Hearing Back from Firms + AC & Interview Tips Share - 2018 - 2019

[Sandrou]

I echoe everything in this post. It really only takes one firm to say yes and the rest become irrelevant.

Despite rejections, just remember you’re almost there. Giving up now would mean you would have to start from the beginning. The Trainee contract process is all a game (although cut-throat) which each one of you will soon master.

I interviewed at 3 magic circles within 1month and got rejected off ALL 3. Now, I was absolutely devastated and self-doubt undoubtedly creeped in but I quickly reassured myself that “my time will come”.

As Maccie mentioned, do not take rejection to heart; thousands of applicants get rejected every year. Getting past the application stage and being invited to interview is as massive achievement and it should encourage you to persist as you’re clearly an able candidate.

Hi everyone! I have been talking to a few people on private messages lately and I know some of you have felt let down by disappointing outcomes in this whole application process. I quite like comparing this to The Apprentice: a truly nerve-wracking process, involving intense competition and requiring so much effort for an uncertain outcome where it sometimes feels that the odds are against you. I felt like I had to share my short story here.

In March 2018, I was finally confident I wanted to become a solicitor and apply for training contracts: I thus started directly applying for training contracts at a number of law firms. And by "a number", I mean 35. Most of you have been here long enough to know my whole approach was a mistake and my applications were indeed so terrible at the time. In September, I got my head back in the game and started spending significantly more time per application, having many people give me advice, reading through this forum and I accepted that going to the pub one less time in the week was a fair sacrifice for my future (but do not feel obliged to do so; keeping a social life is a good way to remain sane!). And that did not work: I sent 8 applications and I received 7 more rejections. At that point, I kept applying because I'm the kind of person who refuses to give up and I would have submitted another hundred of applications before giving up but my hope was gone, in the cemetery of hopes, buried right next to Theresa May's hope for a Brexit deal.

However, you've probably done the maths by now: out of 8 applications, 7 rejections means one firm invited me to take a Watson Glaser test. It was a firm I held in very high regard: I had met them on campus a few times, I knew they were a perfect cultural fit, they offered work I could only dream of doing and they are leaders in many fields. In fact, I liked the firm so much that I had little hope when sending my application: why would they pick mine, the seven-time reject, out of 3900 applicants every year? I had somewhat accepted that my dream firm was not an option and that I would have to settle for less. Yet, here I was, taking a Watson Glaser test for that firm. I had already spent a lot of time practicing for these, so I took it rather quickly. 24 hours later, I was invited to an assessment centre to be held a week later: after so many rejections, I could not let that chance get away, so I locked myself in my room for a week and prepared as hard as I could, trying to focus on that one objective and not be distracted. There is also this one sentence I read on this forum that stuck with me from the moment I was invited to an AC: 'it only takes one.' I swear these four words have stuck with me ever since I read them. I had an amazing day there. And two days later, I got a phone call: you're being offered a place on our vacation scheme. 3 weeks later, I'm walking in, and, fast-forward another two of the most amazing weeks of my life (and probably the most painful wait too), I get a phone call: I'm being offered a training contract by the firm I had no dreams of even getting into for an open day. And at that point, all of a sudden, all these rejections have left my mind and I could not care less that other firms had rejected me (their loss!)

My point is that it is sometimes good to believe in faith: it takes a lot of courage, strength and a bit of luck to get there but I have no doubt that, eventually, you will. Believe in yourselves and remember: it may take more than one assessment centre, more than one Watson Glaser, more than one description of 'a time when you had to face a challenge' but in the end, it will have only taken one. It takes one firm to say yes. If you wanna discuss anything, I'm always happy to answer my private messages but, in the meantime, during this nerve-racking process, try to always keep these words in the back of your mind: it only takes one.

 

[Jaysen]

"We are very sorry but this email was sent in error and we are unable to offer you a place on this occasion." Since that incident, every time I receive an email from a firm, I wait for at least two hours to be 100% sure that it wasn't sent by mistake. I remember when I received an open day invitation from another firm later, I kept thinking they might take it away from me! Until I went to the event and could reassure myself that it was real.


