BCLP TC app question

[Jessica Booker]

Is it ok to use a deal that BCLP have worked on in their Paris office to explain why their work is interesting or should I stick to deals their London office are only doing, especially as I am applying to their London office?

Only if it is a reference rather than detailed explanation of the deal.

 

[FutureCity]

Is it ok to use a deal that BCLP have worked on in their Paris office to explain why their work is interesting or should I stick to deals their London office are only doing, especially as I am applying to their London office?

Use any deal you like, but I would recommend against using a deal unless it is genuinely interesting to you and it’s an area you have studied/worked in/showed passion for.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Use any deal you like, but I would recommend against using a deal unless it is genuinely interesting to you and it’s an area you have studied/worked in/showed passion for.

I’d agree with this - sometimes it can come across as a bit like “well you aren’t going to work on this deal as it has already happened and you won’t be joining until 2-3 years time”. Where it can work is when you say something like “working on matters like the recent restructuring deal Joe Bloggs LLP completed for Major Finance FTSE 100 Company, appeal to me because I have a strong interest in X, Y and Z”.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hey! I am still getting my head around the sector/ area difference. On their website there are 6 main headings within the sectors tab. One is Financial Services which has within it banking, investment management and a couple more. Just to clarify, Financial Services is the sector they want you to talk about and then you can say specifically banking within that?

I struggling to find the seat options which doesn't help. Chambers student has a completely different set of seat options.

If you do a seat in financial services will you experience all that included within financial services?

Be interested in how others interpret it.

Chambers will be accurate as the profiles are signed off by the firm. It might just be slight changes in names, especially if it helps to simplify the language.

They don’t want you to talk about something specifically - they just want to talk about your interests.

 

[Eliza9999]

This is an interesting question and to be honest I’ve never come across something like this so whatever I say subsequently is just honestly how I’d try to approach this if I was answering.

I think it’s important to make an effort with everyone in an organisation and this is something I’d address in the question. Partners are important people and you can learn a lot from them but secretaries, personal assistants, HR/learning and development, IT technicians, PSLs, library staff, mail room staff and catering staff (and many others!) all massively contribute towards a firm and its success. This is something I personally feel very strongly about and I think it’s really important for everyone, regardless of their role, to feel valued and celebrated in an organisation.

I’d also be inclined to highlight how important it is to make an effort with your trainee cohort. They’ll be your support system and the people who will most likely help you out if you need it so think it’s important to invest time in building these relationships. I’d probably do this by making sure I check in with people for coffee and schedule lunches to make sure I know how people are getting on and hope it gives people a chance to say if they need some help etc.

I would also maybe say about making relationships in my different teams as I move through seats and with my supervisors especially. They’ll be the ones giving you feedback and really helping to shape you into a good trainee so that you can succeed as an NQ. I’d really want to have a strong relationship with my supervisor as I’d always want them to feel comfortable giving me feedback, both positive and negative and I really value trust and honesty. I’d really try to cultivate that open and honest relationship with a supervisor from the outset.

I guess I touched on strategy with coffee and lunches etc but maybe just consider the best and most appropriate ways you could get to know people and nurture relationships beyond this too. I also think that is tough as strategy can depend on the person so you might have one strategy for a first seat supervisor which might differ to your second seat supervisor as they might be very different characters. I think these nuances are important to note in responses like this if possible and if you have the words to as they show how you appreciate the need to be adaptable.

I hope this helps you in some way and gives some guidance but I’d try to answer this as authentically as possible and what you think you’d truly do as a trainee in this situation I don’t think there are right and wrong answers as such here but they’re probably trying to gauge your personality and your approach to these sorts of things

Sorry to ask a really basic question but what is the difference between a supervisor and a partner?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Sorry to ask a really basic question but what is the difference between a supervisor and a partner?

A supervisor might not be a partner - they could be an associate/senior associate/counsel

A partner might be one (or possibly even two) levels up from your supervisor, or could just be another partner in the department.

 

[Eliza9999]

A supervisor might not be a partner - they could be an associate/senior associate/counsel

Thank you Jessica!

 

[Alice G]

Sorry to ask a really basic question but what is the difference between a supervisor and a partner?

No such thing as a basic question in this forum!! Jess is right, a supervisor is really your direct point of contact, you’ll usually be in an office with them and might be the person who gives you the most work and who gives you feedback. From my experience at least, most supervisors appear to be senior associates or those not too far off that level. Partners won’t necessarily tend to be supervisors but they do give you work to complete too

 

[Grumpy Grandma]

I am struggling with my application for Hong Kong. It has both "How does BCLP align with your ambitions for your Training Contract and beyond?" and "What do you find attractive about Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner’s sectors/ departments and which area(s) are you interested in having exposure to in your Training Contract and why?" with 500 words as the word limit for each. I am not sure what to talk about except the innovative culture, other culture of the firm and how international the firm or how the firm is strengthened post-merger. They seem to be quite vague as well.

