Common mistakes on application forms.....

[keenaspiringlawyer]

For the "Activities and Achievements Sections" is it advisable to use prose or bullet points (the word limit is 200)
Also, if you have just started some uni positions what is the best way to let the firm know even if you haven't done much in those positions? (I have organised an event and was selected out of 50 people to get the position)?

 

[Jessica Booker]

If limited to 200 words, I'd aim for either very short paragraphs or bullet points. You could do a mix of both, with the paragraphs for things you want to describe more, while other things that are more factual (e.g. Grade 8 in Piano) in bullet point.

You would never let a firm know you haven't done much in a position! If you haven't done much, you just won't need much detail behind it.

Slightly frank/blunt here - this is why society positions are not always that impressive - being elected is typically just a popularity contest and they don't really care about you having the role, they care about what you did.

 

[keenaspiringlawyer]

If limited to 200 words, I'd aim for either very short paragraphs or bullet points. You could do a mix of both, with the paragraphs for things you want to describe more, while other things that are more factual (e.g. Grade 8 in Piano) in bullet point.

You would never let a firm know you haven't done much in a position! If you haven't done much, you just won't need much detail behind it.

Slightly frank/blunt here - this is why society positions are not always that impressive - being elected is typically just a popularity contest and they don't really care about you having the role, they care about what you did.

Thanks!

 

[Alice G]

When a firm is asking you to bring out skills and attributes and qualities, strong responses will back up these skills etc with specific examples and they will also link to how these skills etc are relevant to a law firm by linking it to the tasks of a trainee solicitor and the realities of the working day.

 

[Alice G]

Old fashioned phrases like "thus"

and 'hence' and 'forthwith'

 

[Alice G]

Another thing to point out - every sentence in an application really ought to have a purpose. I have seen a lot of sentences which could be cut entirely because they either essentially rephrase a preceding sentence or do not add anything to the application. By 'not adding' something to the application I mean that the sentence is either a 'filler' sentence - one evidently to make up a word count - or it just isn't analytical enough because it doesn't give me any further knowledge, analysis or detail about the subject you are discussing.

A good thing to do when proofing and refining an application is use track changes and put a comment for every sentence stating what the purpose of it is and what you are trying to achieve/convey through adding it. This should help you to discern the sentences which are adding value to those which are just filling out your paragraphs.

 

[gricole]

Old fashioned phrases like "thus"

Just out of curiosity, why is that an issue?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Just out of curiosity, why is that an issue?

it’s generally not how lawyers write. It’s a much more academic style of writing.

Write like it’s a client reading your application.

 

[ElizabethF]

Do I use 'commitment' or 'committment'? I've just read HSF's brochure and website and they've used the spelling of both.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Do I use 'commitment' or 'committment'? I've just read HSF's brochure and website and they've used the spelling of both.

One is a typo

Commitment

 

[Alice G]

Just a friendly reminder to everyone, one of the first things you should proof in your application is the firm's name spelling and the way they prefer to express it, i.e. is it meant to be an '&' like Allen & Overy or is it an 'and', as in 'Slaughter and May'.

Also, remember 'Overy' is with an 'e'!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Just a friendly reminder to everyone, one of the first things you should proof in your application is the firm's name spelling and the way they prefer to express it, i.e. is it meant to be an '&' like Allen & Overy or is it an 'and', as in 'Slaughter and May'.

Also, remember 'Overy' is with an 'e'!

They used to get sooooo many applications with an Ovary or two ... why spell check isn't always your friend. Just add Overy to your dictionary!

 

[Velikilawyer123]

I would hate to write how I speak. I waffle much more when I talk than when I write. But you should write in prose. Prose can be different to the way you speak though.

I’m not convinced the last paragraph is true... where did that idea come from?

Edit: got a comment on LinkedIn from Samantha Hope at Shoosmiths - she recommends people utilise the word count, but she pointed out it is more a case of when you go significantly under the word count (eg less than 50% of it) that it can create questions.

I agree with that. There will be some exceptions though. For instance if you put an open day as a work experience entry and that has a 300+ word limit to it, I wouldn’t expect for it to all be used. Also if there is a “is there any further information you want to provide” question and you haven’t got any further information, then again that doesn’t really count. I think when word counts matter is more of the clear/direct questions they are asking you to answer. Then I would recommend aiming to get to at least 70%+ of the word count limit

Hi Jessica, does this apply only to application questions or to the work experience section as well? I have no issue filling up the application question word limits (and often go over, so have to trim it down), but for work experiences I usually have about 50 - 100 words per experience, whereas most application software I've dealt with allows up to 200 - 250. Is it bad that I'm not utilising the full word count here?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica, does this apply only to application questions or to the work experience section as well? I have no issue filling up the application question word limits (and often go over, so have to trim it down), but for work experiences I usually have about 50 - 100 words per experience, whereas most application software I've dealt with allows up to 200 - 250. Is it bad that I'm not utilising the full word count here?

depends on the job, how long you did it and what responsibilities you had. For any significant work experience or any vacation schemes/legal placements of more than a few weeks, I would expect a word count to be near enough taken up.

