Ask A Graduate Recruiter Anything!

[S87]

yes anything an individual can have that is driven by their personality.

Thank you

 

[Jaysen]

Just to flag, the candidate I spoke to about CMS said this:

'With regards to some comments/"myths" I read on that particular thread, we were provided with a list of the students taking part in the scheme because we've been divided into groups. There are 126 students for all of the firm's UK offices (London, Sheffield, Scotland etc). During a networking event grad rec had said they have around 70 TCs to give out each year. So someone's observation that everyone on the VS gets a TC is not correct.'

^ Although I suppose this could still be true if they spread out the TC start dates across multiple years.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Just to flag, the candidate I spoke to about CMS said this:

'With regards to some comments/"myths" I read on that particular thread, we were provided with a list of the students taking part in the scheme because we've been divided into groups. There are 126 students for all of the firm's UK offices (London, Sheffield, Scotland etc). During a networking event grad rec had said they have around 70 TCs to give out each year. So someone's observation that everyone on the VS gets a TC is not correct.'

^ Although I suppose this could still be true if they spread out the TC start dates across multiple years.

I doubt any firm would guarantee a TC. If they were doing this, there is little point in the vacation scheme!

I suspect they end up offering the vast majority of vac schemers.

let’s say they offer 85% of people attending a vac scheme, that’s 107 students.

By the time you get some people declining the offer, getting down to approximately 70 TCs is actually not too difficult (65-70% acceptance rate for a firm like CMS is fairly common)

 

[S321]

Hi Jessica

I had a couple of questions, one being what are your views on taking a virtual internship on InsideSherpa. I’ve taken one that really interested me, and I’d like to do another. This one says it offers a certificate, do they add any value to an vac scheme/tc application or cv? I think it seems useful to mention considering it shows that I’ve demonstrated some interest in the firm, but I wasn’t sure if recruiters would see it as unimportant as there’s not a real selection process to it.

Secondly, I recently set up a blog during my free time since the COVID-19 situation, it’s more of a health and beauty review blog for various products. Can I mention this on applications? I know it’s not particularly academic nor does it require skill it’s just something I enjoy updating in my free moments.

Thank you

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica

I had a couple of questions, one being what are your views on taking a virtual internship on InsideSherpa. I’ve taken one that really interested me, and I’d like to do another. This one says it offers a certificate, do they add any value to an vac scheme/tc application or cv? I think it seems useful to mention considering it shows that I’ve demonstrated some interest in the firm, but I wasn’t sure if recruiters would see it as unimportant as there’s not a real selection process to it.

Secondly, I recently set up a blog during my free time since the COVID-19 situation, it’s more of a health and beauty review blog for various products. Can I mention this on applications? I know it’s not particularly academic nor does it require skill it’s just something I enjoy updating in my free moments.

Thank you

it’s not going to take anything away from your CV/application so if you have the time to do it, I’d recommend it.

How a firm views it will be dependent on how it fits into your application and how you detail it.

and yes, you should mention the blog too. You are downplaying it already though - any good blog will develop a range of skills, the most relevant drafting skills.

 

[Camilla]

Hi Jessica

I hope you are well?

Im having a bit of a nightmare trying to work out my 'overall degree percentage' for an application. It is not on my student transcript. I emailed my university and they told me to refer to my transcript to work it out which is not very helpful.

I have come out with two figures so far, 61% and 62% and I do not know which one is correct.

The first method I used was to just to work it out using my penultimate and final year scores which were 57.4 and 64.8. This came out at 61.2 which I assume would be rounded down to 61%.

But, if the two figures were rounded up and down before calculating (57% and 65%), it would work out to 61.8 and be rounded up to 62%.

I would be grateful for any input as to the most reasonable way to approach the calculation.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica

I hope you are well?

Im having a bit of a nightmare trying to work out my 'overall degree percentage' for an application. It is not on my student transcript. I emailed my university and they told me to refer to my transcript to work it out which is not very helpful.

I have come out with two figures so far, 61% and 62% and I do not know which one is correct.

The first method I used was to just to work it out using my penultimate and final year scores which were 57.4 and 64.8. This came out at 61.2 which I assume would be rounded down to 61%.

But, if the two figures were rounded up and down before calculating (57% and 65%), it would work out to 61.8 and be rounded up to 62%.

I would be grateful for any input as to the most reasonable way to approach the calculation.

