Baker McKenzie D&I Question

[arbitracion]

Hi guys, I'm currently applying for a vacation scheme at Baker McKenzie, but I don't understand the below question:

[...] Please outline which diversity & inclusion Baker groups you would support, and detail any initiatives you may have previously been involved in.

I understand the first part, but what does it mean exactly by 'initiatives I may have previously been involved in'? Not exactly sure what more to include to get to 300 words

 

[Jaysen]

Hi guys, I'm currently applying for a vacation scheme at Baker McKenzie, but I don't understand the below question:

[...] Please outline which diversity & inclusion Baker groups you would support, and detail any initiatives you may have previously been involved in.

I understand the first part, but what does it mean exactly by 'initiatives I may have previously been involved in'? Not exactly sure what more to include to get to 300 words

Consider whether you have been involved in any organisations/projects/activities that have developed your understanding of D&I and/or made this an issue of importance to you.

 

[arbitracion]

Consider whether you have been involved in any organisations/projects/activities that have developed your understanding of D&I and/or made this an issue of importance to you.

Thanks so much!

 

[Josh Hardy]

Consider whether you have been involved in any organisations/projects/activities that have developed your understanding of D&I and/or made this an issue of importance to you.

Hi Jaysen - I was wondering about this too actually. Specifically whether I should bother applying if there simply aren't any 'initiatives' that I've been involved in? Seems like I'd be missing out on a key part of the question, even though I could still convincingly talk about D&I being important me (I think) - Certainly don't want to waste my time with it if you think it wouldn't go anywhere as a result of this?!

 

[Jaysen]

Hi Jaysen - I was wondering about this too actually. Specifically whether I should bother applying if there simply aren't any 'initiatives' that I've been involved in? Seems like I'd be missing out on a key part of the question, even though I could still convincingly talk about D&I being important me (I think) - Certainly don't want to waste my time with it if you think it wouldn't go anywhere as a result of this?!

I'd note that it doesn't need to be anything overly formal. It could be any activity where you realised the value of having a diverse and inclusive group. The example itself isn't so important; it's far more about the points you draw out.

 

[Josh Hardy]

I'd note that it doesn't need to be anything overly formal. It could be any activity where you realised the value of having a diverse and inclusive group. The example itself isn't so important; it's far more about the points you draw out.

Great, thanks Jaysen!

 

[Lawyerwithadream]

Hi @Jaysen I was wondering how to approach the following question: Tell us about something – anything – that excites and inspires you. I'm not sure whether STAR would be applicable.

Thank you

 

[Alice G]

Hi @Jaysen I was wondering how to approach the following question: Tell us about something – anything – that excites and inspires you. I'm not sure whether STAR would be applicable.

Thank you

You don't really need to do STARR here, STARR is best for competency driven questions that are assessing a skill or attribute - think 'tell me about a time when' questions

I think a great approach for this type of question is as follows:

1. introduce the 'something' that inspires you
2. inform the reader about this where appropriate - I always like when candidates can tell me something I didn't know or something which is new to me
3. Explain in real depth and with specificity as to why this inspires you
4. it can be nice to round off with a bit of a reflective point

This is not a hard and fast rule by any stretch but I have seen a few responses to similar questions and I tend to quite like that balance between informing the reader but then having that personal touch of really explaining why it excites you and really showcasing your personality in that way.

I think the best thing here is to not overthink it and just put pen to paper because then you can start to see the response taking shape and you can restructure and edit as you see fit. With these types of questions where there isn't more of a prescribed structure it can just be a case of trial and error and figuring out what you think is best.

I hope this helps to get you started!

 

[Lawyerwithadream]

You don't really need to do STARR here, STARR is best for competency driven questions that are assessing a skill or attribute - think 'tell me about a time when' questions

I think a great approach for this type of question is as follows:

1. introduce the 'something' that inspires you
2. inform the reader about this where appropriate - I always like when candidates can tell me something I didn't know or something which is new to me
3. Explain in real depth and with specificity as to why this inspires you
4. it can be nice to round off with a bit of a reflective point

This is not a hard and fast rule by any stretch but I have seen a few responses to similar questions and I tend to quite like that balance between informing the reader but then having that personal touch of really explaining why it excites you and really showcasing your personality in that way.

I think the best thing here is to not overthink it and just put pen to paper because then you can start to see the response taking shape and you can restructure and edit as you see fit. With these types of questions where there isn't more of a prescribed structure it can just be a case of trial and error and figuring out what you think is best.

I hope this helps to get you started!

Thank you very much for this! This is very helpful

 

[Jaysen]

Thank you very much for this! This is very helpful

You don't really need to do STARR here, STARR is best for competency driven questions that are assessing a skill or attribute - think 'tell me about a time when' questions

I think a great approach for this type of question is as follows:

1. introduce the 'something' that inspires you
2. inform the reader about this where appropriate - I always like when candidates can tell me something I didn't know or something which is new to me
3. Explain in real depth and with specificity as to why this inspires you
4. it can be nice to round off with a bit of a reflective point

This is not a hard and fast rule by any stretch but I have seen a few responses to similar questions and I tend to quite like that balance between informing the reader but then having that personal touch of really explaining why it excites you and really showcasing your personality in that way.

I think the best thing here is to not overthink it and just put pen to paper because then you can start to see the response taking shape and you can restructure and edit as you see fit. With these types of questions where there isn't more of a prescribed structure it can just be a case of trial and error and figuring out what you think is best.

I hope this helps to get you started!

As Alice said, I wouldn't worry about STAR here. This is exactly the kind of question where I wouldn't stick too rigidly to a structure - the key to this answer is to talk about something that you personally find exciting/inspiring with passion. It's a great question to give an insight into your personality