Ask A Graduate Recruiter Anything!

[Frank]

Hi @Jessica Booker,

Long story short, I have a TC offer with a firm after a completing a recent vacation scheme. I have one more week to accept it. However, I called to see whether they could extend this till summer as I have some other vacation scheme offers for the spring and summer, in addition to a couple of direct TC assessment centres coming up.

Grad rec have said they will only be able to extend my time to make a decision for a month longer. Do you know why firms offer such little time to accept. I don't see why they won't let me atleast try the other schemes to get a better understanding.

My guess is that they want to get the best candidates before others firms which is why we get a short time to decide? I have graduated now and would appreciate your insight into this before I get back in touch with them.

and also because other candidates might be given an offer but they can’t cos others need to make up their mind first. It’s fairness

 

[Jessica Booker]

"Excluding work experience, please detail all the events you have attended, organised which demonstrate your commitment to increasing your understanding of a career as a solicitor. (max 250)".

Dear Jessica, I plan on talking about the LawCareers.NetLive event, which was the first event I ever attended (where this firm was present) as well as two open days that I have attended, but not at this specific firm. There is so much to say that It is hard to link it necessarily to the firm. I think I need a bit of structure or subquestions to answer, if that makes sense, so I was hoping you could help?


Thank you,
Giulia

I’m not sure I can without knowing more about what you gained from those experiences. But key things:

- don’t bother explaining what you did at the event. Everyone knows what an Open Day is and if the employer attended an event like LCN live, there is no point telling them something they already know.

- Focus on how the event has shaped your career decisions. It doesn’t have to be specifically aligned to the firm (you could have learnt something that you dont want to do that the firm doesn’t offer, as much as something that is aligned to the firm)

- the question is not firm specific, it is just asking you to explain how they have helped you work out why you are committed to a career as a commercial lawyer

- focus on what you personally gained from the event. Don’t try to be impressive with it, just talk honestly about what knowledge of skills you learnt and how that has impacted your prerequisites for a job/employer.

 

[Jessica Booker]

and also because other candidates might be given an offer but they can’t cos others need to make up their mind first. It’s fairness

Whoever rated this as unhelpful, I'd think again.... this post is scarily accurate.

There is some pretty scary stats out there about the number of unfilled graduate roles each year, which is predominately down to people not turning down offers with enough notice. Law gets away with this a little given the time-lag in recruitment because of the LPC being a pre-requisite to start, but that could all change with the SQE.

All the time people complain about the fact they haven't heard back from employers in regards to their application, there are just as many employers who are frustrated with candidates sitting on offers and then going AWOL/ghosting the employer.

 

[DavidJC]

Hi Jessica,

I'm doing an application at the moment with two questions that ask "why a transactional focused firm" and "opportunities and challenges that might be faced by a law firm such as X firm"

Should the answers be specifically tailored to the firm or should it address the question more directly i.e. transactional focused firms and firms such as X?

Thanks!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica,

I'm doing an application at the moment with two questions that ask "why a transactional focused firm" and "opportunities and challenges that might be faced by a law firm such as X firm"

Should the answers be specifically tailored to the firm or should it address the question more directly i.e. transactional focused firms and firms such as X?

Thanks!

Talking about both questions more generally is fine, but at the same time you have to be mindful not to include things that might not be true of that firm specifically.

I think it is a good opportunity for you to demonstrate your knowledge/research in the specific firm though, so there are elements/parts that you might want to explicitly focus on the firm you are applying to though.

 

[Deleted member 4414]

Talking about both questions more generally is fine, but at the same time you have to be mindful not to include things that might not be true of that firm specifically.

I think it is a good opportunity for you to demonstrate your knowledge/research in the specific firm though, so there are elements/parts that you might want to explicitly focus on the firm you are applying to though.

