Ask A Graduate Recruiter Anything!

[Jessica Booker]

Thank you Jessica. Yeah, I was just very disappointed to read it. I was quite happy with my final results and looking forward to applying. Really hope that this won’t be a theme across other firms.

have you got a screenshot/image of this wording? I couldn’t see it anywhere

 

[TChopeful2021]

have you got a screenshot/image of this wording? I couldn’t see it anywhere

Sorry to interject but here are the screenshots.

The first one is under the job description. The second screen shot is one of the application questions when you apply.

 

[Simon Evans]

Sorry to interject but here are the screenshots.

The first one is under the job description. The second screen shot is one of the application questions when you apply.

I wonder if this was an IT mixup and should have read as that for the vacation scheme application. That would make sense as they'd look to limit participants when it could be virtual and they seem to target penultimate years for that normally.

I have just been on the website and the applications aren't open now.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Sorry to interject but here are the screenshots.

The first one is under the job description. The second screen shot is one of the application questions when you apply.

thanks - I have contacted the firm to see if they have provide detail on why they are doing this. Will come back to you all once I have heard back.

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

@Jessica Booker hope you are doing well. Could you clarify one thing please, I am in a 5 year law course in India and I just finished with my 3rd year exams, my first class in my 4th year(penultimate year) will begin on August 20,2020. Linklaters' India Internship programme's deadline for penultimate year students was July 31, 2020. The applications for the India Internship programme opened on June 19,2020 when I was still preparing for my 3rd year exams. So my question is- that if on June 19,2021 applications for India Internship open again for Penultimate year students, and let's suppose that my 5th and final year's classes will begin of August 20,2021, will I be eligible for the India Internship on June 19,2021 when the applications for the India Internship will open again?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Sorry to interject but here are the screenshots.

The first one is under the job description. The second screen shot is one of the application questions when you apply.

I have spoken to Laura in the Grad Rec team.

This has actually been their attitude/approach to recruitment for some time, especially given their feeder programmes (insight events, Spark and the like).

They just decided to be much more transparent about it this year, especially in light of increased application numbers (seems firms have had a significant increase in applications across the board).

 

[S87]

I have spoken to Laura in the Grad Rec team.

This has actually been their attitude/approach to recruitment for some time, especially given their feeder programmes (insight events, Spark and the like).

They just decided to be much more transparent about it this year, especially in light of increased application numbers (seems firms have had a significant increase in applications across the board).

It makes sense given their strategy to get the best candidates as early as possible...and not leave them to their competitors.

 

[Jessica Booker]

It makes sense given their strategy to get the best candidates as early as possible...and not leave them to their competitors.

Especially if there is evidence to say the earlier you recruit, the less likely you are to lose diverse talent once they are in your process.

 

[Jessica Booker]

@Jessica Booker hope you are doing well. Could you clarify one thing please, I am in a 5 year law course in India and I just finished with my 3rd year exams, my first class in my 4th year(penultimate year) will begin on August 20,2020. Linklaters' India Internship programme's deadline for penultimate year students was July 31, 2020. The applications for the India Internship programme opened on June 19,2020 when I was still preparing for my 3rd year exams. So my question is- that if on June 19,2021 applications for India Internship open again for Penultimate year students, and let's suppose that my 5th and final year's classes will begin of August 20,2021, will I be eligible for the India Internship on June 19,2021 when the applications for the India Internship will open again?

You will need to be in your penultimate year when you complete the internship.

 

[S87]

Especially if there is evidence to say the earlier you recruit, the less likely you are to lose diverse talent once they are in your process.

After all they aim to make money, and you can make it if you have the right talent!!

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

You will need to be in your penultimate year when you complete the internship.

SO now that the application deadline has gone and when it will come next year- I will be in my final year, this makes me ineligible for the India Internship for life? Is that correct?

 

[smileylawyer]

Hi @Jessica Booker!
This is a rather specific question, but I was wondering whether lawyers/trainee solicitors within Swiss Vereins often liaise with lawyers from overseas jurisdictions, and do they normally share/refer clients?

 

[Jessica Booker]

SO now that the application deadline has gone and when it will come next year- I will be in my final year, this makes me ineligible for the India Internship for life? Is that correct?

I can’t quite work out the timings of when your academic year runs to and from and when the internship is, so I can’t say.

If it’s the summer/holiday break between your penultimate year and final year, you are still a penultimate year student at that point.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi @Jessica Booker!
This is a rather specific question, but I was wondering whether lawyers/trainee solicitors within Swiss Vereins often liaise with lawyers from overseas jurisdictions, and do they normally share/refer clients?

I have only worked for one Swiss Verein and I couldn’t really tell the difference between the levels of international work to the MC firms I worked for. If anything it felt more international, but that might have been where they weren’t HQ’d in London - they had a much larger presence outside of London and therefore a lot of the work the London office did was through deals coming through from other offices.

They don’t have to refer clients though - they are working under one brand. If the work has to be done by another office within that brand, it will be done - so there aren’t really “referrals” as such.

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

Do we have to be in our penultimate year at the time of making the application or at the time of the actual internship? And is your answer going to be universal or will it vary from firm to firm- as in, does the ambit of the term 'penultimate year' differ from firm to firm? @Jessica Booker

 

[S87]

Do we have to be in our penultimate year at the time of making the application or at the time of the actual internship? And is your answer going to be universal or will it vary from firm to firm- as in, does the ambit of the term 'penultimate year' differ from firm to firm? @Jessica Booker

At the time of the application I believe

 

[Jessica Booker]

Do we have to be in our penultimate year at the time of making the application or at the time of the actual internship? And is your answer going to be universal or will it vary from firm to firm- as in, does the ambit of the term 'penultimate year' differ from firm to firm? @Jessica Booker

It gets confusing if the application window is between academic years and the internship is also in between years (or not).

You should either still be in your penultimate year, or have just finished your penultimate year when you do the internship.

 

[tractor12]

When you reapply to a firm you have got through the application stage before, what exactly should you be changing? Most experiences will still be the same

I know firms say to show an improvement since your last application - but is it likely they will look at my old application and compare/remember it?

 

[Changes]

When you reapply to a firm you have got through the application stage before, what exactly should you be changing? Most experiences will still be the same

I know firms say to show an improvement since your last application - but is it likely they will look at my old application and compare/remember it?

It could be anything. Your writing, you may have new experiences to add since it's been a year, their questions may have changed or you may want to refine your answers. If you got through the application previously then the improvement is probably needed in the next stage. But I applied to a firm this year that used the same application form for both their spring workshop and TC. Having been successful for one, I still sought to improve my application for the TC, even though they said we didn't have to.

 

[tractor12]

It could be anything. Your writing, you may have new experiences to add since it's been a year, their questions may have changed or you may want to refine your answers. If you got through the application previously then the improvement is probably needed in the next stage. But I applied to a firm this year that used the same application form for both their spring workshop and TC. Having been successful for one, I still sought to improve my application for the TC, even though they said we didn't have to.

Thanks for the response. Definitely - it’s a great opportunity to update it with anything I’ve done in the year and look over anything I’ve said and find ways to improve it.

I suppose I mean when they ask questions like “when have you shown ___” or “tell me about a topic that interests you” is it necessary to think of a different example? And would they even be aware if I didn’t change it?

Also if I previously reached a very late stage in the process, is it a good idea to explicitly mention that and explain how I’ve improved since?