Ask A Graduate Recruiter Anything!

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica,
I am presently working on an application which has a few questions and a cover letter.

One of the questions is:
Please detail all your key achievements and interests to date. Use this section to tell us any academic prizes, events, societies or roles with community programmes that you feel are significant in supporting your application (300 words max)

Am I required to "fill in the holes" in my application by writing about the stuff I did but did not cover in the rest of the questions and cover letter? Or am I supposed to write about everything I did again, but phrased in a different way? Presently I am holding a committee position at uni, but have already covered that in the cover letter. Should I write about it again?

Thank you so much!

no - just answer the question. This is just about your extra curriculars.

no - don’t repeat anything. It sounds like your cover letter doesn’t need that detail.

 

[R203]

no - just answer the question. This is just about your extra curriculars.

no - don’t repeat anything. It sounds like your cover letter doesn’t need that detail.

Thank you so much Jessica!

So if the cover letter also wants "three skills i am currently developing", should I use other examples to avoid overlaps with this extra-curricular question?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thank you so much Jessica!

So if the cover letter also wants "three skills i am currently developing", should I use other examples to avoid overlaps with this extra-curricular question?

it’s fine to reference things in more than one section but from what your saying it sounds like you are detailing what you did - this is the repetition that is not needed.

 

[Hxmza0689]

Hey Jessica,

Do you have any tips for;

1) Tell me about yourself
2) Tell me about your work experiences/extra curriculars
3) Why should we hire you over other candidates

type of questions?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hey Jessica,

Do you have any tips for;

1) Tell me about yourself
2) Tell me about your work experiences/extra curriculars
3) Why should we hire you over other candidates

type of questions?

Would be no different than general application tips.

• Don’t presume the things that are non-law related aren’t relevant
• Don’t explain the self explanatory
• Don’t repeat things - think about your application as a whole rather than individual questions
• Be super critical of your writing - cut out words that aren’t needed/don’t add anything
• Understand what your USPs are - yes they may be similar to other candidates, but you’ll have a unique combination that other candidates won’t have

 

[Hxmza0689]

Would be no different than general application tips.

• Don’t presume the things that are non-law related aren’t relevant
• Don’t explain the self explanatory
• Don’t repeat things - think about your application as a whole rather than individual questions
• Be super critical of your writing - cut out words that aren’t needed/don’t add anything
• Understand what your USPs are - yes they may be similar to other candidates, but you’ll have a unique combination that other candidates won’t have

Fantastic advice! Thanks Jessica! Would you add/change anything if asked those questions at interview? Elevator pitch?

 

[Kathryn]

Hi Jessica

I'm least confident in questions about how I spend my extracurricular time. I was hot on this in school (winning public speaking competitions and so on) but I slacked in university. Now a paralegal, I spend my free time doing what I genuinely want to do. The problem is, these activities don't sound good on paper.

I am an active and sociable person, but I'm pretty varied and non committal in my hobbies meaning (a) I haven't got good or achieved much and (b) I haven't assumed any positions of responsibility.

If I were to answer honestly, I do yoga once/ twice a week; I spend my weekends outdoors walking/ sightseeing/ on the beach (currently ticking off all beaches in Cornwall); I play tennis on and off in the summer; I quite like being on the water generally but don't have a particular or regular watersport. I enjoyed literature in school and have seen a tonne of Shakespeare plays- but saying this out loud comes across as pretentious/ a disingenuous attempt to impress. I'm quite big on self improvement and I get up early each morning to make time for this. This encompasses morning exercise/ meditation/ listening to podcasts/ reading philosophical and religious texts/ re-evaluating my priorities in all aspects of life. This is what I genuinely think is important, but I tend not to list this since I'm conscious it comes across as wishy-washy and not demonstrating the typical character traits of a corporate lawyer.

