Ask A Graduate Recruiter Anything!

[Jessica Booker]

Hi @Jessica Booker, I was wondering if graduate recruitment sometimes consider the institution where you have received your grades from when assessing candidates' application.

I obtained a First in my law degree at a RG University (but one that is slightly lower ranked on the league tables). I've been told by some individuals that a First at my university does not equate to a first at UCL or LSE, and will therefore not be as well regarded had I received my grades at a higher-ranked University. This has been rather demoralising. I was wondering what are your thoughts on this?

the people you have spoken to don’t know what they are talking about. It’s fear mongering born from speculation, rumour and malice, typically to try and elevate the individuals of people at the institutions that are supposedly better - ignore it.

1) There aren’t 100s of LSE/UCL grads with a first applying to firms. The idea that firms can rely on selecting out other RG unis is absurd

2) firms aren’t just looking at academics. Plenty of first class UCL/LSE grads will be unsuccessful in the recruitment process even when they do apply

 

[Jessica Booker]

Sorry if I am a little slow in responding over the next week! 1) I’m trying to prioritise some owed application forms (sorry for those still waiting) and 2) I’m in the middle of the Indian Ocean for the next 7 days

 

[Jessica Booker]

I start the LPC in Feb 2020 and am looking to move to London next month as a result. My firm gives the standard maintenance grant but I haven't heard from them about when I can expect to receive the grant. It would be ideal for me if it was paid out before I move to London... Thus, would you happen to know when maintenance grants are typically paid out (I can foresee that this probably varies per firm - but is it generally before the LPC begins at least)?

Thank you.

just contact them and explain your circumstances. When they pay it is very much down to each firm, but they can often flex things like when they pay it to support incoming trainees.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica,

Thanks for this!
If I use my work experience in the PoR section, should I also list the additional responsibilities I was given in the work experience section and expand on them in the PoR section? Or leave them solely for the PoR section?

Thanks,

Judy

no avoid any repetition. You can include it in either section if the positions of responsibility are outside of your day job, but where you put it, is up to you.

 

[Konstantinos]

Hi @Jessica Booker , I had a question about Linklaters' TC application form. We are only allowed to include 3 work experience entries, and I am not sure what to prioritise: an entry on 10 open days/workshops at commercial law firms (including one at Linklaters), or a month-long law-related (but not commercial law-related) internship?

Edit: my first two entries will be on internships at commercial law firms, if that makes any difference.

Thank you!

 

[Lawyerwithadream]

no avoid any repetition. You can include it in either section if the positions of responsibility are outside of your day job, but where you put it, is up to you.

Thanks Jessica. Much appreciated

 

[Kelvin]

just contact them and explain your circumstances. When they pay it is very much down to each firm, but they can often flex things like when they pay it to support incoming trainees.

I don't really like the idea of hounding them for the money and it's not life or death, so I guess I'll just wait it out. Thanks (and enjoy your holiday!)

 

[Jaysen]

I start the LPC in Feb 2020 and am looking to move to London next month as a result. My firm gives the standard maintenance grant but I haven't heard from them about when I can expect to receive the grant. It would be ideal for me if it was paid out before I move to London... Thus, would you happen to know when maintenance grants are typically paid out (I can foresee that this probably varies per firm - but is it generally before the LPC begins at least)?

Thank you.

For reference, I believe we were paid once term started (but it has been a while!). If you did need it earlier, I wouldn't actually worry too much about asking, I doubt it's much trouble for them!

 

[Lumree]

Hi Jessica,

Would recruiters view vacation scheme applications from those with a lot of legal experience differently?

 

[Kelvin]

For reference, I believe we were paid once term started (but it has been a while!). If you did need it earlier, I wouldn't actually worry too much about asking, I doubt it's much trouble for them!

Thanks!

 

[Giulia]

Hi Jessica, Thank you for helping us!!

My questions are the following:

One of my grades (55.5%) is currently under appeal and the Law Department at my uni is unlikely to share the result with me before the applications' deadlines come up.

Would you suggest me to:
1. Write down the grade and then note in the relevant box that the grade is currently under appeal? If so, would you also mention why I appealed?
2. Write down something like "pending" and then explain in the relevant box?

Similarly, I have mitigating circumstances which apply to exams I have taken in my first year as well as in my second year (to both high and low grades) but they are very different in nature. How would you advise me to proceed when explaining them in the relevant box in terms of priority, detail etc.? I believe that I am in a very peculiar circumstance so I have to make sure that the recruiter does not think I am making things up!

Thank you for reading this, I really appreciate it!!
Giulia

 

[Helena]

Sorry if I am a little slow in responding over the next week! 1) I’m trying to prioritise some owed application forms (sorry for those still waiting) and 2) I’m in the middle of the Indian Ocean for the next 7 days

Enjoy! Well deserved.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi @Jessica Booker , I had a question about Linklaters' TC application form. We are only allowed to include 3 work experience entries, and I am not sure what to prioritise: an entry on 10 open days/workshops at commercial law firms (including one at Linklaters), or a month-long law-related (but not commercial law-related) internship?

Edit: my first two entries will be on internships at commercial law firms, if that makes any difference.

Thank you!

the month long internship

 

[Jessica Booker]

I don't really like the idea of hounding them for the money and it's not life or death, so I guess I'll just wait it out. Thanks (and enjoy your holiday!)

it’s a perfectly reasonable thing to contact them about. They are not going to be concerned if you contact them.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica,

Would recruiters view vacation scheme applications from those with a lot of legal experience differently?

They don’t view it differently as such - they are measuring you against the same things that they’d measure someone with no legal work experience. It isn’t as black and white as lots being good and not a lot being bad (or vice versa).