I think they should add it to their scenario-based interview if they plan to have one in the future.

Wow - I was expecting a bigger apology than that!

 

[a-858]

Does anybody know how long it takes to receive HSF test results? Finished it 3 days ago still no email or update

 

[Dani Whittingham]

Guys! I submitted by Linklaters app on the 8th, but i still havent gotten the link to the WG test until now. Is that strange??? I also didnt get a confirmation email from HSF after doing their test, but the site did say I completed the test. Should I email linklaters??

 

[datguyak]

Guys! I submitted by Linklaters app on the 8th, but i still havent gotten the link to the WG test until now. Is that strange??? I also didnt get a confirmation email from HSF after doing their test, but the site did say I completed the test. Should I email linklaters??

For Links: I submitted my app on the 7th and emailed them 2 days ago as I had not received the test, they said please bear with us we have received a huge influx of applications since the deadline- I then did receive the link to the test a few hours later but I don't think it was linked to my email- so tbh I'd give it another day or so- they said it can take up to 48 hours (and that's when they're not super busy)!

 

[datguyak]

Does anybody know how long it takes to receive HSF test results? Finished it 3 days ago still no email or update

Guys! I submitted by Linklaters app on the 8th, but i still havent gotten the link to the WG test until now. Is that strange??? I also didnt get a confirmation email from HSF after doing their test, but the site did say I completed the test. Should I email linklaters??

For HSF test I heard from them about 2 hours later but some of my friends heard a few days later- one even heard weeks later

 

[Dani Whittingham]

For Links: I submitted my app on the 7th and emailed them 2 days ago as I had not received the test, they said please bear with us we have received a huge influx of applications since the deadline- I then did receive the link to the test a few hours later but I don't think it was linked to my email- so tbh I'd give it another day or so- they said it can take up to 48 hours (and that's when they're not super busy)!

t

thank you very much!

 

[Dani Whittingham]

For HSF test I heard from them about 2 hours later but some of my friends heard a few days later- one even heard weeks later

thank you very much!!!

 

[Helena]

Hi everyone! I have been talking to a few people on private messages lately and I know some of you have felt let down by disappointing outcomes in this whole application process. I quite like comparing this to The Apprentice: a truly nerve-wracking process, involving intense competition and requiring so much effort for an uncertain outcome where it sometimes feels that the odds are against you. I felt like I had to share my short story here.

In March 2018, I was finally confident I wanted to become a solicitor and apply for training contracts: I thus started directly applying for training contracts at a number of law firms. And by "a number", I mean 35. Most of you have been here long enough to know my whole approach was a mistake and my applications were indeed so terrible at the time. In September, I got my head back in the game and started spending significantly more time per application, having many people give me advice, reading through this forum and I accepted that going to the pub one less time in the week was a fair sacrifice for my future (but do not feel obliged to do so; keeping a social life is a good way to remain sane!). And that did not work: I sent 8 applications and I received 7 more rejections. At that point, I kept applying because I'm the kind of person who refuses to give up and I would have submitted another hundred of applications before giving up but my hope was gone, in the cemetery of hopes, buried right next to Theresa May's hope for a Brexit deal.

However, you've probably done the maths by now: out of 8 applications, 7 rejections means one firm invited me to take a Watson Glaser test. It was a firm I held in very high regard: I had met them on campus a few times, I knew they were a perfect cultural fit, they offered work I could only dream of doing and they are leaders in many fields. In fact, I liked the firm so much that I had little hope when sending my application: why would they pick mine, the seven-time reject, out of 3900 applicants every year? I had somewhat accepted that my dream firm was not an option and that I would have to settle for less. Yet, here I was, taking a Watson Glaser test for that firm. I had already spent a lot of time practicing for these, so I took it rather quickly. 24 hours later, I was invited to an assessment centre to be held a week later: after so many rejections, I could not let that chance get away, so I locked myself in my room for a week and prepared as hard as I could, trying to focus on that one objective and not be distracted. There is also this one sentence I read on this forum that stuck with me from the moment I was invited to an AC: 'it only takes one.' I swear these four words have stuck with me ever since I read them. I had an amazing day there. And two days later, I got a phone call: you're being offered a place on our vacation scheme. 3 weeks later, I'm walking in, and, fast-forward another two of the most amazing weeks of my life (and probably the most painful wait too), I get a phone call: I'm being offered a training contract by the firm I had no dreams of even getting into for an open day. And at that point, all of a sudden, all these rejections have left my mind and I could not care less that other firms had rejected me (their loss!)

