Ask A Graduate Recruiter Anything!

[CL20]

I would be putting them on my LinkedIn profile somewhere. You don’t have to put them in work experience (as some of them aren’t really work experience, just simulations) - in those cases you could put them in your skills or potentially education sections.

If you have done multiple virtual internships you may want to put them together in one entry in your work experience though.

Thank you!

 

[NMD]

Hi Jessica,

I hope you’re doing well! I have two questions:

1. I am a bit confused about the SQE route. I have just graduated this year, if I don’t get a TC this year, will I have to do the SQE?

2. Should we update firms about our final year results and classifications?

Thanks

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica,

I hope you’re doing well! I have two questions:

1. I am a bit confused about the SQE route. I have just graduated this year, if I don’t get a TC this year, will I have to do the SQE?

2. Should we update firms about our final year results and classifications?

Thanks

Did you graduate from a law degree or a non-law degree?

 

[NMD]

Did you graduate from a law degree or a non-law degree?

I have done a law degree

 

[Jessica Booker]

I have done a law degree

Technically the SQE and traditional TC route will be open to you until 2033 where you started your legal education before September 2021.

However, different firms are going to take different approaches to this. Some will transfer to the SQE quicker than others. Some are looking to avoid dual qualification processes due to the various issues it presents in terms of employment rights etc, some are happy to have some trainees do the SQE while others do the traditional TC route. For some firms they see they will convert over to SQE completely by 2023 intakes, purely because non-law graduates graduating from 2021 won't have any other choice but to do the SQE.

If you don't secure a TC this year, when you come around to applying to firms, one of the key and first questions you need to ask or bit of research you need to undertake will be if the firm will take you on a traditional TC (with LPC pre start) or the SQE route, and if the latter, what does that mean (e.g. start and undertake SQE 1 and 2 during Qualifying Work Experience (QWE), SQE 1 completed before you start QWE, SQE 1 and 2 before you start QWE, what happens if you don't pass the SQE etc).

And yes, update firms if and when you get this year's academic results. Just make sure you can't update your application yourself with this information first.

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

Hello @Jessica Booker , hope you are doing well Ma'am. I have heard this a lot that during law fairs, interested applicants will go up to the lawyers of the firms that they are interested in and talk and later put that in their application. I'm just not sure what they talk about, I mean if I were a lawyer at any firm and someone comes up to me and asks me about how the culture is or how the training is, then obviously I won't say bad things about the firm. Please help I'm confused- what do the students ask and in what context do they put it on their application? @Alice G it would be great if we could have your inputs as well.
Thank you!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hello @Jessica Booker , hope you are doing well Ma'am. I have heard this a lot that during law fairs, interested applicants will go up to the lawyers of the firms that they are interested in and talk and later put that in their application. I'm just not sure what they talk about, I mean if I were a lawyer at any firm and someone comes up to me and asks me about how the culture is or how the training is, then obviously I won't say bad things about the firm. Please help I'm confused- what do the students ask and in what context do they put it on their application? @Alice G it would be great if we could have your inputs as well.
Thank you!

This is a pretty cliched thing that I wouldn't worry about. You have probably just read some cliched/generic/unhelpful advice (there is a lot out there unfortunately).

At law fairs you get asked all type of questions. About 90% of them are predictable questions with predictable answers that wouldn't really be helpful in terms of writing them on an application. For the rest of the 10% even name dropping someone you met at a law fair is still a bit glib - 100s of other people would have done the same thing that day.

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

Thank you ma'am.

 

[Alice G]

Thank you ma'am.

I agree with what Jess has said. I think when it comes to asking questions try to find information you can’t easily source online - it’s an opportunity to further your research and gain knowledge which you can use in apps

 

[AnnieK]

Hello Jessica!
I'm currently applying for a vacation scheme at Allen and Overy. I had a few questions about the application form which I'd be grateful if could be clarified.
1. The form requires me to upload a CV and some 'other documents - would a 2 page long CV be ideal? Further, what other documents - certifications etc. should I be adding? Is there a specific format I should be using for my CV?
2. I am required to fill in two references as well - must these references be Professors from my law school or others individuals I worked for during my internships etc.?
3. There are boxes provided to fill in "Skills - 50 skills maximum". What exactly must be added here?

Thank you!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hello Jessica!
I'm currently applying for a vacation scheme at Allen and Overy. I had a few questions about the application form which I'd be grateful if could be clarified.
1. The form requires me to upload a CV and some 'other documents - would a 2 page long CV be ideal? Further, what other documents - certifications etc. should I be adding? Is there a specific format I should be using for my CV?
2. I am required to fill in two references as well - must these references be Professors from my law school or others individuals I worked for during my internships etc.?
3. There are boxes provided to fill in "Skills - 50 skills maximum". What exactly must be added here?

Thank you!

- 2 page CV max of a standard format. This is an awful example in terms of font formatting but gives you an idea of how to format things https://targetjobs.co.uk/sites/targ...placement-applications-with-comments-2016.pdf.

(don’t worry about including your address, don’t use italics so heavily as the above example, don’t have an entry split across two pages, don’t bother with references upon request)

Unless any of documents are clearly stated to be compulsory, I wouldn’t bother adding certificates or the like. It would only really be if I had extenuating circumstances and had an academic reference already written to verify that that I would upload such documents. Only upload things that are necessary - they will say what is compulsory to upload.

