General Discussion Thread 2020-21

[Sam55]

Anyone else still waiting on W&C or Sidley Austin?

 

[Zoo]

How long does it usually take to receive a WG invite from Weil?

You’re only sent the WG once your app has been reviewed. I sent my application on 31st Dec and received my WG invite on 24th Jan so it took just over three weeks. Note that I submitted over the holiday period though so it may have taken a bit longer than usual!

 

[Camilla]

Thanks, Camilla!

How did you ensure you gave good responses on the CAPP section?

I've seen advice about looking at the Linklaters competency framework and trying to answer the questions in line with the competencies Linklaters is looking for, and I thought about doing that, but I decided against it and just answered the questions 100% honestly.

I don't think there is necessarily a 'correct' or 'good' answer for all of the questions. Linklaters is looking for people with different strengths. They couldn't hire everyone with the same strengths and weaknesses because the best teams have people with different strengths, weaknesses and experiences.

Linklaters has invested a lot of money into their software and tested it extensively. I bet they can tell if someone isn't answering the questions in line with their true personality. If you try to second guess what you think the correct answer is for one question, you might end up contradicting yourself in another area where they are testing the same competency. I have no idea how the scoring system works, but I bet if you contradict yourself repeatedly you wont score highly.

Most importantly, I think it's important to be yourself. I wouldn't want to work somewhere that didn't value my personality or skillset, so ultimately I decided to just answer it truthfully and not worry about what they are looking for.

That being said, if there is a SJT section (I can't remember as I did mine in Dec 2019) you can learn how to give better answers to those types of questions. Perhaps read through the SRA Code of Conduct/Principles as some questions might be related to what you would do in a given situation. I remember having to answer some SJT questions at the AC and I think the SRA rules are quite helpful.

I hope that helps!

 

[DrowninginSQE]

Feeling very down today, I just got rejected by Kirkland & Ellis after a direct TC interview. I don’t even know why because it went really well. I’ve asked for feedback but I am getting no responses and people have told me they’re bad at giving feedback

 

[orange32]

Feeling very down today, I just got rejected by Kirkland & Ellis after a direct TC interview. I don’t even know why because it went really well. I’ve asked for feedback but I am getting no responses and people have told me they’re bad at giving feedback

I'm very sorry to hear that. I know this won't be much consolation but you've done very well to get the TC interview in the first place - you're one of the very few people I've heard who got to the AC stage for K&E. Sometimes it's a matter of luck at the point of the interview. Take a breather and recharge yourself for the next cycle!

If they continue to ignore your requests for feedback for several weeks you may consider a Subject Access Request?

 

[DrowninginSQE]

I'm very sorry to hear that. I know this won't be much consolation but you've done very well to get the TC interview in the first place - you're one of the very few people I've heard who got to the AC stage for K&E. Sometimes it's a matter of luck at the point of the interview. Take a breather and recharge yourself for the next cycle!

If they continue to ignore your requests for feedback for several weeks you may consider a Subject Access Request?

Thank you! I definitely will, I’ve had a few near-misses and it’s getting a bit much. How do I use a Subject Access Request?

 

[orange32]

Thank you! I definitely will, I’ve had a few near-misses and it’s getting a bit much. How do I use a Subject Access Request?

It's a request for the company to hand over any personal data they have on you. You should email Graduate Recruitment or a Data Officer if they have one saying you are making a Subject Access Request, with details of any information that you want to obtain from them. They're required under law to provide you with any personal information they have of you.

You might find more information here:

https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/how-do-i-make-a-subject-access-request

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thank you! I definitely will, I’ve had a few near-misses and it’s getting a bit much. How do I use a Subject Access Request?

A SAR would give you access to any data held on you by the firm, which would include interview notes/feedback forms if this is what you specifically requested. A firm HAS to respond to a SAR, which is often a lot more work than providing you with feedback, and so trying to give the firm an opportunity to provide the feedback before submitting the SAR is always the best thing to do. The following post might be useful to review:

Helpful SAR post

 

[DrowninginSQE]

Thank you for that guys! If they don't reply I will use it as a last resort.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thank you for that guys! If they don't reply I will use it as a last resort.

You may want to insinuate (in the best possible way) that you will seek a more formal process should the feedback not be provided. Word of warning on SARs though - they can take over 90 days to be returned to you, so it is never a quick fix!

 

[DrowninginSQE]

A&O emailed me saying that they didn't get my A Level results in my application and can I send them over, but when I checked it was clearly there. The email sounded a bit angry, like I hadn't paid attention to my application so I'm slightly scared of getting rejected... not been rejected yet though! Anyone else in the same boat?

 

[DrowninginSQE]

You may want to insinuate (in the best possible way) that you will seek a more formal process should the feedback not be provided. Word of warning on SARs though - they can take over 90 days to be returned to you, so it is never a quick fix!

Thank you Jessica, I will do. I know a couple of people who were on the vacation scheme and got rejected months ago and still haven't gotten any feedback at all, which is making me quite worried!

 

[Jessica Booker]

A&O emailed me saying that they didn't get my A Level results in my application and can I send them over, but when I checked it was clearly there. The email sounded a bit angry, like I hadn't paid attention to my application so I'm slightly scared of getting rejected... not been rejected yet though! Anyone else in the same boat?

Wouldn't worry about it - if they were angry they wouldn't have even emailed you and just would have rejected you outright.

 

[Deleted member 5185]

Hope everyone is doing well I was recently recruited to join a team within a fairly new law firm. I was wondering whether it would be worth (as a last ditch attempt) sending this new employment information over to the two remaining firms that I have applied for TC's with, in the hopes that I have not been rejected yet?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hope everyone is doing well I was recently recruited to join a team within a fairly new law firm. I was wondering whether it would be worth (as a last ditch attempt) sending this new employment information over to the two remaining firms that I have applied for TC's with, in the hopes that I have not been rejected yet?

Honestly - no. Unfortunately most firms cannot update information like this on applications to maintain consistency and fairness to other applicants (and so they aren't constantly updating applications themselves).

If you can amend your own application - then go for it, but given you have only just started the job, I don't really see the value of asking the firm to update your application.

 

[Deleted member 5185]

Honestly - no. Unfortunately most firms cannot update information like this on applications to maintain consistency and fairness to other applicants (and so they aren't constantly updating applications themselves).

If you can amend your own application - then go for it, but given you have only just started the job, I don't really see the value of asking the firm to update your application.

Thank you Jessica

 

[Jessica Booker]

Legal Cheek career fair coming up on the 8th October - over 70 firms are attending:

https://www.legalcheek.com/uk-virtual-law-fair-series/

 

[keira]

A&O emailed me saying that they didn't get my A Level results in my application and can I send them over, but when I checked it was clearly there. The email sounded a bit angry, like I hadn't paid attention to my application so I'm slightly scared of getting rejected... not been rejected yet though! Anyone else in the same boat?

Yes the same thing happened to me yesterday, they asked for one of my grades which was already there!

I wouldn't worry too much about it, might just be a problem with their system.

 

[DrowninginSQE]

Yes the same thing happened to me yesterday, they asked for one of my grades which was already there!

I wouldn't worry too much about it, might just be a problem with their system.

Ah that gives me some relief! Cheers!

 

[S87]

Legal Cheek career fair coming up on the 8th October - over 70 firms are attending:

https://www.legalcheek.com/uk-virtual-law-fair-series/

I took part in the law fair organised in September and I highly recommend it.