Ask A Graduate Recruiter Anything!

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica,

I have two questions.

1. When answering questions such as “why commercial law” would it be acceptable to discuss events/open days attended at other law firms and if so would you advise for or against naming those firms
2. Answering “in your view which personal qualities make a successful lawyer” on the Sidley Austin application form, do you think we are expected to link all our points back to ourselves and how we meet that benchmark or to solely answer this in the abstract?

Thank you!

It’s acceptable to name firms, although I would expect your open days to be somewhere else on most applications anyway, so there’s little point repeating the detail. You can explain how they have shaped your motivation, but remember they are only one day and you are typically not actually doing the work of a commercial lawyer, just listening to people educating you about it.

I don’t think you need to reference in detail how you have developed your skill set, especially again if the detail is elsewhere in your application. You also have to be aware that even if you have got these skills, they are going to be developed further during your time as a trainee (you’re not expected to have them all at an exceptionally high level). Sometimes people proclaiming they have them all comes across a little lacking self awareness or a willingness to learn on the job.

 

[R203]

I wouldn’t think so rigidly. Someone with lots of legal work experience probably will need to use less word count saying why they want to be a lawyer, vs the person who has no legal work experience may need more than 150 words. You need to write what works for you, and think about your application as a whole rather than individual questions.

i doubt STAR is necessary though given the word count and also how it fits in with other sections.

But I wouldn’t focus purely on your extra curriculars - that is not what the question is asking you. It is about you about the attributes that would make you a good lawyer. Focus on answering the question only.

Thank you so much Jessica!

So would it be like explicitly stating the skills (to answer the question) and then demonstrate how you utilised those skills/attributes, then finally linking back to how that's important for a City lawyer?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thank you so much Jessica!

So would it be like explicitly stating the skills (to answer the question) and then demonstrate how you utilised those skills/attributes, then finally linking back to how that's important for a City lawyer?

No.

The question is not asking you to talk about your skills. It is asking about what skills you think are important. It’s basically checking whether you know what you are letting yourself in for.

There could be skills in there that you haven’t developed yet (although be mindful the question says qualities, not skills).

 

[Jaysen]

No.

The question is not asking you to talk about your skills. It is asking about what skills you think are important. It’s basically checking whether you know what you are letting yourself in for.

There could be skills in there that you haven’t developed yet (although be mindful the question says qualities, not skills).

Think there may be a mixup here, Sherard is asking about this question: ‘Why are you interested in pursuing a career at the firm and what skills, qualities and attributes would you bring to the role?’.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Think there may be a mixup here, Sherard is asking about this question: ‘Why are you interested in pursuing a career at the firm and what skills, qualities and attributes would you bring to the role?’.

ah ok - apologies. Thought this was about the Sidley question.

I don’t think that approach answer the question though. It doesn’t really answer the why them part. Your skill set and motivations are two different things.

 

[R203]

Thanks so much Jaysen and Jessica!

Also, if the firm does not have an "extra-curricular" section, I don't suppose I can add them into the work experience boxes right? They should be for work experiences and volunteering?

 

[Rufanacht]

Hi Jessica, I have a place on a winter vacation scheme but have interviews coming up for other spring/summer schemes. Will it affect my chances for these schemes if I say in my interview that I have this winter scheme place already set?

Thanks!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thanks so much Jaysen and Jessica!

Also, if the firm does not have an "extra-curricular" section, I don't suppose I can add them into the work experience boxes right? They should be for work experiences and volunteering?

no - they are not work experience. Do not include them in that section.

Volunteering is a bit of a grey area and can be seen as work experience depending on the nature of the volunteering role.

But most extra curriculars are definitely not work experience (eg student societies/clubs etc) and should definitely not be in this section.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica, I have a place on a winter vacation scheme but have interviews coming up for other spring/summer schemes. Will it affect my chances for these schemes if I say in my interview that I have this winter scheme place already set?

Thanks!

Only if it is with a firm that is very different to the ones you are applying to (eg human rights firm/small niche firm vs a large commercial firm).

 

[pinkfrog]

hi Jessica,

if an interviewer asks you which other firms you have applied to, should you say them all even if they are really different from that firm? e.g. One of the reasons I applied to Hogan Lovells was because of the structure of the training contract, but I'm worried they'll also ask why in that case did I apply to Jones Day (non-rotational)? My only reason for applying to such a range is because its my first cycle and I'm quite open-minded

thanks for your time

 

[Jessica Booker]

hi Jessica,

if an interviewer asks you which other firms you have applied to, should you say them all even if they are really different from that firm? e.g. One of the reasons I applied to Hogan Lovells was because of the structure of the training contract, but I'm worried they'll also ask why in that case did I apply to Jones Day (non-rotational)? My only reason for applying to such a range is because its my first cycle and I'm quite open-minded

thanks for your time

JD and HL are very similar firms, even if their TC structure is different.

There will always be some differences between firms. But there will be similarities too. If you got asked a question about where else you have applied, try to show some logic around how you have made your decision. You probably haven’t applied to every firm even if you are open minded. You just need to explain your logic of applying to JD and HL - you won’t be the first person to have done so.