My point is that it is sometimes good to believe in faith: it takes a lot of courage, strength and a bit of luck to get there but I have no doubt that, eventually, you will. Believe in yourselves and remember: it may take more than one assessment centre, more than one Watson Glaser, more than one description of 'a time when you had to face a challenge' but in the end, it will have only taken one. It takes one firm to say yes. If you wanna discuss anything, I'm always happy to answer my private messages but, in the meantime, during this nerve-racking process, try to always keep these words in the back of your mind: it only takes one.

This has been a fantastic read and sincere congratulations to you for all your hard work. Thank you too for sharing your experience, lows and highs. You are an inspiration.

 

[Naomi]

Those of you working full time, how are you juggling the interview process/ACs with work?? I just had a disastrous phone interview with Mayer Brown - partly because I've had so many late nights in the office this week so my preparation probably wasn't good enough, but I can't just not show up for work...
Just had a bit of a meltdown and now have to go back to the office

 

[SaaraK22]

Do you guys know how long it will take Linklaters to email if you have failed the Watson Glaser?

 

[Mimi]

Hello guys, anyone heard from Debevoise? Still haven’t received any email!

Hey, I applied when the deadline was originally 11th November and I also have not yet heard anything!

 

[Didi]

Do you guys know how long it will take Linklaters to email if you have failed the Watson Glaser?

I unfortunately failed the WG and it took them 6 days to get back to me. But, this was also before the Christmas break they are most likely way busier now.

Anyone heard anything today about AC for Clifford Chance Training Contract applications?

 

[Popeye]

For

Hey, I applied when the deadline was originally 11th November and I also have not yet heard anything!

Hey, same with me. I applied for summer - did you apply for spring or summer? I'm wondering if only 1 cohort has heard back?

 

[Alice G]

Those of you working full time, how are you juggling the interview process/ACs with work?? I just had a disastrous phone interview with Mayer Brown - partly because I've had so many late nights in the office this week so my preparation probably wasn't good enough, but I can't just not show up for work...
Just had a bit of a meltdown and now have to go back to the office

Firstly, don't be too disheartened about the interview. You don't know exactly what they are looking for and take solace in the fact you did your absolute best and that is all you can expect of yourself. Try not to dwell on this but look forwards and manage the next steps as best you can. Can you arrange a meeting with your employer and discuss working from home perhaps a couple of days leading up to an interview/AC? Can you even take a an afternoon off a couple of days before another interview? I always think where there is a will there's a way and you just need to harness the things you can change and have power over. I would also say fewer and more focussed applications will be better if you are juggling all of these things too. This might not be entirely useful but don't lose faith. I was prepared for my CMS video interview and sadly still messed it up on one question. It is the luck of the draw sometimes but things do have a funny habit of falling into place - look at the inspiring stories just shared on this thread All the very best and I hope this helped in some way

 

[J Wu]

Those of you working full time, how are you juggling the interview process/ACs with work?? I just had a disastrous phone interview with Mayer Brown - partly because I've had so many late nights in the office this week so my preparation probably wasn't good enough, but I can't just not show up for work...
Just had a bit of a meltdown and now have to go back to the office

With regards to making the most of what time you do have:

- I've always found it useful to allocate specific times for this kind of work everyday: when I'm on my way to work, when I'm sat eating lunch, a few hours when I get home etc.
- A problem I've often found is that I'll use up a lot of my mental capacity during my working hours, which makes my work in the evening less productive. I sometimes take a power nap when I get home and this still leaves me with a few hours to do apps/interview prep.
- I've always been someone who can function on very little sleep, so I'll also put in a few extra hours and sleep late (probably not recommended for most people, but great if you can)
- I've found it useful to practise my interview answers when I'm doing day-to-day tasks such as walking to the underground or doing my washing.
- Make the preparation you do early on as thorough as possible. Although firm-specific preparation will change with every interview, you will still need to prepare for competency/strengths-based questions, commercial questions/case studies, situational judgement questions, motivational questions etc. I found that after my first-ever interview, preparation for all other interviews became much smoother because I could recall my answers for many of the questions that will be applicable across law firms

Balancing work with the TC/VS application process is very difficult in so many ways, but I have faith that you will be able to manage. Try to keep in mind what is it that motivates you to pursue a career as a commercial lawyer; I genuinely find this helps when I start to doubt myself!

 

[Daniel Boden]

So guys just had my feedback call with Macfarlanes which was actually more positive than I thought it was going to be. So the day is structured in three parts, which is how they decided to give me the feedback so I'll briefly share what they're looking for in each section. I'd imagine the competencies are the same for firms who have similar application processes, so I hope this is useful to people!

Negotiation
- Competencies they are looking for are: commercial thinking, communication skills and teamwork
- Try and come up with the points first rather than letting your teammate start and then developing that point based on what he/she has said. A fairly minor point and can be quite difficult if your teammate is quite a dominant personality but obviously try and speak as much as you can, but without talking over him/her!
- It goes without saying but they are looking for you to build a rapport with your teammates and work well together, as well as being a clear and concise communicator.

Written exercise
- Interestingly, this was my strongest exercise of the day so I'll share what I did and how I approached the task. You are given a document and then asked to draft a note to a client who has questions for you which you are expected to answer.
- Here they are looking for critical analysis (how well you understand the task and answer the questions) and written communication skills, as well as time management skills.
- So without sharing exactly what the written exercise was as I feel it isn't fair on those who have already done it/slightly undermines the process, I approached it by dividing my note in headings for each question to make it as clear to understand as possible and I got very good communication marks because of this. They want you to write in a simple, concise way with the appropriate level of tone and register that you would give when talking to a client.

Interview
- So the interview was my downfall sadly which wasn't a surprise to me as I found the case study part of it very challenging as I had never seen a document like that before since this was my first AC. To be clear the first half of the interview is case-study based and the second half is more competency-based and is about you, your skills and your motivations for a career in commercial law, applying to Macfarlanes etc.
- In-tray/case study: they are looking for critical analysis, problem solving and communication.
- My issue was that I was pretty confused with the document and although said some good and correct things, because I didn't fully understand what I was reading that cost me a bit. My advice would be to take your time over it, take a sip of water/a deep breath etc. and not to rush into an answer. Silence is absolutely fine in an interview; you don't need to fill every gap with words, especially if they don't add to your performance. This is something I'll definitely look to continue to do in future interviews.
- CV & motivations for applying: this part I did well in and fulfilled the competencies they were looking for i.e. can you demonstrate resilience, good communication skills etc. A minor point which I think is worth mentioning is to ensure that you make your answer to why you are interested in law as opposed to another career e.g. finance very very clear so there is no doubt. I'll be tightening up my answer for that for future interviews.

As I said, I hope this is useful to people and that it helps those who have upcoming ACs, not just at Macfarlanes, but at other firms too!

 

[Alice G]

So guys just had my feedback call with Macfarlanes which was actually more positive than I thought it was going to be. So the day is structured in three parts, which is how they decided to give me the feedback so I'll briefly share what they're looking for in each section. I'd imagine the competencies are the same for firms who have similar application processes, so I hope this is useful to people!

