Ask A Graduate Recruiter Anything!

[Jessica Booker]

Hi @Jessica Booker

Sorry for yet another A-level-related question.

I took three A-levels many, many years ago. While I passed them all, I did poorly by law firms' standards (and I had no mitigating circumstances). I did go on to university to take a non-law degree, graduating with a first.

Earlier this year, I took exams in three completely different A-level subjects as a self-taught private candidate and achieved three A*s. I am now about to begin a second undergraduate degree (though again not in law) at an Oxbridge university.

For firms with strict A-level requirements, would my new A-level results supersede my old ones, or would they be discounted/considered resits?

Many thanks.

It will be rare for recruiters to see this - usually retakes will be done the year after A-levels, typically the same subject, and/or only for 1-2 subjects at a time rather than all of them.

Given this, it's hard to know how a firm may make a call on this - probably because many recruiters will never have seen this before (I can't ever remember seeing this before).

I think the best process would be to contact any firm with a strict A-level criteria you want to apply to and explain the circumstances (as briefly as you have above) and ask whether they would consider your first or second set of results. For any firm with no A-level criteria, you can just apply anyway.

However, you should disclose both sets of results (mainly because someone will think you have put the wrong year in if you just put your second results in) and to make sure you are fully disclosing your academic results (rather than being at a risk of a suggestion you are hiding the earlier results).

If I was the recruiter, I would personally go with being far more interested in the second results, but only because they were sat at the same time and were in completely different subjects.

However, this is quirky - for instance, I might be more concerned with your second A-level results if your first undergraduate degree subject corresponds with the A-level subjects you studied.

If you get to interview, also be prepared to also answer a lot of questions as to why you retook all of your A-levels and chose to do another full undergraduate degree. Many people will question the logic of dedicating 4-6 more years to your studies.

 

[Wired4759]

Brilliant, thank you so much, Jessica. That is very helpful.

 

[futuretraineecity]

Hi Jess, I have a question about disclosing reasonable adjustments to interviewers. Would it be okay to drop you a DM about this? @Jessica Booker

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jess, I have a question about disclosing reasonable adjustments to interviewers. Would it be okay to drop you a DM about this? @Jessica Booker

Of course - not a problem at all.

 

[edc2022]

Hi Jessica,

I have accepted a TC but I am yet to go through a pre employment check.

I have been working as a paralegal for over 3 years. Before that, I studied an LLM but I did not complete it (I completed all my exams but not my dissertation as I had to find a job and I simply could not find the time to do the dissertation after I started my paralegal role). So instead my uni awarded me a post graduate diploma rather than a master. On my TC application, I did not disclose this on the post graduate studies part on my application because I feel that this information is optional unlike results for A level and undergraduate degree,

Do I need to put my postgraduate studies down when I do the pre employment check? I am also wondering whether graduate recruitment will be concerned by this? I have a 1st/Distinction for my LLB/LPC so I don't think academic ability will be an issue.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica,

I have accepted a TC but I am yet to go through a pre employment check.

I have been working as a paralegal for over 3 years. Before that, I studied an LLM but I did not complete it (I completed all my exams but not my dissertation as I had to find a job and I simply could not find the time to do the dissertation after I started my paralegal role). So instead my uni awarded me a post graduate diploma rather than a master. On my TC application, I did not disclose this on the post graduate studies part on my application because I feel that this information is optional unlike results for A level and undergraduate degree,

Do I need to put my postgraduate studies down when I do the pre employment check? I am also wondering whether graduate recruitment will be concerned by this? I have a 1st/Distinction for my LLB/LPC so I don't think academic ability will be an issue.

Did you include it in your initial application for the TC?

 

[edc2022]

Did you include it in your initial application for the TC?

No I didn't

 

[Jessica Booker]

No I didn't

I would include it in your checks anyway - you can state it is a PGD - that won’t be seen as a bad thing.

It also ensures any time out of employment was accounted for (assuming you were studying full time until your paralegal role kicked in?).

 

[edc2022]

I would include it in your checks anyway - you can state it is a PGD - that won’t be seen as a bad thing.

It also ensures any time out of employment was accounted for (assuming you were studying full time until your paralegal role kicked in?).

Thanks Jessica.

So the fact that I didn't put PGD on my initial TC application won't be viewed negatively by graduate recruitment?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thanks Jessica.

So the fact that I didn't put PGD on my initial TC application won't be viewed negatively by graduate recruitment?

I don't think so - plus it isn't false information (for instance there might have been a problem if you claimed it as an LLM), its just excluded information.

I do think it is best to include it going forward, especially as you may be asked what you did in the period of time you were studying for the course.