Unfortunately I cannot comment with certainty - you will need to ask the university for clarity on how they round up or down.

 

[Camilla]

Unfortunately I cannot comment with certainty - you will need to ask the university for clarity on how they round up or down.

Thanks Jessica - I will ask.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thanks Jessica - I will ask.

There might be something on your universities website that explains grading systems and rounding up/down

 

[Daniel Boden]

Hi Jessica

I hope you are well?

Im having a bit of a nightmare trying to work out my 'overall degree percentage' for an application. It is not on my student transcript. I emailed my university and they told me to refer to my transcript to work it out which is not very helpful.

I have come out with two figures so far, 61% and 62% and I do not know which one is correct.

The first method I used was to just to work it out using my penultimate and final year scores which were 57.4 and 64.8. This came out at 61.2 which I assume would be rounded down to 61%.

But, if the two figures were rounded up and down before calculating (57% and 65%), it would work out to 61.8 and be rounded up to 62%.

I would be grateful for any input as to the most reasonable way to approach the calculation.

The way Nottingham does it (which is the way most unis do I believe) is that if the mark is .5 or above you round up and if it's below .5 you round down AFTER using the decimal averages to calculate your overall average if that makes sense?

So in your case, you would use 57.4 and 64.8 and then round that down to 61%

EDIT: but, as @Jessica Booker says, your university's website should provide clarification on that

 

[Camilla]

The way Nottingham does it (which is the way most unis do I believe) is that if the mark is .5 or above you round up and if it's below .5 you round down

Thanks Dan

Do you mean rounding up/down at the end of each academic year? That would make the most sense but I have emailed my uni to check. I can't see anything on the website.

 

[Daniel Boden]

Thanks Dan

Do you mean rounding up/down at the end of each academic year? That would make the most sense but I have emailed my uni to check. I can't see anything on the website.

No you leave those figures exact and only round up or down with the overall average

EDIT: that's the way we do it at Nottingham anyway! Your university may be different...

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

Guys, any idea about which firms and which practise areas work closely with Start-ups?

 

[Daniel Boden]

Guys, any idea about which firms and which practise areas work closely with Start-ups?

I would have a look at the Chambers rankings website and see which firms are ranked for Private Equity - Venture Capital Investments

I know Taylor Wessing is very well regarded in this area but their list will tell you more

 

[gg999]

Guys, any idea about which firms and which practise areas work closely with Start-ups?

Google: Allen & Overy and Fuse.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Guys, any idea about which firms and which practise areas work closely with Start-ups?

Most likely smaller firms given the cost of engaging a larger firm. May also want to look at some of the initiatives like A&O’s Fuse though.

This article might help too:

https://www.rocketspace.com/tech-st...12-best-law-firms-for-tech-startups-in-london

 

[Jessica Booker]

Google: Allen & Overy and Fuse.

great minds

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

Thanks for the reply guys, would it be safe to assume that VC department gets the closest to a startup because the startup has surpassed the angel stage that means it does have some sort of potential and the startup's next bet would be to get a VC on board. Not PE right because PE comes in once the business has become established and is not nascent anymore. Basically I want to be involved in a business at a nascent stage but the angel investment stage gets too early and a business may or may not move ahead from there. With PE it is different because by the time the business will reach the PE stage- everyone will believe in them and this just kills the start-up entrepreneurial experience. Am I thinking on the correct lines and should I assume that VCs will get to interact with the Start-up people the most and even during client secondments- one can go for a VC firm and work with more startups.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thanks for the reply guys, would it be safe to assume that VC department gets the closest to a startup because the startup has surpassed the angel stage that means it does have some sort of potential and the startup's next bet would be to get a VC on board. Not PE right because PE comes in once the business has become established and is not nascent anymore. Basically I want to be involved in a business at a nascent stage but the angel investment stage gets too early and a business may or may not move ahead from there. With PE it is different because by the time the business will reach the PE stage- everyone will believe in them and this just kills the start-up entrepreneurial experience. Am I thinking on the correct lines and should I assume that VCs will get to interact with the Start-up people the most and even during client secondments- one can go for a VC firm and work with more startups.

I would consider whether law is really the right route for you. It sounds like you may want to work a different sector. I am not convinced any law firm would give you the depth of specialised experience you are looking for.

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

Ma'am although I am open to multiple areas- I was just starting out to choose which firm is right for me so I narrowed it down to what work I would enjoy the most- Was my approach wrong- if yes then where- Please help!