Negotiation
- Competencies they are looking for are: commercial thinking, communication skills and teamwork
- Try and come up with the points first rather than letting your teammate start and then developing that point based on what he/she has said. A fairly minor point and can be quite difficult if your teammate is quite a dominant personality but obviously try and speak as much as you can, but without talking over him/her!
- It goes without saying but they are looking for you to build a rapport with your teammates and work well together, as well as being a clear and concise communicator.

Written exercise
- Interestingly, this was my strongest exercise of the day so I'll share what I did and how I approached the task. You are given a document and then asked to draft a note to a client who has questions for you which you are expected to answer.
- Here they are looking for critical analysis (how well you understand the task and answer the questions) and written communication skills, as well as time management skills.
- So without sharing exactly what the written exercise was as I feel it isn't fair on those who have already done it/slightly undermines the process, I approached it by dividing my note in headings for each question to make it as clear to understand as possible and I got very good communication marks because of this. They want you to write in a simple, concise way with the appropriate level of tone and register that you would give when talking to a client.

Interview
- So the interview was my downfall sadly which wasn't a surprise to me as I found the case study part of it very challenging as I had never seen a document like that before since this was my first AC. To be clear the first half of the interview is case-study based and the second half is more competency-based and is about you, your skills and your motivations for a career in commercial law, applying to Macfarlanes etc.
- In-tray/case study: they are looking for critical analysis, problem solving and communication.
- My issue was that I was pretty confused with the document and although said some good and correct things, because I didn't fully understand what I was reading that cost me a bit. My advice would be to take your time over it, take a sip of water/a deep breath etc. and not to rush into an answer. Silence is absolutely fine in an interview; you don't need to fill every gap with words, especially if they don't add to your performance. This is something I'll definitely look to continue to do in future interviews.
- CV & motivations for applying: this part I did well in and fulfilled the competencies they were looking for i.e. can you demonstrate resilience, good communication skills etc. A minor point which I think is worth mentioning is to ensure that you make your answer to why you are interested in law as opposed to another career e.g. finance very very clear so there is no doubt. I'll be tightening up my answer for that for future interviews.

As I said, I hope this is useful to people and that it helps those who have upcoming ACs, not just at Macfarlanes, but at other firms too!

Thank you so much for sharing this Daniel and it sounds like you did exceptionally well for your first AC! I have my first one scheduled for Tuesday and this has been really insightful. There will be a case study to interrogate and I am going to try and embrace silence rather than fear it if I am struggling to formulate an answer straight away Thank you again!

 

[Akky123]

Just received my CC AC invite

Do you think having 4 ACs (Links, A&O, Jones day, CC) so close together will be bad, or advantageous?

Also any tips on AC preparation

Thanks for all the support guys

 

[PMF_II]

Those of you working full time, how are you juggling the interview process/ACs with work?? I just had a disastrous phone interview with Mayer Brown - partly because I've had so many late nights in the office this week so my preparation probably wasn't good enough, but I can't just not show up for work...
Just had a bit of a meltdown and now have to go back to the office

It's really hard to balance between work, social life, hobbies, and law applications, so don't beat yourself up. If you haven't already got one, I suggest finding a hobby that can help you recharge and get some positive energy. I used to pour all the hours outside of work into law applications/preparation for interviews. That just left me exhausted both at home and at work. Whenever I failed an AC, I felt that all the sacrifice was for nothing and that I probably didn't spend enough time preparing for the AC nor taking care of myself. I realised I needed to change my approach. Now, I just allocate a fixed number of hours to law applications and accept that with X amount of time, I can only realistically get a certain amount of work done. I can do more by sacrificing my sleep, but I accept that it is not going to be sustainable in the long term. It's very, very, very hard to accept that you have to set a limit for yourself. However, I am more optimistic and productive now than ever before.

This may not apply to you, but I take every opportunity to work late evening to get days in lieu. For example, if there's an evening event for work, I will agree to attend and negotiate to take the day in lieu later in the year. This gives me a few days that I could use for ACs.