Hi Jessica,

I am having a bit of a panic at the moment. I am currently preparing for an interview with a firm, and have recognised that I have accidentally put the same start/end dates for two work history entries. I have put both for two years when one is instead 8 months! For the one that is only 8 months, I have also put that I still work there, even though the end date has passed - so I am hoping that this explains that it was an honest mistake when moving around my entries.

What advice would you give? Should I contact graduate recruitment?

Thank you in advance!!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica,

I am having a bit of a panic at the moment. I am currently preparing for an interview with a firm, and have recognised that I have accidentally put the same start/end dates for two work history entries. I have put both for two years when one is instead 8 months! For the one that is only 8 months, I have also put that I still work there, even though the end date has passed - so I am hoping that this explains that it was an honest mistake when moving around my entries.

What advice would you give? Should I contact graduate recruitment?

Thank you in advance!!

yes - you need to contact graduate recruitment tomorrow/Friday. Definitely before your interview.

There is a risk they retract your interview, particularly given your work experience is being cut quite dramatically and there were two sets of errors. But it’s better for you to be upfront about it now (it will be better to do it now) than after the interview.

The errors might be innocent but it has a big impact on what your application looks like.

 

[Deleted member 4414]

yes - you need to contact graduate recruitment tomorrow/Friday. Definitely before your interview.

There is a risk they retract your interview, particularly given your work experience is being cut quite dramatically and there were two sets of errors. But it’s better for you to be upfront about it now (it will be better to do it now) than after the interview.

The errors might be innocent but it has a big impact on what your application looks like.

Thank you.

 

[Camilla]

Hi Jessica. Happy new year!!

I have just finished an application and was feeling pretty happy with it, but doubt is starting to creep in and I am wondering whether I have fully answered the question. I would appreciate your input.

The question is 'What current issues do you think have an impact on the legal profession? How will they impact and why?'.

I have covered:

• Legal tech
• Brexit - specifically clients being reluctant to spend money at the moment which is contributing towards a price-sensitive legal market but then mentioning that legal work could increase when there is more certainty, and also mentioning that firms are opening offices in Ireland.
• GDPR/cybersecurity.
• The lingering threat of the big four and how firms need to add commercial value, also covering firms that are creating a consulting arm.

Looking back at the question, the way it is worded is "how WILL they impact and why" and a lot of what I have said is based on change that has already happened. I have tried to include some prediction by mentioning that law firms might start storing data using blockchain technology etc.

Do I need to shift my focus towards predicting what I think is likely to happen in the future? I don't know if I am overthinking the question...

Thanks!

 

[JoNo]

Hi Jessica. Happy new year!!

I have just finished an application and was feeling pretty happy with it, but doubt is starting to creep in and I am wondering whether I have fully answered the question. I would appreciate your input.

The question is 'What current issues do you think have an impact on the legal profession? How will they impact and why?'.

I have covered:

• Legal tech
• Brexit - specifically clients being reluctant to spend money at the moment which is contributing towards a price-sensitive legal market but then mentioning that legal work could increase when there is more certainty, and also mentioning that firms are opening offices in Ireland.
• GDPR/cybersecurity.
• The lingering threat of the big four and how firms need to add commercial value, also covering firms that are creating a consulting arm.

Looking back at the question, the way it is worded is "how WILL they impact and why" and a lot of what I have said is based on change that has already happened. I have tried to include some prediction by mentioning that law firms might start storing data using blockchain technology etc.

Do I need to shift my focus towards predicting what I think is likely to happen in the future? I don't know if I am overthinking the question...

Thanks!

Is this for CMS?

 

[Camilla]

Is this for CMS?

No it's for BLM

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica. Happy new year!!

I have just finished an application and was feeling pretty happy with it, but doubt is starting to creep in and I am wondering whether I have fully answered the question. I would appreciate your input.

The question is 'What current issues do you think have an impact on the legal profession? How will they impact and why?'.