I wouldn’t for a week of work shadowing though.

 

[Velikilawyer123]

o

depends on the job, how long you did it and what responsibilities you had. For any significant work experience or any vacation schemes/legal placements of more than a few weeks, I would expect a word count to be near enough taken up.

I wouldn’t for a week of work shadowing though.

Oh, really? I was under the impression work experiences should be kept quite short. Hmm, most of my experiences are either year-long (like academic researcher, student society, etc.) or law firm VSs / work placements that lasted between 1 and 3 weeks. So for all of them I should fill up the word count? What do you even talk about in a work experience description to fill 250 words?

 

[OB]

o

Oh, really? I was under the impression work experiences should be kept quite short. Hmm, most of my experiences are either year-long (like academic researcher, student society, etc.) or law firm VSs / work placements that lasted between 1 and 3 weeks. So for all of them I should fill up the word count? What do you even talk about in a work experience description to fill 250 words?

There’s plenty to say - what your responsibilities were, any achievements, skills learnt, link how these are relevant to anything about the firm you’re applying to and law as a career etc. You should definitely make the most of the word count

 

[Alice G]

o

Oh, really? I was under the impression work experiences should be kept quite short. Hmm, most of my experiences are either year-long (like academic researcher, student society, etc.) or law firm VSs / work placements that lasted between 1 and 3 weeks. So for all of them I should fill up the word count? What do you even talk about in a work experience description to fill 250 words?

Hi there,

As @OliviaBurn said, there’s a lot you can say. I tended to speak about specific situations I had during my experiences in a competency style where I’d seek to demonstrate a skill or attribute the firm values which I wasn’t able to weave into an app response. This also allowed me to showcase more of my achievements.

With vacation schemes, you can discuss the work you did and, crucially, what you learned. Law firms will want to see you really gained something out of those legal experiences and they’ll want to be able to infer that it’s augmented your desire to still continue with this route.

 

[Velikilawyer123]

There’s plenty to say - what your responsibilities were, any achievements, skills learnt, link how these are relevant to anything about the firm you’re applying to and law as a career etc. You should definitely make the most of the word count

Hi there,

As @OliviaBurn said, there’s a lot you can say. I tended to speak about specific situations I had during my experiences in a competency style where I’d seek to demonstrate a skill or attribute the firm values which I wasn’t able to weave into an app response. This also allowed me to showcase more of my achievements.

With vacation schemes, you can discuss the work you did and, crucially, what you learned. Law firms will want to see you really gained something out of those legal experiences and they’ll want to be able to infer that it’s augmented your desire to still continue with this route.

Ah ok, that makes sense, thank you!

What about when you're sending in your own CV, which doesn't have a strict word count but is usually supposed to be 1-2 pages long? Having 250ish words per experience there might eat up a lot of the space on the CV (for example my current CV has 7 experiences, each is about 50 words long, and it nicely fills up 2 full pages together with the other standard sections like education, achievements, additional info, etc.). Would you go shorter there?

 

[Jessica Booker]

o

Oh, really? I was under the impression work experiences should be kept quite short. Hmm, most of my experiences are either year-long (like academic researcher, student society, etc.) or law firm VSs / work placements that lasted between 1 and 3 weeks. So for all of them I should fill up the word count? What do you even talk about in a work experience description to fill 250 words?

A student society role is not work experience.

If you haven’t got things to talk about, then you keep it short. If you have got things to talk about then you have up to the word count to do so. I wouldn’t think about it as a one size fits all approach

 

[Jessica Booker]

Ah ok, that makes sense, thank you!

What about when you're sending in your own CV, which doesn't have a strict word count but is usually supposed to be 1-2 pages long? Having 250ish words per experience there might eat up a lot of the space on the CV (for example my current CV has 7 experiences, each is about 50 words long, and it nicely fills up 2 full pages together with the other standard sections like education, achievements, additional info, etc.). Would you go shorter there?

A CV is a very different type of application.

You don’t really talk about what you learnt/how that’s driven your career motivation in a Work experience description in a CV, you just focus on your responsibilities and outcomes.