Ask Alice G (Future Trainee at Freshfields) Anything!

[Jessica Booker]

Excuse me the ignorance what’s ATS because I usually register my details on their portal “taleo”

Applicant tracking system

Taleo is an ATS

 

[futuretraineecity]

Hi Alice!

I'm struggling to know what kind of proportions my personal statement should have in terms of me and the firm? Should it mainly just be about me and then supplementing this with research on the firm? Hope this makes sense

Also, I don't suppose you have any pointers on good places to research? I've pretty much unpicked the firm's website now haha and I don't believe there is an annual report online

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Alice!

I'm struggling to know what kind of proportions my personal statement should have in terms of me and the firm? Should it mainly just be about me and then supplementing this with research on the firm? Hope this makes sense

Also, I don't suppose you have any pointers on good places to research? I've pretty much unpicked the firm's website now haha and I don't believe there is an annual report online

Research on the firm should only be applicable to why you are applying. Telling the firm things they already know about themselves is just a waste, unless why you are explaining why it is important to you and your potential future career.

Have a look at unbiased sources - things like Chambers Student Guide and the Lex100 can provide a good starting point to see a summary of the firm and the training contract opportunities. Have a look at the deals/matters/cases on the FBD website, find the ones that particularly interest you and then read up about them from other sources to see how they write about them (rather than how the firm does).

 

[Alice G]

Hi Alice!

I'm struggling to know what kind of proportions my personal statement should have in terms of me and the firm? Should it mainly just be about me and then supplementing this with research on the firm? Hope this makes sense

Also, I don't suppose you have any pointers on good places to research? I've pretty much unpicked the firm's website now haha and I don't believe there is an annual report online

Really the whole PS is about you because even when writing about Freshfields you are still wanting to explicitly draw connections between what you’re saying you love about the firm and how it relates back to you. Similarly, for why commercial law to be strong too, it’s best to explain it through the lens of your lived experience rather than abstract comments like ‘i am excited by complex, international work’. Any statements like this have to be supported with evidence and analysis which is built upon your experiences etc.

Jess has mentioned great research points but I also find LinkedIn very useful. Try and look at what the firm is sharing and also what individual lawyers are posting about the firm. Social media channels are generally quite busy at the moment too as a way to connect to candidates so be sure to leverage this too.

 

[futuretraineecity]

Research on the firm should only be applicable to why you are applying. Telling the firm things they already know about themselves is just a waste, unless why you are explaining why it is important to you and your potential future career.

Have a look at unbiased sources - things like Chambers Student Guide and the Lex100 can provide a good starting point to see a summary of the firm and the training contract opportunities. Have a look at the deals/matters/cases on the FBD website, find the ones that particularly interest you and then read up about them from other sources to see how they write about them (rather than how the firm does).

Really the whole PS is about you because even when writing about Freshfields you are still wanting to explicitly draw connections between what you’re saying you love about the firm and how it relates back to you. Similarly, for why commercial law to be strong too, it’s best to explain it through the lens of your lived experience rather than abstract comments like ‘i am excited by complex, international work’. Any statements like this have to be supported with evidence and analysis which is built upon your experiences etc.

Jess has mentioned great research points but I also find LinkedIn very useful. Try and look at what the firm is sharing and also what individual lawyers are posting about the firm. Social media channels are generally quite busy at the moment too as a way to connect to candidates so be sure to leverage this too.

Both of these are so helpful - thank you!!

 

[Jessica Booker]

I am not sure if this is the right place to ask, but I am really confused about one of the questions in my TC application. I basically need to answer why I want to work in transactional focused law firm but, as I am coming from non-law background, I struggle to understand the difference between litigation and transactional work in terms of day-to-day tasks, etc. I did some research but all I learnt is that litigation lawyers assist clients in resolving disputes and transactional lawyers facilitate transactions. I would appreciate any advice or may be useful materials I can read. Thank you

These pages on Chambers Student Guide might be worth a read:

https://www.chambersstudent.co.uk/practice-areas/litigation-and-dispute-resolution

vs

https://www.chambersstudent.co.uk/practice-areas/corporatema

or

https://www.chambersstudent.co.uk/practice-areas/banking-and-finance

Also be aware that sitting in an advisory practice area will be very different to both a transactional practice area or a litigation one.