I have covered:

• Legal tech
• Brexit - specifically clients being reluctant to spend money at the moment which is contributing towards a price-sensitive legal market but then mentioning that legal work could increase when there is more certainty, and also mentioning that firms are opening offices in Ireland.
• GDPR/cybersecurity.
• The lingering threat of the big four and how firms need to add commercial value, also covering firms that are creating a consulting arm.

Looking back at the question, the way it is worded is "how WILL they impact and why" and a lot of what I have said is based on change that has already happened. I have tried to include some prediction by mentioning that law firms might start storing data using blockchain technology etc.

Do I need to shift my focus towards predicting what I think is likely to happen in the future? I don't know if I am overthinking the question...

Thanks!

although it’s ok to reference things that have happened already, it is best to focus on answering the “how will they” part, so it sounds like it will need adapting slightly.

 

[NSinger]

Hi Jessica, I just wanted some advice on how to answer the 'Why commercial law?' question.
Would you talk about your interests and experiences? Do you have any suggestions for a solid structure to demonstrate your interest as I am aware the answer should be personalised.

 

[Karin]

If you are confident you can get a reference for it, put it in your work history section.

If you are not sure you would, put it in the other section.

I suspect if you were successful in getting a role, they would use your application to get employment references from, but would only seek it out from those in the "work history" section.

Thank you! Do you think it would be fine to but my work at the university's Law Clinic as work experience then? I am confident I could get a reference from there so seems more appropriate?

 

[James McCoid]

Dear Jessica,

Can I please get your opinion on the following question? I'm sorry for being silly.

I've applied to a firm in December whose application process consists of a cover letter + CV via email. While I've graduated from two postgraduate degrees, I have lots of info to talk about. Because I struggled to be concise in one page, I had literally forgotten to insert my personal address and of the firm. Knowing that it is recommended to stick to the formalities, do you think it is necessary to email the HR and ask if I can resubmit the app or just leave the situation as it is?

Many thanks for your time

 

[DavidJC]

Hi Jessica, how should I answer the question "What do you hope to get out of a career at a firm like ours?"
I've tried to talk about the firm and how its strengths aligns with my interests. Should I be writing more about long-term career prospects or more personal reasons like satisfying/high-quality work instead?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thank you! Do you think it would be fine to but my work at the university's Law Clinic as work experience then? I am confident I could get a reference from there so seems more appropriate?

I’d personally put that in the volunteer section as it is not an unpaid internship.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Dear Jessica,

Can I please get your opinion on the following question? I'm sorry for being silly.

I've applied to a firm in December whose application process consists of a cover letter + CV via email. While I've graduated from two postgraduate degrees, I have lots of info to talk about. Because I struggled to be concise in one page, I had literally forgotten to insert my personal address and of the firm. Knowing that it is recommended to stick to the formalities, do you think it is necessary to email the HR and ask if I can resubmit the app or just leave the situation as it is?

Many thanks for your time

Just leave it - as you have already applied, they are highly unlikely to accept a second application (otherwise everyone would just send another application once they were rejected).

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica, how should I answer the question "What do you hope to get out of a career at a firm like ours?"
I've tried to talk about the firm and how its strengths aligns with my interests. Should I be writing more about long-term career prospects or more personal reasons like satisfying/high-quality work instead?

there is no set answer here as it is very much about you. You could talk about all (or none) of the things you have mentioned and it would be appropriate.

with these type of questions though, I always recommend to make sure there is a balance of what it is about the day job, what it is about the environment and what it is that will keep you there beyond the 2 years.

 

[JimTC]

Hi Jessica,

Should I simply rewrite the STAR bullet points of work experiences responsibilities and roles in the CV I uploaded into STAR short sentences, of about 150 words, on the work experience section of online applications?

Previous threads have said I shouldn't copy bullet points from my CV into the work experience section of applications. I'm wondering how else should the description of responsibilities and roles I write for the work experience section differ from my CV work experience to make the recruiter's job easier?

Should I repeat the same CV work experience information but add more details in the description of roles and responsibilities?