Ask A Graduate Recruiter Anything!

[Jessica Booker]

Hi again, @Jessica Booker and thanks so much for all the answers! They've been extremely helpful!

I just have two onboarding-related questions if that's all right!

First of all, the firm I have a vac scheme with is asking me to apply for a national insurance number, as I've stated I don't have one on their onboarding portal. The thing is, I'm not resident in the UK at present and am doing remote study due to COVID. I would assume this means I can't apply for a NIN since a prerequisite is that you "live in England & Wales". I have family who live in England and I always stayed with them when I went there (except of course while I was staying at halls during my first year of uni) so could I use that address to apply? I'll likely be staying with them while doing my vac scheme in June too. Note that my permanent residence is in a foreign country.

Second, I'm a bit confused as to the DBS section on the Vero Screening platform. I previously obtained a DBS certificate for volunteer work. On the certificate, there are some digits that constitute my "certificate number". However, Vero is asking for my "profile number". I don't have a DBS profile since my certificate application went via a third party (if I understand correctly). Are the two numbers the same? The screening form is also asking about "position held or applied for". Is that referring to the position I'm being onboarded for now (i.e. the vac scheme) or the one I originally got the DBS certificate for?

Finally, in the "activity history" section, do I list insight schemes as well? Some of these only lasted 2-3 days and I'm unsure what I could categorise them as (Work experience? Internship?) and what I could fill in where it says "reasons for leaving". Would I also have to include a student consulting project I worked on for a company?

Thanks so much!

You’ll still need an NI number as you are employed by a UK entity and therefore you and your employer are subject to UK tax. You can apply for a NI number online - use your university address or family address. You would be living at one if it wasn’t for Covid.

Your employer is likely to get a new DBS certificate, so just leave I blank. You should use your job title on your contract/offer letter. When you fill in the form this time, tick the box that means you receive all the application details.

List any employment. If you received a payment for the insight schemes include it. If you didn't, don't.

It was four questions 😉

 

[AAA_a]

Far less likely as many paralegal roles won't meet the salary criteria for the visa, and then the additional costs for a high flight risk role plus a good domestic market supply also means it probably isn't going to be necessary in most instances. There will be exceptions though - probably any paralegal roles that require fluency in another language for instance.

Thanks, and wondering if GDL graduates can apply for the graduate work visa starting from July this year? The only information I can find says it should be at an undergraduate level or above course and with a valid Tier 4 visa. I graduated in 2020 but I assumed GDL is equivalent to an undergraduate course in the sense that they are both Level 6 NQF?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thanks, and wondering if GDL graduates can apply for the graduate work visa starting from July this year? The only information I can find says it should be at an undergraduate level or above course and with a valid Tier 4 visa. I graduated in 2020 but I assumed GDL is equivalent to an undergraduate course in the sense that they are both Level 6 NQF?

If you graduated from the GDL in 2020, you won't be eligible for the visa. Only applies for 2021 graduations onwards.

It should be eligible but you should check your academic provider the visa is attached in part to them. You might not be eligible if you choose to do a fast track course that is less than an academic year though nor a part-time course.

 

[AAA_a]

If you graduated from the GDL in 2020, you won't be eligible for the visa. Only applies for 2021 graduations onwards.

It should be eligible but you should check your academic provider the visa is attached in part to them. You might not be eligible if you choose to do a fast track course that is less than an academic year though nor a part-time course.

Thanks, no I am graduating in June this year from a full time GDL at ULaw. In case I don't secure any VS/TC I would want to look for paralegal roles and therefore I am looking at visa options either Graduate Work Visa or Youth Mobility Scheme (I am an Australian citizen) which will allow me to work full time in the UK.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thanks, no I am graduating in June this year from a full time GDL at ULaw. In case I don't secure any VS/TC I would want to look for paralegal roles and therefore I am looking at visa options either Graduate Work Visa or Youth Mobility Scheme (I am an Australian citizen) which will allow me to work full time in the UK.

Ask ULaw about the eligibility - they should be able to confirm from a course perspective. You should look at the criteria from an individual perspective

 

[Alice07]

Hi Jessica,

Are PGDL grades make or break?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica,

Are PGDL grades make or break?

Singular module grades no. If they were all scrapped through passes and the firm wanted strong academic results, maybe. Really depends on the rest of your academic profile though

 

[Lily721]

Hi Jess,

I wanted to ask why do employers ask "what is your salary expectation" on application forms?
Is it so that they can offer you less money if you say you expect less money compared to other candidates? I never know what to answer so sometimes I just put "competitive London rate" but I worry this can be construed negatively. And for this particular position I do know the salary ranges between £20-25k.

And equally them asking about your current salary. For me personally, it differs every month so I usually put that down.

I just never know if there is some sort of expectation when you are answering these questions?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jess,

I wanted to ask why do employers ask "what is your salary expectation" on application forms?
Is it so that they can offer you less money if you say you expect less money compared to other candidates? I never know what to answer so sometimes I just put "competitive London rate" but I worry this can be construed negatively. And for this particular position I do know the salary ranges between £20-25k.

And equally them asking about your current salary. For me personally, it differs every month so I usually put that down.

I just never know if there is some sort of expectation when you are answering these questions?

Is this for a paralegal role or for a training contract/vacation scheme?

