.

Thanks Jessica

 

[R203]

Hi Jessica,

I am wondering for cover letters, could I just jump into writing? I heard sometimes the formalities such as "I am a second-year undergraduate from...." could be quite repetitive especially when we have prior boxes in address and education sections to fill and address these information.

Would it be deemed rude if I just go straight into writing why commercial law (for example)? Because there's a concern for word count as well.

Thank you so much!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica,

I am wondering for cover letters, could I just jump into writing? I heard sometimes the formalities such as "I am a second-year undergraduate from...." could be quite repetitive especially when we have prior boxes in address and education sections to fill and address these information.

Would it be deemed rude if I just go straight into writing why commercial law (for example)? Because there's a concern for word count as well.

Thank you so much!

They are repetitive if they are repeating information you have provided elsewhere in your application or CV.
I am not sure why it would be considered rude to go straight into why commercial law.

 

[Ayo Babatunde]

Hi Jessica,

Apologies if this question has already been asked before, but in the work experience section of applications I am unsure how much detail to include. For example, if the firm wanted 250 words max for each section, what would be necessary to include in let's say, a part time job compared to prior legal work experience I have had?

Thank you so much!

 

[Shane]

Hi Jessica

I applied for a 2022/23 TC with Ashurst on the 10th of October and was progressed onto the online testing stage. However I still haven’t heard back, which is unusual because the test results usually come back in a couple days. They also recruit on a rolling basis. Should I email grad rec, or just assume it’s a rejection?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica,

Apologies if this question has already been asked before, but in the work experience section of applications I am unsure how much detail to include. For example, if the firm wanted 250 words max for each section, what would be necessary to include in let's say, a part time job compared to prior legal work experience I have had?

Thank you so much!

depends on the part time job and the legal work experience.

you wouldn’t use 250 words for a very short legal work experience. You may use 250 words if you had significant or varied responsibilities in a part time job in retail.

 

[R203]

Hi Jessica!

Would the box for "Please use this space for additional information about your undergraduate degree" be an appropriate place to detail uni academic awards?

Thank you so much!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica!

Would the box for "Please use this space for additional information about your undergraduate degree" be an appropriate place to detail uni academic awards?

Thank you so much!

Of course

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thanks Jessica!
Also, just wanted to ask your thoughts on this question:


Please detail below any further information that you would like us to consider when reviewing your application in the light of the many others we receive? What makes you stand out from the crowd? (250 words)

If there were no other places in the application to highlight why I am interested in the firm, would this be a good question to elaborate and explain my interest in the firm? Thereafter, I could then perhaps do a short elevator pitch on extra-curricular that I have not wrote about?

Also, in the elevator pitch, could I touch on the same work experiences and volunteer experiences that I have written about elsewhere in the application, but using them holistically to sell an attribute about me?

Thank you so much Jessica!

I don’t think this approach is the right one.

I’m in two minds about the first part though.

It clearly isn’t what the question is asking you, but if there is no motivational answer at all in the application then it may make sense to link the “what is unique about you” part to your motivations, but it WILL have to be linked back to you and why this would make you stand out from the rest of applicants (eg it’s got to be an answer the vast majority of other applicants can’t/won’t write).

This section is not about talking about things you a have already mentioned though. If you want to list other extra curriculars that make you “stand out” then I am concerned you are not highlighting/including them in the relevant section. If you are just listing them out in this subsequent section as you ran out of word count in a previous section, I’d work out how to reword it to include it on the first.

 

[R203]

Thanks so much Jessica!

What if the application (Hogan Lovells) have no section to write about extra-curricular, meaning they only provided work experience, volunteering and open day boxes only?

Thank you so much!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thanks so much Jessica!

What if the application (Hogan Lovells) have no section to write about extra-curricular, meaning they only provided work experience, volunteering and open day boxes only?

Thank you so much!

Then they don’t care about extra curriculars, so they don’t want to hear about them.