Just a list of any skills you think you possess.

 

[Imababysolicitor]

Hello Jessica!
I'm currently applying for a vacation scheme at Allen and Overy. I had a few questions about the application form which I'd be grateful if could be clarified.
1. The form requires me to upload a CV and some 'other documents - would a 2 page long CV be ideal? Further, what other documents - certifications etc. should I be adding? Is there a specific format I should be using for my CV?
2. I am required to fill in two references as well - must these references be Professors from my law school or others individuals I worked for during my internships etc.?
3. There are boxes provided to fill in "Skills - 50 skills maximum". What exactly must be added here?

Thank you!

Hey! Have applications for A&O opened? I checked their website and i can’t see anything

 

[tractor12]

Hello Jessica!
I'm currently applying for a vacation scheme at Allen and Overy. I had a few questions about the application form which I'd be grateful if could be clarified.
1. The form requires me to upload a CV and some 'other documents - would a 2 page long CV be ideal? Further, what other documents - certifications etc. should I be adding? Is there a specific format I should be using for my CV?
2. I am required to fill in two references as well - must these references be Professors from my law school or others individuals I worked for during my internships etc.?
3. There are boxes provided to fill in "Skills - 50 skills maximum". What exactly must be added here?

Thank you!

Hi, I don’t think the applications are open yet. Do you mind telling me what other questions are on the application?

 

[c1070]

Hi Jessica,

Im finishing an application for a firm that requires a cover letter on top of about 6 other questions. They have already asked 'why us' but not 'why law'. Would you say its best to focus the cover letter on why law, as I have already spent 300 words explaining why them? Or would it look strange to not include this in a cover letter?

Thanks!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica,

Im finishing an application for a firm that requires a cover letter on top of about 6 other questions. They have already asked 'why us' but not 'why law'. Would you say its best to focus the cover letter on why law, as I have already spent 300 words explaining why them? Or would it look strange to not include this in a cover letter?

Thanks!

Personally I would advise against repetition. So either do as you say, your just put a different spin on your cover letter if it does cover the same questions.

 

[AnnieK]

- 2 page CV max of a standard format. This is an awful example in terms of font formatting but gives you an idea of how to format things https://targetjobs.co.uk/sites/targ...placement-applications-with-comments-2016.pdf.

(don’t worry about including your address, don’t use italics so heavily as the above example, don’t have an entry split across two pages, don’t bother with references upon request)

Unless any of documents are clearly stated to be compulsory, I wouldn’t bother adding certificates or the like. It would only really be if I had extenuating circumstances and had an academic reference already written to verify that that I would upload such documents. Only upload things that are necessary - they will say what is compulsory to upload.

Just a list of any skills you think you possess.

Thank you Jessica!
I'll just stick to adding the CV since that is the only mandatory document.

Further, they've provided us an optional space to upload a cover letter. Should I upload one - and if yes, what should I include in the same? They have already asked us to answer a question which could be paraphrased to 'why Allen and Overy' elsewhere in the form.

 

[AnnieK]

Hey! Have applications for A&O opened? I checked their website and i can’t see anything

Hey! I'm applying for the scheme open specifically to Indian students. I don't think the main vacation scheme applications are open.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thank you Jessica!
I'll just stick to adding the CV since that is the only mandatory document.

Further, they've provided us an optional space to upload a cover letter. Should I upload one - and if yes, what should I include in the same? They have already asked us to answer a question which could be paraphrased to 'why Allen and Overy' elsewhere in the form.

Personally I wouldn’t bother unless there was something very specific you felt you needed to mention in the cover letter. If something isn’t compulsory, be default there will be little to no weighting behind it (otherwise it would be compulsory).

 

[keenaspiringlawyer]

Hi Jessica

I have recently graduated with a high 2.1 in a non-law subject but having talked to multiple people, attended networking sessions and going to the workshops at TCLA I am very keen to become a lawyer. I have had a mini-pupillage (2018) and had some work experience at a law firm (2015) and sent in applications for Vac Schemes earlier this year. I am waiting to hear back from a firm whose assessment I completed a week ago but I was asking how does rec look at non-law, no vac scheme, but enrolled on the GDL applicants? I would still be applying for vac schemes (when on the GDL and not TCs directly) but was wondering whether this advisable? Are there any stats/general trends you have seen amongst this category?

Thanks!

 

[keenaspiringlawyer]

Hi Jessica

I have recently graduated with a high 2.1 in a non-law subject but having talked to multiple people, attended networking sessions and going to the workshops at TCLA I am very keen to become a lawyer. I have had a mini-pupillage (2018) and had some work experience at a law firm (2015) and sent in applications for Vac Schemes earlier this year. I am waiting to hear back from a firm whose assessment I completed a week ago but I was asking how does rec look at non-law, no vac scheme, but enrolled on the GDL applicants? I would still be applying for vac schemes (when on the GDL and not TCs directly) but was wondering whether this advisable? Are there any stats/general trends you have seen amongst this category?

Thanks!

I should also say that I would prefer to the GDL rather than the SQE because I would be doing the SQE in one of its early years which could make things a little harder!