 

[Lily721]

Is this for a paralegal role or for a training contract/vacation scheme?

It is actually for two roles I am currently applying for. One is paralegal and the other is admin - both have the same questions.

 

[Jessica Booker]

It is actually for two roles I am currently applying for. One is paralegal and the other is admin - both have the same questions.

If anything it’s actually to ensure they don’t waste their time with people whose earning expectations are above what they can pay. You’d be surprised how many people who expect a salary of £40k will apply for a job that’s paying less than £25k.

Strangely employers don’t tend to “underpay” you - it’s not in their interests to do so because you’ll be at a much higher risk of leaving to go elsewhere for a better salary. They tend to have an idea of what they will pay (usually a salary band) and will weigh up your experience and think where you will be within that band. Two people applying to the same role could be offered two very different salaries, where one could have more experience/qualifications in the field than the next. It’s very rarely the case that you just go with the person with the lowest salary expectations, you just tend to weigh up the candidates and consider whether they present value for money and are going to be motivated to do the job on that salary.

With your salary expectations, you have to weigh up what you have been earning and how much you think the role will pay, as well as how much experience you have an then try to come to a logical conclusion based on those variables.

 

[Lily721]

If anything it’s actually to ensure they don’t waste their time with people whose earning expectations are above what they can pay. You’d be surprised how many people who expect a salary of £40k will apply for a job that’s paying less than £25k.

Strangely employers don’t tend to “underpay” you - it’s not in their interests to do so because you’ll be at a much higher risk of leaving to go elsewhere for a better salary. They tend to have an idea of what they will pay (usually a salary band) and will weigh up your experience and think where you will be within that band. Two people applying to the same role could be offered two very different salaries, where one could have more experience/qualifications in the field than the next. It’s very rarely the case that you just go with the person with the lowest salary expectations, you just tend to weigh up the candidates and consider whether they present value for money and are going to be motivated to do the job on that salary.

With your salary expectations, you have to weigh up what you have been earning and how much you think the role will pay, as well as how much experience you have an then try to come to a logical conclusion based on those variables.

That makes sense! Thank you!

 

[hopefullawyer123]

Hello @Jessica Booker I hope you are well! For an upcoming interview I was planning to discuss the retail sector/ shift to online retail if asked about a commercial story. I have realised from comments on the forum that this seems to be a popular topic for interviewees to discuss as their commercial topic during an AC. Should this put me off discussing it & should I look to another topic? I felt I had some unique points on the issue as well as recommendations for the firm specifically on this topic but now I feel it may look badly on me to discuss such a popular issue.
Thanks in advance for your time

 

[AspiringSolicitor99]

Hi Jessica,

Is it better to send thank you notes to speakers via email or LinkedIn following an insight scheme?

Thank you!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica,

Is it better to send thank you notes to speakers via email or LinkedIn following an insight scheme?

Thank you!

Email - LinkedIn is a personal space, while their work email is a professional one

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica,

I understand that candidates are usually advised to have completed vacation schemes prior to applying for a direct training contract. I have only completed one virtual vacation scheme where we all tackled the same fixed tasks. I was wondering if this one vacation scheme, considering that I did not really conduct much 'real work', gives me sufficient experience to apply for a direct TC?

I am specifically looking to apply to a firm where I was rejected for another opportunity at the end of last year. Since then, I have completed the aforementioned virtual vacation scheme and am about to complete a postgraduate degree. I was wondering if these count as 'significant development' making it worthwhile for me to reapply?

Thank you very much!

I think it depends on what other work experience you have in the totality of your application form. Other experiences will count towards an application, not just legal experiences.

As long as there are other developments on your application since then, it is fine to reapply. If your application generally looks very similar , then consider whether you should refine your answers to questions or change them to stronger examples.

 

[Karin]

I think it depends on what other work experience you have in the totality of your application form. Other experiences will count towards an application, not just legal experiences.

As long as there are other developments on your application since then, it is fine to reapply. If your application generally looks very similar , then consider whether you should refine your answers to questions or change them to stronger examples.

I completely agree. I had mostly non-legal work experience and uni society positions and had one 4-day long vacation scheme that I mentioned in my work experience section. It did not really come up anywhere else, not in my app or interviews, as it was quite simple and didn't give me that much. I had however quite a few open days - I think what matters is that you can show you 1) know what being a lawyer is about, and 2) have properly thought about it & want to become a lawyer.

 

[Lily721]

Hi Jess,

I have this interview tomorrow that happened in an unusual way and I only found out about it today.
From what I have been told, if I am successful they would ideally want me to start immediately.

I have to be away for a bit and just wanted to ask you whether I should mention this tomorrow to my interviewer? They did indicate this is a first stage interview so I just don’t know what to disclose when.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jess,

I have this interview tomorrow that happened in an unusual way and I only found out about it today.
From what I have been told, if I am successful they would ideally want me to start immediately.

I have to be away for a bit and just wanted to ask you whether I should mention this tomorrow to my interviewer? They did indicate this is a first stage interview so I just don’t know what to disclose when.

How much time would you need off and how soon would you need the time?

 

[Lily721]

How much time would you need off and how soon would you need the time?

I am going away at the end of this week for roughly about 2 weeks. But I also have told them that I have a part-time job so I assume they would take that into consideration about my start availability