Ask A Graduate Recruiter Anything!

[Simon Evans]

Hi Jessica, when filling in the application forms, should the work experience sections be bullet points or paragraphs?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Its pre- recorded

so you can have notes with you, but I’d advise to not read from them when you are answering questions. You typically have a short period of time to prepare before it starts recording, so notes are good for those instances. But reading from them when you are recording you answer make them come across as less genuine/more rehearsed.

I have recommended using post it notes behind your screen with key words on as prompts before - this can be a good way to remember your examples without it seeming like you a reading from a pre prepared script.

 

[Lawyerwithadream]

so you can have notes with you, but I’d advise to not read from them when you are answering questions. You typically have a short period of time to prepare before it starts recording, so notes are good for those instances. But reading from them when you are recording you answer make them come across as less genuine/more rehearsed.

I have recommended using post it notes behind your screen with key words on as prompts before - this can be a good way to remember your examples without it seeming like you a reading from a pre prepared script.

Thanks a lot Jessica

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica, when filling in the application forms, should the work experience sections be bullet points or paragraphs?

General rule is bullet points on CVs, paragraphs in online applications. I have screened online applications with bullet points though and have thought it worked better for that particular application.

• Sometimes bullet points don’t format very well on online application forms. • They end up looking like this paragraph. • Which really is why paragraphs would work better.

• Bullet points on an online application
• Should only really be used if the formatting is
• Going to look like this
• In my opinion.

 

[Simon Evans]

General rule is bullet points on CVs, paragraphs in online applications. I have screened online applications with bullet points though and have thought it worked better for that particular application.

• Sometimes bullet points don’t format very well on online application forms. • They end up looking like this paragraph. • Which really is why paragraphs would work better.

• Bullet points on an online application
• Should only really be used if the formatting is
• Going to look like this
• In my opinion.

Great, thank you.

 

[AG2000]

Hi Jessica! I was wondering if firms will care change year 1 grade requirements due to Covid? My university cancelled exams for first years, and progression into second year was done based on them. The rest of year 1 subjects exams were conducted in multiple choice form. Will they also consider mitigating circumstances due to Covid?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica! I was wondering if firms will care change year 1 grade requirements due to Covid? My university cancelled exams for first years, and progression into second year was done based on them. The rest of year 1 subjects exams were conducted in multiple choice form. Will they also consider mitigating circumstances due to Covid?

I think any 2020 grades are going to be taken with a pinch of salt to some extent given all the different combinations in which unis have awarded grades this year.

If you don’t have any formal grades, I would try to get your personal tutor to provide some form of academic reference to verify they think you would have achieved a 2.1, and attach it to any application or follow up with that reference by email.

Grades are still going to matter - I suspect firms will want to see you have achieved a 2.1, either in mock assessments, January assessments etc.

Unfortunately Covid-19 really isn’t mitigating circumstances as such as everyone is going to have the same set of circumstances. But I think firms will be open minded to assessments completed between April - July 2020 and will obviously be aware of the what’s been going on and can take that into consideration.

 

[Nat]

Hi @Jessica Booker, I would really appreciate your advice on how I should answer this application question: How do you like to work in a team? Please give supporting evidence of this.

Should I prepare a STAR answer or give various examples without the whole Task/Action/Result format? The application form also includes the question of Give an example of where you have taken responsibility for others - describe the situation and your contribution which is definitely a STAR question.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Many thanks
Nat

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi @Jessica Booker, I would really appreciate your advice on how I should answer this application question: How do you like to work in a team? Please give supporting evidence of this.

Should I prepare a STAR answer or give various examples without the whole Task/Action/Result format? The application form also includes the question of Give an example of where you have taken responsibility for others - describe the situation and your contribution which is definitely a STAR question.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Many thanks
Nat

I don’t think STAR/CAR is really needed in this answer. It’s just asking you to say how you “like” working in teams, rather than what you have done/what the outcomes in teams were.

I would think carefully about the specifics of when you have really enjoyed working in teams - what was it that you enjoyed, and explain the dynamics of that. Your evidence can be just be referencing that detail, rather than the heavy detail that would be in a STAR answer.

This question is much more of a strengths based question, so to me STAR/CAR doesn’t really work.

 

[Nat]

I don’t think STAR/CAR is really needed in this answer. It’s just asking you to say how you “like” working in teams, rather than what you have done/what the outcomes in teams were.