Questions that sometimes come up though:

1) if they have lots of legal work experience, why us over that firm/type of law environment?

2) why haven’t they secured a TC with one of the firms so far?

I have also seen thousands of applications with lots of legal work experience and yet their motivational answer is rubbish. Sometimes although people may have lots of experience on paper, they really fail to understand the realities of the day job or convince the reader that this is really the career route for them (maybe they rely on the work experience too much too try and insinuate that?!).

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica, Thank you for helping us!!

My questions are the following:

One of my grades (55.5%) is currently under appeal and the Law Department at my uni is unlikely to share the result with me before the applications' deadlines come up.

Would you suggest me to:
1. Write down the grade and then note in the relevant box that the grade is currently under appeal? If so, would you also mention why I appealed?
2. Write down something like "pending" and then explain in the relevant box?

Similarly, I have mitigating circumstances which apply to exams I have taken in my first year as well as in my second year (to both high and low grades) but they are very different in nature. How would you advise me to proceed when explaining them in the relevant box in terms of priority, detail etc.? I believe that I am in a very peculiar circumstance so I have to make sure that the recruiter does not think I am making things up!

Thank you for reading this, I really appreciate it!!
Giulia

I would put “under appeal” rather than pending. Pending could insinuate you have failed and are retaking it. I would then explain the detail in any “is there any other info” free text boxes or sections relevant to academics or just generally asked.

probably best to PM with more details if you would prefer. The mix of high and low grades and ext circs can be tricky, so if possible would be good for me to get a better understanding of the circumstances.

 

[Lumree]

They don’t view it differently as such - they are measuring you against the same things that they’d measure someone with no legal work experience. It isn’t as black and white as lots being good and not a lot being bad (or vice versa).

Questions that sometimes come up though:

1) if they have lots of legal work experience, why us over that firm/type of law environment?

2) why haven’t they secured a TC with one of the firms so far?

I have also seen thousands of applications with lots of legal work experience and yet their motivational answer is rubbish. Sometimes although people may have lots of experience on paper, they really fail to understand the realities of the day job or convince the reader that this is really the career route for them (maybe they rely on the work experience too much too try and insinuate that?!).

Thank you Jessica!

I ask this because I’ve heard that a lot of law firms favour second year law students or third year non law as the ‘best’ candidates. Do you think there’s any truth to this?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thank you Jessica!

I ask this because I’ve heard that a lot of law firms favour second year law students or third year non law as the ‘best’ candidates. Do you think there’s any truth to this?

I think this comes from eligibility of vacation schemes. Firms will often say you have to be a second year law or third year non law for their Vac Scheme programmes, and ultimately they then convert a higher proportion of those people. Apart from that though, I don’t think this really exists and again is just a myth perpetuated by Chinese whispers and speculation.

People often ask me why firms restrict the year groups for vacation schemes. There’s a range of reasons for this, but they tend to be one or more of the following:

- it helps the time lag of recruitment. If you are open for 2022 TCs now, a penultimate law UG or a final year non-law grad are the most appropriate people to target

- people who are beyond these stages have a higher risk of declining the offer to try and find something that starts earlier. There is always a question of “what will you do with your time off” to anyone who will have a gap at some stage between now and starting a TC

- it helps reduce application numbers. If you are a small team of say 2-4 people running graduate recruitment, screening 2,000 application forms is a lot more efficient than screening 6,000

- there is a much higher risk of someone turning down your vacation scheme where they have got a TC offer elsewhere, or worse take your Vac Scheme up, but know they will never accept your offer because they have a TC. Therefore managing vac scheme programmes is easier with people who may not have committed to a TC yet (eg penultimate year/final year law). However, this is born from the old recruitment system where you couldn’t make someone an offer until the 1 September (which changed in 2013 or 2014 from memory).

 

[Lumree]

I think this comes from eligibility of vacation schemes. Firms will often say you have to be a second year law or third year non law for their Vac Scheme programmes, and ultimately they then convert a higher proportion of those people. Apart from that though, I don’t think this really exists and again is just a myth perpetuated by Chinese whispers and speculation.

People often ask me why firms restrict the year groups for vacation schemes. There’s a range of reasons for this, but they tend to be one or more of the following:

- it helps the time lag of recruitment. If you are open for 2022 TCs now, a penultimate law UG or a final year non-law grad are the most appropriate people to target

- people who are beyond these stages have a higher risk of declining the offer to try and find something that starts earlier. There is always a question of “what will you do with your time off” to anyone who will have a gap at some stage between now and starting a TC

- it helps reduce application numbers. If you are a small team of say 2-4 people running graduate recruitment, screening 2,000 application forms is a lot more efficient than screening 6,000

- there is a much higher risk of someone turning down your vacation scheme where they have got a TC offer elsewhere, or worse take your Vac Scheme up, but know they will never accept your offer because they have a TC. Therefore managing vac scheme programmes is easier with people who may not have committed to a TC yet (eg penultimate year/final year law). However, this is born from the old recruitment system where you couldn’t make someone an offer until the 1 September (which changed in 2013 or 2014 from memory).

Thank you - I’m glad to hear it’s not true and where they do focus on those students it’s for a good reason.

 

[R203]

Hi Jessica!

Would like to hear your advice for this section. In tackling the section;
"On this page please give details of open days, voluntary work and employer presentations relevant to your application."

Would I be required to detail all employers presentation and open days that I have attended, and only the ones regarding the firm I am applying to? I am also wondering the relevance of this section concerning the open days and presentations, is the firm wanting to know applicant's motivation for commercial law and seeing it through the events we attended?

Thank you so much!