 

[Lastseasonwonder]

Hi @Jessica Booker,

If I am rejected from a law firm for a paralegal position, does this affect my application to the same firm for a vacation scheme/training contract? I would assume not as the two roles are different and so ask for different qualities - as you know some paralegal roles are quite specific with experience requirements for example. With that said, I feel like it puts me in a negative shade from the recruiter's mindset as I have applied and been rejected before. What do you think?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi @Jessica Booker,

If I am rejected from a law firm for a paralegal position, does this affect my application to the same firm for a vacation scheme/training contract? I would assume not as the two roles are different and so ask for different qualities - as you know some paralegal roles are quite specific with experience requirements for example. With that said, I feel like it puts me in a negative shade from the recruiter's mindset as I have applied and been rejected before. What do you think?

I don’t think it’s an issue at all.

 

[Lastseasonwonder]

Hi @Jessica Booker,

Slaughter & May require a cover letter as part of their application. I usually include my full name, number and e-mail at the top, but is this necessary when applying to S&M?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi @Jessica Booker,

Slaughter & May require a cover letter as part of their application. I usually include my full name, number and e-mail at the top, but is this necessary when applying to S&M?

No - it’s not necessary to do this. We have seen successful applications without this. As this information is typically on your CV as well, it doesn’t need to be duplicated (and your name will also be on the cover letter sign off).

 

[Lastseasonwonder]

No - it’s not necessary to do this. We have seen successful applications without this. As this information is typically on your CV as well, it doesn’t need to be duplicated (and your name will also be on the cover letter sign off).

Sorry @Jessica Booker, I have realised that I wrote my intended question incorrectly - I meant to say CV.
So:

Slaughter & May require a CV as part of their application. I usually include my full name, number and e-mail at the top of my CV, but is this necessary for the CV I send to S&M?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Sorry @Jessica Booker, I have realised that I wrote my intended question incorrectly - I meant to say CV.
So:

Slaughter & May require a CV as part of their application. I usually include my full name, number and e-mail at the top of my CV, but is this necessary for the CV I send to S&M?

I would include your name, contact telephone number and email address as a minimum - you don't need to include your address.

 

[Lastseasonwonder]

Hi @Jessica Booker,

I have been contacted by a recruiter (from an agency I previously signed up with) about a role, which interested me, so the recruiter is going to send my CV (along with others obviously) to the firm. I saw an advert for the same role today on LinkedIn, which left me curious:

(1) If the recruiter at the firm has outsourced initial screening to an agency, why advertise the role and have a direct application for it? Just more apps that way?

(2) Also, I feel inclined to apply to the role directly even though the agency recruiter is going to send my CV to the firm. What do you think?

 

[Jessica Booker]

1) Because you have to pay the recruiter for anyone you hire via them, you don't if someone applies directly. Using a recruiter typically guarantees you quality of shortlisted candidates though if you are concerned your direct applicants weren't going to meet your requirements.

2) If the recruiter has confirmed they are putting you forward, then don't apply directly. If they haven't confirmed they put you forward, then apply directly. One of the easiest ways to annoy a recruiter is to agree you will be put forward and then for you to apply directly (because they have put the work into recommending you but may not get their commission because you have applied directly).

 

[Crystal86]

Hi @Jessica Booker

This is probably firm-specific, but who tends to have the final say regarding which candidates should be offered a vacation scheme or training contract - is it graduate recruitment that assesses the feedback from the interviewers and then decides the outcome, or is it the partners who interview you who make the final decision?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi @Jessica Booker

This is probably firm-specific, but who tends to have the final say regarding which candidates should be offered a vacation scheme or training contract - is it graduate recruitment that assesses the feedback from the interviewers and then decides the outcome, or is it the partners who interview you who make the final decision?

It’s very rarely individual interviewers or partners - this may happen if the firm is very small and the firm as a whole has decided to leave the hiring decisions to one partner. But in those instances, the partner would have to be heavily involved in all the interviews. It can’t be multiple partners making the decision (eg each partner who interviews each candidate) as this could lead to over or under offering. Therefore typically graduate recruitment are the ones reviewing the feedback and making a decision and informing the interviewers what the decision will be. But they are informed by the feedback and scores given by the lawyers (and other people) who have assessed the candidate - they are not making these decisions without insight from others. They are often just calibrating that feedback and checking people are not making decisions (either way) lightly.

9 times out of 10 it’s a very straight forward decision for the graduate recruitment team to make, especially if someone is not successful. Often the evidence from the assessments is compelling one way or another and the Grad Rec team just inform all the assessors of their view of the outcome.

In some instances, graduate recruitment will speak with all the assessors a candidates has been assessed by and there is a discussion about the candidate with everyone involved. This typically happens if there is a strong performance but maybe a potential red flag (or two).

In some instances, typically when there is a small trainee intake, you get all the assessors together to discuss all the candidates and make a decision with everyone involved in the conversation to try and find the very best candidates.