Ask A Graduate Recruiter Anything!

[fta2024]

Is your percentile for an actual assessment or is this a practice test?

An actual assessment. I got really high scores on practice tests

 

[Jessica Booker]

An actual assessment. I got really high scores on practice tests

It is tricky to know the exact benchmark the firm would have - I have known them to be as low as the 17th percentile for some firms but as high as 67/68th percentile for other firms.

It could easily be the case where you are around the middle of these to extremes, that you could have done enough to be considered.

 

[fta2024]

It is tricky to know the exact benchmark the firm would have - I have known them to be as low as the 17th percentile for some firms but as high as 67/68th percentile for other firms.

It could easily be the case where you are around the middle of these to extremes, that you could have done enough to be considered.

I ended up getting rejected actually and that’s why I asked what the score was just in case that would’ve contributed? I thought I really did badly on the test to get in that percentile which was why I was curious as to what they benchmark against

 

[Jessica Booker]

I ended up getting rejected actually and that’s why I asked what the score was just in case that would’ve contributed? I thought I really did badly on the test to get in that percentile which was why I was curious as to what they benchmark against

It is a possibility.

 

[Lastseasonwonder]

Hi @Jessica Booker do you think it is a good idea to include an except of written feedback for a task I did really well on during a vacation scheme in my work experience section after having talked about that task?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi @Jessica Booker do you think it is a good idea to include an except of written feedback for a task I did really well on during a vacation scheme in my work experience section after having talked about that task?

I wouldn’t include the word for word feedback received but you can say in a more concise way something like:

I completed a research note on the use of AI in the Civil Service, which received positive feedback from a partner on its clarity and structure.

 

[tobywstress]

For a question asking 'Describe briefly why you decided to pursue a career in law and your career objectives.', should I focus the first part on why commercial law or it must be the general nature of legal work?
Moreover, is there a way to answer the second part? I can think of career objectives as going from trainee to NQ and then working towards equity partnership but is this the way to answer the question?

 

[veronicasmith]

If you have mitigating circumstances, you don’t have to worry about who is or isn’t open to these grades - your mitigating circumstances negate your grades.

right you are

 

[Aspiringsolicitor01]

Hi @Jessica Booker can you advise how firms look at learning disabilities like ADHD, ASD, dyslexia etc? I suffer from one but am not sure if I should put it on my cv. It impacts the way I work so people will realise in the end if I do finally get a TC, so I feel I should include it.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi @Jessica Booker can you advise how firms look at learning disabilities like ADHD, ASD, dyslexia etc? I suffer from one but am not sure if I should put it on my cv. It impacts the way I work so people will realise in the end if I do finally get a TC, so I feel I should include it.

You don’t need to include this on a CV and in many instances would not not to include it generally (excluding the equal opportunities questions where you will also be asked about your gender, age, ethnicity etc as these can not be associated with your individual application.

You don’t have to reference any neurodiversity or learning condition until you need to complete a recruitment assessment that requires a reasonable adjustment. For some people they will not need an adjustment for this stage though.

For instance, I have ADHD but it does not impact me for things like assessments and interviews, so I will not request an adjustment in the recruitment process. However, I do tell employers at the point I join an organisation as to the adjustments I require at then, as my requirements are much more associated with day to day processes and working environments rather than specific tasks.

For those that do requirement adjustments to the recruitment process, then rather than including this in an application form or CV, at the point you are invited to a stage where you need an adjustment (such as additional time for a psychometric test) you can contact the recruitment team or HR point of contact, and advise them of the adjustment you need ahead of completing it.

You have a legal right to only disclosing such information when you need to (eg ahead of the assessment or when you join), rather than at the start of the process. You also have a legal right to control who is informed of your requirements. For instance, you can say you only want the HR or graduate recruitment person to know, but that any other assessors or interviewers should not be made aware of your condition, unless you are keen for them to know about it.

I would stress, however, that some candidates do feel that they can disclose their conditions in application forms or CVs/cover letters as it is part of their candidacy. For instance, I have seen people reference dealing with a condition in questions around dealing with challenges. In other examples, I have seen people reference being in roles that support other people with the same condition, and so they naturally want to disclose their expertise in the matter and are comfortable point in doing so. I have also seen people disclose conditions where they are claiming mitigating circumstances to academic grades being lower.

It is definitely not an issue to do this. If you are comfortable disclosing your condition and are very open about it, then there is nothing stopping you from including such information in application form or CV.

However, you don’t have to include this information if it is something you do not want to disclose at that stage or if you don’t feel it’s relevant to any information presented in the application form.

 

[Aspiringlawyer26]

Hi Jessica , I hope you are well! I wanted some advice regarding applying to vac schemes this year. I haven’t performed as well on my first year exams as I hoped and averaged a 2:2. Many firms want a 2:1 or a 1:1 from vac schemers. I do not know whether I should apply to vac schemes this year if there is the possibility of rejection because of my grades as applications can be intense and take up a lot of time. For context, my criminal law grade had a mitigating circumstance which was accepted by my university. But my public law grade let me down as I genuinely struggled with the content. Can you guide me as to what I should do? I’m not sure who else to go to at the moment as I don’t have any mentors.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica , I hope you are well! I wanted some advice regarding applying to vac schemes this year. I haven’t performed as well on my first year exams as I hoped and averaged a 2:2. Many firms want a 2:1 or a 1:1 from vac schemers. I do not know whether I should apply to vac schemes this year if there is the possibility of rejection because of my grades as applications can be intense and take up a lot of time. For context, my criminal law grade had a mitigating circumstance which was accepted by my university. But my public law grade let me down as I genuinely struggled with the content. Can you guide me as to what I should do? I’m not sure who else to go to at the moment as I don’t have any mentors.

If you excluded your criminal law grade, what would your average be?

 

[Aspiringlawyer26]

Hey Jessica, I'll give you a module breakdown: 63 tort law, 67 contract law, 56 public law. The average would be a low 2:1, if criminal law was excluded. Will my first year grades be taken into consideration for TC's or vac schemes too?