 

[Abstruser]

hi Jessica,

if an interviewer asks you which other firms you have applied to, should you say them all even if they are really different from that firm? e.g. One of the reasons I applied to Hogan Lovells was because of the structure of the training contract, but I'm worried they'll also ask why in that case did I apply to Jones Day (non-rotational)? My only reason for applying to such a range is because its my first cycle and I'm quite open-minded

thanks for your time

So last cycle I had applied to Z firm with quite a distinctive TC structure and it was one of my main motivations for applying there. At interview I was asked exactly this question, something along the lines of why did you apply to X and Y if their TC structure is different to ours. I kind of flipped it around and answered saying the TC structure at Z firm was really that unique that any other firm I had applied to would obviously have a different TC structure. So it was a good way to reiterate that although the other firms had a different TC structure (because Z was so unique), my top choice was with Z because of its special TC structure (for A, B and C reasons).

I got past the interview so I assume the answer was satisfactory. Sometimes you don’t really have to overthink the answer, if you cite being open to trying new things I think that’s totally fine to say. Hope that helps!

 

[Mishal]

Hi, Jessica! I was wondering if you could suggest how to tackle this question?
'Please explain why you are applying to Macfarlanes and what your career ambitions are.'
I know that first part is fairly simple, why Macfarlanes? But how should I tackle the careers ambitions part for a vacation scheme application? Thanks!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi, Jessica! I was wondering if you could suggest how to tackle this question?
'Please explain why you are applying to Macfarlanes and what your career ambitions are.'
I know that first part is fairly simple, why Macfarlanes? But how should I tackle the careers ambitions part for a vacation scheme application? Thanks!

You don’t really need to explain it as a vacation scheme application, just what your general career ambitions are. At best you could say how you hope the scheme will help those ambitions.

 

[IntrepidL]

Hi Jessica,

I made a successful application to a law firm last year and got to the AC stage. I am planning to re-apply this year because I really like the firm and think that the firm will be a good fit for me (especially after talking to some of the senior associates during my AC and interacting with some of the trainees etc).

The application questions are the same from the year I applied. Would you recommend changing my application answers substantially, or should I leave most of it the same?

Thank you!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica,

I made a successful application to a law firm last year and got to the AC stage. I am planning to re-apply this year because I really like the firm and think that the firm will be a good fit for me (especially after talking to some of the senior associates during my AC and interacting with some of the trainees etc).

The application questions are the same from the year I applied. Would you recommend changing my application answers substantially, or should I leave most of it the same?

Thank you!

It doesn’t haven’t to completely change, but it definitely needs to be updated to reflect what you have done since your last application, or how you have taken their feedback on board, or what you learnt from the last recruitment process (or a combination of the above).

if it is an identical form there can be a question of “what has changed?” And if that seems to be nothing, a recruiter could quite rightly question why you would be successful this time around.

 

[Giovanni Figa]

Hi Jessica

I’m career changing so I have about 15 years worth of work and travel experience on my applications. I’ve read some horror stories about firms not being able to reference/verify information submitted and pulling their offers as a result. I have the below concerns:

1)Will firms look to verify travel/voluntary work I did 10, 12, 15 years ago or is it only the last 5 years they will be concerned with? I think I will have trouble verifying activities further back and anyone they might contact regarding this is unlikely to remember.

2)I have put down other things on my applications that demonstrate certain skills, such as returns on stock options trading. Will they look to verify these details? If so I will try and restrict myself to things I can actually substantiate.

3)When firms conduct previous employment checks do they cover basic information such as dates and job title or do they really drill down? I have a lot of experience where I have stepped up and done work normally undertaken by colleagues in more senior positions. The only people who could verify this would be my line managers at the time and I know most of them have moved on. If I say I have done x,y,z pieces of work and my employers can’t verify this the firms might think I’m exaggerating my experience/lying and take a dim view.

Thanks in advance

Giovanni

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica

I’m career changing so I have about 15 years worth of work and travel experience on my applications. I’ve read some horror stories about firms not being able to reference/verify information submitted and pulling their offers as a result. I have the below concerns:

1)Will firms look to verify travel/voluntary work I did 10, 12, 15 years ago or is it only the last 5 years they will be concerned with? I think I will have trouble verifying activities further back and anyone they might contact regarding this is unlikely to remember.

2)I have put down other things on my applications that demonstrate certain skills, such as returns on stock options trading. Will they look to verify these details? If so I will try and restrict myself to things I can actually substantiate.

3)When firms conduct previous employment checks do they cover basic information such as dates and job title or do they really drill down? I have a lot of experience where I have stepped up and done work normally undertaken by colleagues in more senior positions. The only people who could verify this would be my line managers at the time and I know most of them have moved on. If I say I have done x,y,z pieces of work and my employers can’t verify this the firms might think I’m exaggerating my experience/lying and take a dim view.

Thanks in advance

Giovanni

1) Typically reference checks are limited to 3 or 5 years depending on the company policy. They will need to seek any employment you’ve put on your CV, including voluntary work if it is for significant periods of time.

2) No

3) it’s typically just dates and job title as it’s practically impossible to get detail of work you have done from formal references. You may have to provide a character reference though, so getting someone who can vouch for this stepping up (if you are asked) is probably a good idea

 

[123454321]

Hi Jessica

If an interviewer asks a long question, does it look good or bad to write details down of the question and bullet-point things I want to cover in my answer before speaking?

Thank you!

 

[Daniel Boden]

Hi Jessica

If an interviewer asks a long question, does it look good or bad to write details down of the question and bullet-point things I want to cover in my answer before speaking?

Thank you!

I know I'm not Jessica but in my experience absolutely not! I have on several occasions asked for some paper to plan out my thoughts if I am asked a particularly long/difficult question. The feedback I have received has been very positive on that front. Partners have said to me in the past that it looks very professional in the way you are organising your thoughts and are then able to deliver a much stronger answer rather than starting off a response and getting stuck in your train of thought.