Within work but outside my daily role, I am on the committee of a networking group for young professionals and have organised a couple of well-attended events. I've pretty much assumed responsibility for any visiting work experience students and have made it a more coordinated programme with prepared tasks and a system for the more practical considerations. I try to go for regular networking coffees with people inside and outside the firm.

I'm feeling a bit stuck and would appreciate any advice you may have on (a) how to present my existing activities so that I come across the best way possible (ie not boring!) and (b) what you think I might benefit from taking up/ working on.

Thanks so much for all your time.

 

[R203]

it’s fine to reference things in more than one section but from what your saying it sounds like you are detailing what you did - this is the repetition that is not needed.

Oh! So would the cover letter be more of an broad overview of the skills I am developing, using the experiences as examples but not detailing what i have done as Grad Rec would refer to the explicit details through the other questions?

 

[R203]

Oh! So would the cover letter be more of an broad overview of the skills I am developing, using the experiences as examples but not detailing what i have done as Grad Rec would refer to the explicit details through the other questions?

If I could also add, I am slightly confused with how a cover letter comes hand in hand with separate questions in the application form.

Would I be correct that a cover letter should point out certain experiences to Grad Rec that could be covered in other questions in detail, and then Grad Rec would refer to the details by turning to those separate questions/work experiences for indepth detail? I am aware that there should be as little overlap as possible, but am quite unsure as to how should i make my cover letter complement the separate questions.

So sorry for the lengthy question and thank you so much for taking the time Jessica!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Fantastic advice! Thanks Jessica! Would you add/change anything if asked those questions at interview? Elevator pitch?

It’s a completely different approach. Written answers will always be very different to spoken ones. Plus they are two different interactions - I don’t think an elevator pitch is appropriate for an interview unless you are asked to do one. The interviewer will already know something about you and you will have hopefully built up a rapport.

the key thing with interview questions is to stick to the question - people go wrong by trying to ram everything into an answer and then up rambling on

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica

I'm least confident in questions about how I spend my extracurricular time. I was hot on this in school (winning public speaking competitions and so on) but I slacked in university. Now a paralegal, I spend my free time doing what I genuinely want to do. The problem is, these activities don't sound good on paper.

I am an active and sociable person, but I'm pretty varied and non committal in my hobbies meaning (a) I haven't got good or achieved much and (b) I haven't assumed any positions of responsibility.

If I were to answer honestly, I do yoga once/ twice a week; I spend my weekends outdoors walking/ sightseeing/ on the beach (currently ticking off all beaches in Cornwall); I play tennis on and off in the summer; I quite like being on the water generally but don't have a particular or regular watersport. I enjoyed literature in school and have seen a tonne of Shakespeare plays- but saying this out loud comes across as pretentious/ a disingenuous attempt to impress. I'm quite big on self improvement and I get up early each morning to make time for this. This encompasses morning exercise/ meditation/ listening to podcasts/ reading philosophical and religious texts/ re-evaluating my priorities in all aspects of life. This is what I genuinely think is important, but I tend not to list this since I'm conscious it comes across as wishy-washy and not demonstrating the typical character traits of a corporate lawyer.

Within work but outside my daily role, I am on the committee of a networking group for young professionals and have organised a couple of well-attended events. I've pretty much assumed responsibility for any visiting work experience students and have made it a more coordinated programme with prepared tasks and a system for the more practical considerations. I try to go for regular networking coffees with people inside and outside the firm.

I'm feeling a bit stuck and would appreciate any advice you may have on (a) how to present my existing activities so that I come across the best way possible (ie not boring!) and (b) what you think I might benefit from taking up/ working on.

Thanks so much for all your time.

if you don’t believe in your experiences, why would someone reading an application/interviewing have believe in your experiences?

ECs are generally for those who are still in education. If you are working you are not expected to have a wide range of ECs.