 

[IntrepidL]

Hi Alice,

For interview questions, relating to our success stories/motivations/failures, I was wondering how personal we can be in our answers? I have a few genuine examples that come to my mind. However, I’m slightly worried about sounding too soppy in my answers haha

 

[Alice G]

Hi Alice,

For interview questions, relating to our success stories/motivations/failures, I was wondering how personal we can be in our answers? I have a few genuine examples that come to my mind. However, I’m slightly worried about sounding too soppy in my answers haha

Hmm very good question. I actually think it depends on you and how much you wish to share. I know many people have faced a lot in life and maybe some people are at a stage to be able to share that but others aren’t and don’t wish to share certain things. I’d personally say it’s down to you and how comfortable you are to share but maybe @Jessica Booker can advise from a grad rec perspective on this.

 

[Jaysen]

Hi Alice,

For interview questions, relating to our success stories/motivations/failures, I was wondering how personal we can be in our answers? I have a few genuine examples that come to my mind. However, I’m slightly worried about sounding too soppy in my answers haha

As long as you're clearly answering the question, I'd be as personal as you're comfortable being. I always find those answers - particularly where it relates to a candidate's journey - to be very memorable/convincing.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Agree with Jaysen on this - it depends very much on you and how comfortable you are with talking about personal matters. But these answers can often be the strongest because they often come with truth rather than bravado.

It is good to show personal achievement with these things but that’s the key - is focusing on the positive outcomes/achievements.

Sometimes people can get a bit “chip on shoulder” or overly negative of the situation/other people, particularly when talking about adversity faced. Although it is important to understand those difficulties and for a picture to be painted, it’s also important to think about your language and tone in these situations.

It is also advisable to avoid anything that is going to make you upset or angry as you are probably going to become less coherent.

So if it is a more emotive topic, try to keep it matter of fact and positive. Focus on your actions/achievements and reflect on the emotions of the time rather than overly describe them. It’s also important to think about how the situation has changed you for the better, particularly if it was a challenging situation.

 

[Alice G]

Agree with Jaysen on this - it depends very much on you and how comfortable you are with talking about personal matters. But these answers can often be the strongest because they often come with truth rather than bravado.

It is good to show personal achievement with these things but that’s the key - is focusing on the positive outcomes/achievements.

Sometimes people can get a bit “chip on shoulder” or overly negative of the situation/other people, particularly when talking about adversity faced. Although it is important to understand those difficulties and for a picture to be painted, it’s also important to think about your language and tone in these situations.

It is also advisable to avoid anything that is going to make you upset or angry as you are probably going to become less coherent.

So if it is a more emotive topic, try to keep it matter of fact and positive. Focus on your actions/achievements and reflect on the emotions of the time rather than overly describe them. It’s also important to think about how the situation has changed you for the better, particularly if it was a challenging situation.

Very well said @Jessica Booker!! Amazing advice

 

[IntrepidL]

@Alice G @Jaysen @Jessica Booker Thank you! This is really helpful

 

[Anthony Abloh]

Hi everyone,

As promised, I am creating this thread so that you can ask me any questions which you may have, whether they are questions about my journey to a TC or more general ones about the process itself, ask away!

By way of background for those of you who are maybe new to the forum, I decided to explore corporate law as a career option in October 2018 and went to every event I possibly could that month. I applied to open days at the firms whose cultures I felt appealed to me and managed to secure a few of those open days. I subsequently applied for around 7/8 vacation schemes at those firms I had engaged with and I interviewed with Hogan Lovells, Shearman & Sterling and Latham, in that order. I managed to secure a spring vacation scheme with Shearman and a summer one with Latham.

Sadly, following both schemes, I was unsuccessful. However, I was really able to take stock and reflect on my journey up until that point and it set me on a slightly different path. I thoroughly enjoyed both schemes (honestly, I had the most incredible time on each of them for which I am so grateful) but I did have slight reservations regarding the training styles and how I am and operate as a person. I am someone who prefers a more hands-on teaching style, which is something I came to appreciate more about myself at university. Therefore, I decided to apply exclusively to UK-origin firms in my second cycle.

**Just to clarify, please note how I discuss the different training styles in the context of myself as an individual. There is nothing inherently 'right' or 'wrong' with US-origin and UK-origin training styles - it is all about what is best for you as a person. I have incredible friends joining US firms and who are applying to them whose personalities and preferences mean that they will thrive more with that style of training.**

In my second cycle, I made 6 applications and interviewed at HSF, A&O, Linklaters and Freshfields. I was unsuccessful with each of those firms except Freshfields, which many of you will know from my pre-interview posts was my first choice firm! I really believe that this process, whilst difficult, truthfully does work in your favour in the end. Recruiters and interviewers know their firm and they are looking for those candidates who they feel will fit in with their firm's culture and working style. Whilst rejection hurts, it really is redirection and you are on the right path for the firm which is right for you - so please keep the faith!

