General Discussion Thread 2020-21

[futuretraineecity]

Does anyone know who to address the NRF cover letter to? Not sure whether to go with Dear Sir/Madam or Dear Graduate Recruitment Team? Can't find a specific person listed anywhere.

hey, last year I addressed it to Graduate Recruitment Team and progressed to WG

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Thank you for your response!

I am working in hospitality and I will not be allowed to take time off in December (well
unless there is a second lockdown in my area). Hopefully if I manage to secure a vac scheme, I can still do evening and weekend shifts or in worse case scenario I will have to leave the job.

I’d try to pull any favours you can to switch shifts around. I’d really advise not working - you really want to make the most of the scheme and have the most focus/energy for it. I understand it isn’t always as simple as that though.

 

[DrowninginSQE]

Does anyone know when HSF and Linklaters hold ACs for winter vac schemes?

Also, this year I took a hyper organised approach to my applications where I had them all ready and got them sent off in the first few days. But now I’m anxiously waiting back with nothing to do in terms of applications and really feel like I need to be doing something! Anyone else in the same boat or is it just me who is flapping around checking portals too much?

 

[DrowninginSQE]

Thank you for your response!

I am working in hospitality and I will not be allowed to take time off in December (well
unless there is a second lockdown in my area). Hopefully if I manage to secure a vac scheme, I can still do evening and weekend shifts or in worse case scenario I will have to leave the job.

Hey, I did a vacation scheme during the summer and while there weren’t as many sessions as I thought there would be, it was definitely difficult because they gave a lot of independent work to do which took up a lot of time in the evenings and early mornings and they also expected us to reach out to people for virtual coffees. They also scheduled two socials in one week and while attendance wasn’t mandatory, if you weren’t present the trainees would note it down which reflects badly. I know that it doesn’t help your situation but I really hope that helps you to make a decision!

 

[Legal_rawn]

Does anyone know when HSF and Linklaters hold ACs for winter vac schemes?

Also, this year I took a hyper organised approach to my applications where I had them all ready and got them sent off in the first few days. But now I’m anxiously waiting back with nothing to do in terms of applications and really feel like I need to be doing something! Anyone else in the same boat or is it just me who is flapping around checking portals too much?

Last year I got invited to the links AC on the 1st of November and they had a similar deadline for the winter VS and then the AC was something like 2 weeks after that. I’d give it a couple of weeks before checking the portal everyday but I totally feel you the wait is horrible

 

[DrowninginSQE]

Thank you for your response!

I am working in hospitality and I will not be allowed to take time off in December (well
unless there is a second lockdown in my area). Hopefully if I manage to secure a vac scheme, I can still do evening and weekend shifts or in worse case scenario I will have to leave the job.

Also, if you ask grad rec then some law firms will let you do the final interview on the last day of your vac scheme, rather than in the following weeks so that you aren’t having to take more days off for 20 minute interviews.

 

[Jaysen]

Less than 10 minutes ago you decided to correct someone who said that the firms admitted to the issues being their error, not the candidates. You took the time to explain that no, their lived experience is actually wrong and it wasn't down to the firm. Either you think that Johan is lying or the firm was lying to them. Every comment where you acknowledge grad rec can make mistakes is caveated in some way.

You may be annoyed by rudeness but I am annoyed by discrimination by grad rec (which the firm admitted to), failures to email me assessments and information (which grad rec admitted to), systems which don't respond and crash, and waiting over 4 months for even a rejection email in some cases. And I'm even more annoyed that stating anything negative and pointing out that you ignored someone who had asked if they should bother following up when it turned out you were wrong about them not qualifying for the scheme, is somehow an indictment against my character.

You started this by being annoyed by Jess because she hadn’t responded to someone’s query over a Friday night. That’s just petty and unreasonable.

Whatever issues you’ve had in the past, I feel you’re coming into this forum with a big chip on your shoulder. It’s absolutely fine to be upset and of course graduate recruitment make mistakes, but there’s no need to be rude or take this out on the TCLA team.

 

[Deleted member 4851]

I’d try to pull any favours you can to switch shifts around. I’d really advise not working - you really want to make the most of the scheme and have the most focus/energy for it. I understand it isn’t always as simple as that though.

Also, if you ask grad rec then some law firms will let you do the final interview on the last day of your vac scheme, rather than in the following weeks so that you aren’t having to take more days off for 20 minute interviews.