 

[Jessica Booker]

I am struggling with my application for Hong Kong. It has both "How does BCLP align with your ambitions for your Training Contract and beyond?" and "What do you find attractive about Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner’s sectors/ departments and which area(s) are you interested in having exposure to in your Training Contract and why?" with 500 words as the word limit for each. I am not sure what to talk about except the innovative culture, other culture of the firm and how international the firm or how the firm is strengthened post-merger. They seem to be quite vague as well.

Your points seem more aligned to the first question than the second.

 

[Jessica Booker]

"What do you find attractive about BCLP's sectors/ departments...and why"- I get that the 'why' bit I will talk just about my interests but the first bit seems to require something specific? Or, could it be answered by saying the positives of the sectoral approach?

It is asking you to talk about your specific preferences - it doesn’t have to reference the sectoral approach if that has no alignment with your own interests. This is the type of question that is much more about you than them.

 

[Grumpy Grandma]

Your points seem more aligned to the first question than the second.

Yes, I mean my answer is for the first question. But I am not sure if they are too vague.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Yes, I mean my answer is for the first question. But I am not sure if they are too vague.

Depends on what specifically you are saying and the detail/rationale of it.

innovative culture - why is this important to you?

other culture of the firm (be specific about what you mean by other culture and explain again why this is important to you)

and how international the firm or how the firm is strengthened post-merger - again why is this important to you (lots of other firms are international and have had fairly recent international mergers, so maybe try and focus on more of the specifics of this merger - eg certain jurisdictions/practice areas)

Again you need to link it to you though. Try to drill down a level or two to really get to the crux/individuality of your motivations. A good way to do this is just ask yourself “why” or “so what” after you make a statement.

 

[OB]

I am struggling with my application for Hong Kong. It has both "How does BCLP align with your ambitions for your Training Contract and beyond?" and "What do you find attractive about Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner’s sectors/ departments and which area(s) are you interested in having exposure to in your Training Contract and why?" with 500 words as the word limit for each. I am not sure what to talk about except the innovative culture, other culture of the firm and how international the firm or how the firm is strengthened post-merger. They seem to be quite vague as well.

When I was on the AS virtual open day recently, Grad Rec said to avoid just mentioning innovation and culture as most people only refer to that. Definitely try and resonate with the work they do and why it interests you. Of course if innovation and culture appeal then mention it and why but don't just focus on that without solid reasons to back them up.

 

[OB]

I think they said to give more weight to why the work interests you but to still mention culture etc

Thats what my post says - "avoid just mentioning innovation and culture as most people only refer to that"

 

[0603]

Feel awkward asking this as I am going to sound really daft. Apologies if this is a stupid question. I am slightly confused. In the following question by "them" is it meant the partner or the client? (partner right?)

"Imagine you are a trainee at BCLP and you have been working on a task for an associate in the Finance department. The associate is away and a partner in the department urgently wants a summary note of the research to send to a client, and has asked you to send it to them by tomorrow morning. How would you react?"

 

[Jessica Booker]

Feel awkward asking this as I am going to sound really daft. Apologies if this is a stupid question. I am slightly confused. In the following question by "them" is it meant the partner or the client? (partner right?)

"Imagine you are a trainee at BCLP and you have been working on a task for an associate in the Finance department. The associate is away and a partner in the department urgently wants a summary note of the research to send to a client, and has asked you to send it to them by tomorrow morning. How would you react?"

It is technically ambiguous but I would suggest it is the partner. It’s unlikely a partner would let a research note go out to a client without it being checked. I think the “them” is just trying to be gender neutral. However, it could easily still be the client.

But if anything you could pick up this ambiguity in your answer and explain how your approach might change based on which one you have assumed it to be.

 

[0603]

It is technically ambiguous but I would suggest it is the partner. It’s unlikely a partner would let a research note go out to a client without it being checked. I think the “them” is just trying to be gender neutral. However, it could easily still be the client.

But if anything you could pick up this ambiguity in your answer and explain how your approach might change based on which one you have assumed it to be.

Thank you Jessica!

 

[FutureCity]

Feel awkward asking this as I am going to sound really daft. Apologies if this is a stupid question. I am slightly confused. In the following question by "them" is it meant the partner or the client? (partner right?)

"Imagine you are a trainee at BCLP and you have been working on a task for an associate in the Finance department. The associate is away and a partner in the department urgently wants a summary note of the research to send to a client, and has asked you to send it to them by tomorrow morning. How would you react?"

‘Them’ refers to the partner.

 

[Alice G]

Feel awkward asking this as I am going to sound really daft. Apologies if this is a stupid question. I am slightly confused. In the following question by "them" is it meant the partner or the client? (partner right?)

"Imagine you are a trainee at BCLP and you have been working on a task for an associate in the Finance department. The associate is away and a partner in the department urgently wants a summary note of the research to send to a client, and has asked you to send it to them by tomorrow morning. How would you react?"

I agree that I think they mean the partner

But there’s no such thing as a stupid question in our forums at all and this is the sort of thing I’d always ask about and check so don’t ever feel silly for doing so