That's it really from me so please ask away!

If any of you have questions which are deeply personal then you can message me instead and I will try to help as best as I can. Otherwise, please do post your questions in here

Thank you for reading and I hope this thread helps!!

Hi Alice,

Do you remember how long after the deadline it was until you heard back from Freshfields?

 

[Alice G]

Hi Alice,

Do you remember how long after the deadline it was until you heard back from Freshfields?

Hi there,

I can’t remember exactly I’m afraid, I think for the WG I would say it took maybe around 3 weeks after submission? Then I want to say it was maybe another 2-3 after for the AC invite? These are true approximations so don’t quote me!

 

[Lucy 11056]

Hi Alice, I wondered if you could help with what to write about with the work experience section on Freshfields application? There is no word count and I don't want to repeat what I have written in my personal statement. How many words approximately should it be? and what should be the structure/included i.e. should it be: detail of your job roll? Skills that you have developed and why they are transferable to a trainee?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Alice, I wondered if you could help with what to write about with the work experience section on Freshfields application? There is no word count and I don't want to repeat what I have written in my personal statement. How many words approximately should it be? and what should be the structure/included i.e. should it be: detail of your job roll? Skills that you have developed and why they are transferable to a trainee?

how many words depends on the work experience itself. One entry could be very brief as maybe the experience itself was, or because the role was fairly basic, while the next could be much longer if you were there for many months/years or the work you did was much more complex.

Avoid repetition in your personal statement. You need to think of your application as a whole and how it’s component parts all fit together. Focus on details that are factual and non-self explanatory points about what you did, and what you personally achieved in the role. Freshfields don’t need you to spell out the transferable skills - these are normally very evident from your application/descriptions, although on occasion can be useful if you feel the experience developed something different to the norm.

 

[Alice G]

Hi Alice, I wondered if you could help with what to write about with the work experience section on Freshfields application? There is no word count and I don't want to repeat what I have written in my personal statement. How many words approximately should it be? and what should be the structure/included i.e. should it be: detail of your job roll? Skills that you have developed and why they are transferable to a trainee?

Hi there, I think most firms have a 250 word count so perhaps aim for that as a rule but don’t worry if some go over as some experiences are a little more rich and you may have spent a while in a particular job.

Write in prose and not bullet points. Cover what you did, the skills you developed and try to speak about instances you demonstrated those skills. So don’t just list them, use evidence to support what you’re saying

Try not to repeat stuff in the work experience. Obviously you’ll be writing about things you mention but use other examples and try to draw on different skills gained from those experiences

 

[futuretraineecity]

When matching up the 8-seat TC at FF with me, is it enough for me to be able to say that I have simply enjoyed every area of law I have tried so far so I want to remain open-minded and explore its different practices? I don't want it to appear like a weak link

 

[Alice G]

When matching up the 8-seat TC at FF with me, is it enough for me to be able to say that I have simply enjoyed every area of law I have tried so far so I want to remain open-minded and explore its different practices? I don't want it to appear like a weak link

The only way it can be a weak link is if you’re forcing the link itself and if it’s not authentically true to you. I’d try to substantiate what it is you’ve enjoyed about the various aspects you’ve experienced so it’s a bit deeper and more analytical but if you can genuinely discuss your open-mindedness and the brevity of things you enjoy then this sounds like a good point to make

just to add to this- it’s as much about whether points or links are good or bad, it’s more about how you write/explain and authentically discuss the points and links you are making. It’s less about them in and of themselves and about how you put them across and convey them on the page that’s why application writing can be so tough. Yes, it does matter substantively what you are saying and what points you are choosing to a degree but your writing and how you embed them points into your narrative is what makes a standout application

 

[Jessica Booker]

When matching up the 8-seat TC at FF with me, is it enough for me to be able to say that I have simply enjoyed every area of law I have tried so far so I want to remain open-minded and explore its different practices? I don't want it to appear like a weak link

Be careful how you word it - 8 seat TCs at Freshfields are rare btw. Many trainees would do at least 1 (if not more) six month seats.