- Feb 17, 2018
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Please state the month/year you interviewed at the firm.
January 2020
Please specify what the interview was for.
Summer Vacation Scheme
Please give an overview of the day with approximate timings.
8am Arrival, 8:30 mini get to know everyone over coffee, 9am - 12pm interview, case study and group task, order is different for each person. I started with the group task, then case study and finally the partner interview.
Please provide a summary of each assessment on the day with approximate timings.
Group task:
You're put into a room with about 8 different people and have a packet containing a fictional case study, about 6 different scenarios and you have 15 minutes to read it and then discuss for 40 min. There are about 4 partners situated at each corner of the room taking notes but not engaging with the discussion.
Case study:
You're in a room with about 12 people and you have a 20-page document that you have to create a presentation for. Basically requires you to assess their current situation and how they can improve. 1 hour to prepare and then about 10 minutes to present in front of a partner.
Interview:
Standard competency interview. It was about 45 minutes long with a partner, mine lasted an hour though.
Please list any interview questions you were asked.
Tell us a time you demonstrated learning and developing yourself.
Tell us a time you worked through a challenge.
Tell us a time you worked in a team?
Tell us a time you were resilient?
Why DLA?
Tell us why you would be a good trainee?
What is your best advice for each aspect of the assessment on the day? Please break this down for each assessment. This can include advice for preparation, as well as tips for the day.
Group task:
I would highly recommend you either keep track of the time or take notes down. It shows initiative and lets you get away from having to discuss everything. Though you should still contribute but just don't dominate the discussion. Try to call people by their names to show empathy, you're being assessed on how you work within a team.
I would also advise you to start reading from the back and read the scenarios that have a sticker that says 'Important' as you will naturally be spending the most time discussing it.
There is nothing you can do to prepare for this section, in my opinion.
Case study:
I found this to be very challenging but that was because I underestimated the task. I would recommend brushing up on your commercial awareness because there is a balance sheet to assess from what I can remember. When presenting to the partner, they don't really care about the content but the manner in which you structured your presentation. The partner will ask about 1-2 questions, I was asked: What are the 3 main issues?
Interview:
A competency interview. I really enjoyed this as you get to control the direction of the interview. It was really informal which made it a really relaxing environment. My biggest advice would be to ask questions about the partner's practice.
Were you successful?
No, but I was told I scored highly in the interview and group task, the case study is what brought me down.
January 2020
Please specify what the interview was for.
Summer Vacation Scheme
Please give an overview of the day with approximate timings.
8am Arrival, 8:30 mini get to know everyone over coffee, 9am - 12pm interview, case study and group task, order is different for each person. I started with the group task, then case study and finally the partner interview.
Please provide a summary of each assessment on the day with approximate timings.
Group task:
You're put into a room with about 8 different people and have a packet containing a fictional case study, about 6 different scenarios and you have 15 minutes to read it and then discuss for 40 min. There are about 4 partners situated at each corner of the room taking notes but not engaging with the discussion.
Case study:
You're in a room with about 12 people and you have a 20-page document that you have to create a presentation for. Basically requires you to assess their current situation and how they can improve. 1 hour to prepare and then about 10 minutes to present in front of a partner.
Interview:
Standard competency interview. It was about 45 minutes long with a partner, mine lasted an hour though.
Please list any interview questions you were asked.
Tell us a time you demonstrated learning and developing yourself.
Tell us a time you worked through a challenge.
Tell us a time you worked in a team?
Tell us a time you were resilient?
Why DLA?
Tell us why you would be a good trainee?
What is your best advice for each aspect of the assessment on the day? Please break this down for each assessment. This can include advice for preparation, as well as tips for the day.
Group task:
I would highly recommend you either keep track of the time or take notes down. It shows initiative and lets you get away from having to discuss everything. Though you should still contribute but just don't dominate the discussion. Try to call people by their names to show empathy, you're being assessed on how you work within a team.
I would also advise you to start reading from the back and read the scenarios that have a sticker that says 'Important' as you will naturally be spending the most time discussing it.
There is nothing you can do to prepare for this section, in my opinion.
Case study:
I found this to be very challenging but that was because I underestimated the task. I would recommend brushing up on your commercial awareness because there is a balance sheet to assess from what I can remember. When presenting to the partner, they don't really care about the content but the manner in which you structured your presentation. The partner will ask about 1-2 questions, I was asked: What are the 3 main issues?
Interview:
A competency interview. I really enjoyed this as you get to control the direction of the interview. It was really informal which made it a really relaxing environment. My biggest advice would be to ask questions about the partner's practice.
Were you successful?
No, but I was told I scored highly in the interview and group task, the case study is what brought me down.