Thank you both for your responses

I hope that I will make it work in case I even get a winter vac scheme. I was just trying to plan what I could possibly do. I don't want to leave my job on bad terms as well or come across as unreliable as I will need their reference in the future. I am worrying from now because somehow I am so unlucky! I got my first open day ever this year and although I never work on this particular day of the week I was somehow on the rota so my employer was not really happy when I said I can't work that day even though I found someone to do the shift for me.

 

[whisperingrock]

You started this by being annoyed by Jess because she hadn’t responded to someone’s query over a Friday night. That’s just petty and unreasonable.

Whatever issues you’ve had in the past, I feel you’re coming into this forum with a big chip on your shoulder. It’s absolutely fine to be upset and of course graduate recruitment make mistakes, but there’s no need to be rude or take this out on the TCLA team.

Pointing out a bias by replying to a post isn't exactly taking anything out on somebody but apparently the threshold is quite low here. My sincerest apologies.

Edit: To echo your sentiment from yesterday: Thanks for the disagree vote too - very mature of you.

 

[cryingoverTCs]

Has anyone heard back for HSF Winter Vac?

I got a rejection after passing their test

 

[AH97]

@Jessica Booker

Bit of a random one, but I was wondering in what format do grad rec generally view your application? Is it in the same format of the document that you get when you click 'Save to PC' before sending, or something else?

 

[c1070]

If anyone is interested in the NRF front, last year I applied and was rejected within 48 hours and met all the criteria etc. This year I applied and was invited to WG. My app was significantly stronger this year, I’m a graduate so same eligibility so maybe last time it was just that my app was not up to scratch and got reviewed quickly!

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

@Jessica Booker

Bit of a random one, but I was wondering in what format do grad rec generally view your application? Is it in the same format of the document that you get when you click 'Save to PC' before sending, or something else?

Good question - just a tricky one to answer!

It will vary from firm to firm. Some for instance will have certain “CV blind” processes that may redact out certain information you could see, but they can’t.

Also other information will definitely not be visible to the recruiter - for instance, you might be able to see your equal opps answers (gender/age/ethnicity etc) but they won’t see that on an individual application.

They may also see things in a different order to you. Main example is that you tend to see your personal details first, as it’s usually the first information you put in to create an account. The firm may not see this information at all (as it actually sits outside of your application, and only on your “account”), but sometimes firms can choose to reorder questions or sections when they “print” applications. This sometimes happens if there is more weighting on one part of the application or if they find people generally fall down on that section more.

But with these exceptions, generally I’d say they can see what you can see in the same format you can see it.

 

[Jen E C]

Hi all, I am applying for winter vac schemes but I am still no sure how it will work out in case I hopefully get one as I am working afternoons and evenings as well. Can anyone, who has had a virtual vac scheme, share some details about their programme in terms of hours? Did you normally worked 9-5 for example or were your days pretty much packed with something happening 9-9? Thank you

Just to reiterate what's already been said, I too would recommend avoiding other work as much as possible when doing a virtual vac scheme. I worked until 11pm each night for the ones I did and was shattered each day. The weekend was mainly spent prepping for the interview and assessments and catching up on a bit of sleep. If I was also working another job in those 2 weeks I think performance and enjoyment of the vac scheme would have suffered greatly.

 

[M1999]

All these posts about NRF rejecting you straight away are making me so nervous! :S
I can't even imagine how frustrating it feels

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

All these posts about NRF rejecting you straight away are making me so nervous! :S
I can't even imagine how frustrating it feels

I think this was what I was trying to avoid (albeit unsuccessfully). Rejection is horrible whenever it happens, I really wouldn't want people to go through a process of second guessing themselves purely because of when they hear back.

 

[Jenny]

Rejection from A&O winter vac scheme

 

[M1999]

For a question about what challenges are there in a legal sector- is it too generic to talk about tech (specifically a part of tech I will go into) & how law firms are keeping up with it. I feel that is the area I know most about but I don’t know if it’s too generic

 

[gg332dd]

Anyone whos made it to Linklaters AC, what did you get as your strong/weak attributes on the test?

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

For a question about what challenges are there in a legal sector- is it too generic to talk about tech (specifically a part of tech I will go into) & how law firms are keeping up with it. I feel that is the area I know most about but I don’t know if it’s too generic

Sounds like it won't be generic if you are talking about specific tech