General Discussion Thread 2020-21

[Paul - Shearman & Sterling]

I know that Latham and Shearman tend to recruit mostly from vacs. In fact, I want to say that Shearman might now recruit exclusively from vacation schemes. Am I right in thinking this @Paul - Shearman & Sterling? I thought I saw something in the Monday Q&As a while back though I might be mistaken!

I also know Kirkland favour vacation scheme participants, as do Weil and Gibson Dunn I believe. Are you able to confirm the latter two @Daniel Boden?

I think White & Case could possibly be slightly different but they have a very sizeable intake each year versus the other US firms so this probably explains that though. I think they do still mostly recruit from vacs but can't be 100%, maybe someone else is better placed to advise on W&C specifically.

Hi @Alice G - yes, spot on! We recruit exclusively through vacation schemes. We take on around 12-15 trainees per year and run 4 vacation schemes.

Thanks,

Paul

 

[Daniel Boden]

Thank you so much @Daniel Boden

Pleasure!

 

[thecorporatelawyer]

Hi All, I've recently read on some websites that Baker McKenzie's video interview is composed of strength based questions. I'm a bit worried as I've mainly been preparing for competency/commercial awareness based questions. Besides that one website that said BM uses strength based questions I cannot find any other place where it says that. Can anyone whose done the VI let me know if it was a more strength based interview? Thanks!

 

[hopelesscaseofwhat]

Hi All, I've recently read on some websites that Baker McKenzie's video interview is composed of strength based questions. I'm a bit worried as I've mainly been preparing for competency/commercial awareness based questions. Besides that one website that said BM uses strength based questions I cannot find any other place where it says that. Can anyone whose done the VI let me know if it was a more strength based interview? Thanks!

I thought we'd only be asked competency/commercial awareness based questions as well, could somebody please weigh in on this?

 

[Changes]

Hi All, I've recently read on some websites that Baker McKenzie's video interview is composed of strength based questions. I'm a bit worried as I've mainly been preparing for competency/commercial awareness based questions. Besides that one website that said BM uses strength based questions I cannot find any other place where it says that. Can anyone whose done the VI let me know if it was a more strength based interview? Thanks!

Mine was competency based. Personally think strength based are easier though as you can just think logically about it, rather than being thrown off by having prepared quite a rigid answer.

 

[AH9891]

I really don’t like following up with grad recruitment if they don’t respond, but how long would you wait until emailing again? I received an email on Friday that said that if there are any questions to ask her or email grad rec in general, so I responded to her on Friday after lunch and have not heard back yet. Any advice?

 

[Velikilawyer123]

Mine was competency based. Personally think strength based are easier though as you can just think logically about it, rather than being thrown off by having prepared quite a rigid answer.

Sorry if it's a bit of a dumb question, but can someone clarify what the difference is between a competency-based and a strength-based interview?

Thank you!

 

[acceleratedlaw]

has no one heard back from trowers (london) yet?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Sorry if it's a bit of a dumb question, but can someone clarify what the difference is between a competency-based and a strength-based interview?

Thank you!

Sometimes people use the terminology incorrectly (even recruiters!) so it can be confusing...

A competency question is pulling on your past experiences to demonstrate you have the skill needed to do the job. The questions will typically start with something like “tell me about a time you have done X” “how have you done/learnt/developed Y”

Strengths based questions are supposed to be forward thinking to see how you would respond in the job. They are often scenario based questions asking you to think about how you will deal with particular situations you may face in the job or how you may react to those situations. You will typically be asked questions about how you may feel/what you may enjoy.

Sometimes companies will actually merge both of these approaches. Eg: “How would you deal with a situation where as a trainee you had been given multiple work loads by different colleagues you know you won’t be able to complete by the deadlines” and then being asked “have you had a similar situation in the past, where you have had to juggle multiple commitments? How did you manage it and how did you feel”

 

[Jessica Booker]

I really don’t like following up with grad recruitment if they don’t respond, but how long would you wait until emailing again? I received an email on Friday that said that if there are any questions to ask her or email grad rec in general, so I responded to her on Friday after lunch and have not heard back yet. Any advice?

you are expecting someone to respond within less than 14 hours?

How urgent is the question?

 

[Dala]

Hey everyone, just wondering if anyone has heard back from stephenson harwood? Has anyone applied to their HK or Dubai VS?