If asked about PoR I’d mention one or two of your most impressive school examples. Your ECs at work are also highly relevant and something to focus on - there’s actually a lot in there and juggling that with a job will be impressive.

if asked about your interests, everything you’ve mentioned in fair game. They will only be “wish-washy” if you present them as such.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Oh! So would the cover letter be more of an broad overview of the skills I am developing, using the experiences as examples but not detailing what i have done as Grad Rec would refer to the explicit details through the other questions?

no - I don’t think that’s the right approach for a cover letter unless you are explicitly asked to do it.

no - they wouldn’t refer to them as such, but they will read them when they get to that part of the application.

 

[Jessica Booker]

If I could also add, I am slightly confused with how a cover letter comes hand in hand with separate questions in the application form.

Would I be correct that a cover letter should point out certain experiences to Grad Rec that could be covered in other questions in detail, and then Grad Rec would refer to the details by turning to those separate questions/work experiences for indepth detail? I am aware that there should be as little overlap as possible, but am quite unsure as to how should i make my cover letter complement the separate questions.

So sorry for the lengthy question and thank you so much for taking the time Jessica!

a cover letter is really about your motivations. Why you want the job, why you want to work for that company, why you are going to be good at the job and why you are going to be happy doing it.

none of those things will be covered in an application (unless you are explicitly asked those questions). If you are asked those questions, the firm will typically give you some guidance on what needs to be provided in the cover letter.

 

[Hxmza0689]

It’s a completely different approach. Written answers will always be very different to spoken ones. Plus they are two different interactions - I don’t think an elevator pitch is appropriate for an interview unless you are asked to do one. The interviewer will already know something about you and you will have hopefully built up a rapport.

the key thing with interview questions is to stick to the question - people go wrong by trying to ram everything into an answer and then up rambling on

Cool! So for example with "tell me about yourself", would name, recent education, list of work experience (legal/non-legal), extra-curricular and hobbies suffice? (CV blind)

 

[R203]

a cover letter is really about your motivations. Why you want the job, why you want to work for that company, why you are going to be good at the job and why you are going to be happy doing it.

none of those things will be covered in an application (unless you are explicitly asked those questions). If you are asked those questions, the firm will typically give you some guidance on what needs to be provided in the cover letter.

Thanks Jessica! So if they have asked for "three skills that you are presently developing that would prepare you for a Training Contract" in the cover letter, would I support my listed skills with extra-curricular activities, and avoid going into similar details into other questions that asks for "leadership positions"?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Cool! So for example with "tell me about yourself", would name, recent education, list of work experience (legal/non-legal), extra-curricular and hobbies suffice? (CV blind)

for an interview question? No - that’s far too long and will either just repeat information the interviewer already has about you/or doesn’t care to know, or will be a monologue that takes far too long if you go into detail.

If the firm is doing a CV blind process, they are highly unlikely to ask you a question like tell me about yourself as it goes completely against the whole purpose of having a CV blind process.

If it’s CV blind, the an elevator pitch is probably a more appropriate approach to take.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thanks Jessica! So if they have asked for "three skills that you are presently developing that would prepare you for a Training Contract" in the cover letter, would I support my listed skills with extra-curricular activities, and avoid going into similar details into other questions that asks for "leadership positions"?

look at the difference in language. One section is asking you for 3 skills (from everything you do), the other is asking you for leadership positions. Unless leadership is one of the skills you want to cover in your cover letter (which seems particularly wasteful if you are going to talk about it later) then I’d actually see very little cross over.

Cover letter: focus on how you are developing the skills

PoR section: describe your achievements in those roles

 

[R203]

Thank you so much Jessica!

Also, are candidates expected to write close to the (250 max) word count for work experience sections?

 

[nina_123]

Hi @Jessica Booker

When firms stated that they have a CV blind recruitment process, during the interview at an AC, what information will interviewers not have access to?

Thank you so much

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thank you so much Jessica!

Also, are candidates expected to write close to the (250 max) word count for work experience sections?

depends on the work experience. If it was one day of work shadowing, no. If it’s something you did for several years with varied responsibilities, yes.