I would think carefully about the specifics of when you have really enjoyed working in teams - what was it that you enjoyed, and explain the dynamics of that. Your evidence can be just be referencing that detail, rather than the heavy detail that would be in a STAR answer.

This question is much more of a strengths based question, so to me STAR/CAR doesn’t really work.

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. This is very useful - especially for someone who usually gets strength based questions wrong!

Many thanks again

 

[smith363]

Hi Jess,

Hope you are well, I just have a quick query regarding an application for a direct training contract.

The website for the firm I applied to says that once submitted the next stage would be a Watson Glaser test and then an interview and it gives the dates that these would have taken place with skype interviews concluding on the 16th July. However I have not heard a peep since I submitted my application and can see on linkedin people have been offered training contracts with the firm (probably from the vacation scheme/insight day which was held previously).

Is it ok to email graduate recruitment to ask if I have been unsuccessful or should I wait for them to contact me?

My instinct is telling me it could have all been delayed due to covid and have simply taken on people from the vacation schemes but waiting for the rejection is killing me! haha

Thanks

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jess,

Hope you are well, I just have a quick query regarding an application for a direct training contract.

The website for the firm I applied to says that once submitted the next stage would be a Watson Glaser test and then an interview and it gives the dates that these would have taken place with skype interviews concluding on the 16th July. However I have not heard a peep since I submitted my application and can see on linkedin people have been offered training contracts with the firm (probably from the vacation scheme/insight day which was held previously).

Is it ok to email graduate recruitment to ask if I have been unsuccessful or should I wait for them to contact me?

My instinct is telling me it could have all been delayed due to covid and have simply taken on people from the vacation schemes but waiting for the rejection is killing me! haha

Thanks

As they have publicly stated interview dates previously and we are a couple of weeks post that date, then there is no issue contacting them to ask for an update.

 

[smith363]

As they have publicly stated interview dates previously and we are a couple of weeks post that date, then there is no issue contacting them to ask for an update.

Thank you

 

[SRW]

Hi @Jessica Booker ,

I've seen some people mentioning virtual ACs at firms whose TC deadline isn't up yet and are being reviewed on a non-rolling basis.

Are these post vac scheme ACs in light of Covid? Or are they TC stream specific?

Just a little confused. Thank you!

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

@Jessica Booker @Alice G @CarinaH Would you happen to know the firms which are very huge into taking up mental health initiatives?
Thanks all of you.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi @Jessica Booker ,

I've seen some people mentioning virtual ACs at firms whose TC deadline isn't up yet and are being reviewed on a non-rolling basis.

Are these post vac scheme ACs in light of Covid? Or are they TC stream specific?

Just a little confused. Thank you!

could be either - unfortunately the only people who will be able to tell you are the individual graduate recruitment teams.

Think firms are having to be a lot more flexible this year and if they have had non-rolling recruitment, they could have easily changed their mind given the current circumstances.

 

[Jessica Booker]

@Jessica Booker @Alice G @CarinaH Would you happen to know the firms which are very huge into taking up mental health initiatives?
Thanks all of you.

Unfortunately I don’t know the specifics of each firm to be able to comment on this and it’s very difficult to make comparisons because their isn’t a lot of benchmarking.

My advice would be to look at the firms you want to apply to and see what initiatives they do to support mental health causes, whether through their CSR initiatives or through their employee network/programmes.

 

[Brandon93]

Hi Jessica,

I'm currently applying to a firm and my A level equivalent and GCSE equivalent are both international qualifications. However, there is no text box to explain my qualifications further like I usually see on other apply4law forms. Would you suggest I put this info into the mitigating circumstances box and explain that I'm doing so because of lack of space? Or should I just exclude it all together?

Thanks,
Brandon

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

Thank you @Jessica Booker have a good day!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica,

I'm currently applying to a firm and my A level equivalent and GCSE equivalent are both international qualifications. However, there is no text box to explain my qualifications further like I usually see on other apply4law forms. Would you suggest I put this info into the mitigating circumstances box and explain that I'm doing so because of lack of space? Or should I just exclude it all together?

Thanks,
Brandon

I think that’s a good idea. Just don’t negatively frame the “because I couldn’t put it anywhere else/lack of space”, just say something like: “To clarify my academic grades from X country”