 

[AH9891]

you are expecting someone to respond within less than 14 hours?

How urgent is the question?

Well, it’s difficult to measure. If I were to take longer than an hour during office hours to respond to an email, I’d be out of a job very quickly, but then again what I do is a lot more time sensitive, which is why I wanted to clarify what would be reasonable. It’s not urgent per se, but a bit of clarity would be helpful nonetheless. The email was regarding the summer scheme still being planned to go ahead as planned as things stand, but I was on the spring one, have never been told that we are confirmed to having been moved to the summer, nor would I be able to attend as the dates don’t work for me.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Well, it’s difficult to measure. If I were to take longer than an hour during office hours to respond to an email, I’d be out of a job very quickly, but then again what I do is a lot more time sensitive, which is why I wanted to clarify what would be reasonable. It’s not urgent per se, but a bit of clarity would be helpful nonetheless. The email was regarding the summer scheme still being planned to go ahead as planned as things stand, but I was on the spring one, have never been told that we are confirmed to having been moved to the summer, nor would I be able to attend as the dates don’t work for me.

that’s completely unrealistic. Most jobs do not require you to respond to an email within an hour.

For a graduate recruiter, they may not even have read the email in that 14 hours let alone be able to respond to it. I would quite regularly get over 150 emails a day when I worked in-house, so trying to read, let alone respond to emails the same day was often not possible.

They probably don’t have an answer for you yet. Once they do, they will be in contact. If you have told them you cannot attend a summer scheme, then they probably need to speak to other people to see what else they can offer (if anything).

If you haven’t heard anything the start of next week, then contact them. They may have clearer answers then as it might be clearer what is happening with lockdown too.

 

[ZA]

has no one heard back from trowers (london) yet?

No I have not heard back from Trowers yet! The interviewer I had said I would hear back on Friday 17 or Monday 20 April. I am hoping we will hear soon.

 

[Popal]

No I have not heard back from Trowers yet! The interviewer I had said I would hear back on Friday 17 or Monday 20 April. I am hoping we will hear soon.

Assuming this is for vac scheme?

 

[AH9891]

that’s completely unrealistic. Most jobs do not require you to respond to an email within an hour.

For a graduate recruiter, they may not even have read the email in that 14 hours let alone be able to respond to it. I would quite regularly get over 150 emails a day when I worked in-house, so trying to read, let alone respond to emails the same day was often not possible.

They probably don’t have an answer for you yet. Once they do, they will be in contact. If you have told them you cannot attend a summer scheme, then they probably need to speak to other people to see what else they can offer (if anything).

If you haven’t heard anything the start of next week, then contact them. They may have clearer answers then as it might be clearer what is happening with lockdown too.

Yes I completely get that. Thank you for clarifying. I’ll wait and see I suppose.

 

[ZA]

Assuming this is for vac scheme?

yes I did the online AC for Trowers vac scheme, London

 

[Changes]

Sometimes people use the terminology incorrectly (even recruiters!) so it can be confusing...

A competency question is pulling on your past experiences to demonstrate you have the skill needed to do the job. The questions will typically start with something like “tell me about a time you have done X” “how have you done/learnt/developed Y”

Strengths based questions are supposed to be forward thinking to see how you would respond in the job. They are often scenario based questions asking you to think about how you will deal with particular situations you may face in the job or how you may react to those situations. You will typically be asked questions about how you may feel/what you may enjoy.

Sometimes companies will actually merge both of these approaches. Eg: “How would you deal with a situation where as a trainee you had been given multiple work loads by different colleagues you know you won’t be able to complete by the deadlines” and then being asked “have you had a similar situation in the past, where you have had to juggle multiple commitments? How did you manage it and how did you feel”

Second the first line. One firm explicitly said their VI was x questions and all competency based. None of them were competency questions by the usual definition. They did also say you couldn’t prepare for the questions, which was accurate.

 

[Andre]

Anyone heard from Mayer Brown post-tests for direct TC? What is the situation with VS?

 

[AH9891]

Second the first line. One firm explicitly said their VI was x questions and all competency based. None of them were competency questions by the usual definition. They did also say you couldn’t prepare for the questions, which was accurate.

i have a feeling I know exactly which firm you mean! I hated that interview! The questions were so random and I really don’t see the point in exclusively asking curveball questions And trying to trip someone with every single question. All well and good not being able to over-rehearse the answers, but that was just a bit too much!