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

[PO499]

anyone heard from jones day or white and case post-AC

Heard back from Jones Day at the start of Feb (post-interview)

 

[Selina]

Rejection from Freshfields TC pre-WG

Me too

Me three! Also been wait-listed by Mayer Brown, so not one but two KOs today

 

[SaaraK22]

Heard back from Jones Day at the start of Feb (post-interview)

Hi, how long did it take to hear back after interview? and was it by email or phone? thanks I just had my interview on Monday

 

[gigi23]

Anyone know how soon we can expect to hear from Bristows post VI?

 

[Catherine]

Hey, has anyone done an interview at Stephenson Harwood for a vacation scheme? I have been invited to a 'first round interview' - which makes me think there must be another AC or interview afterwards if successful?

Also does anyone know approx. how many they recruit through vac and how many through direct TC?

Thank you!

 

[PO499]

Hi, how long did it take to hear back after interview? and was it by email or phone? thanks I just had my interview on Monday

Hi, I was interviewed on Jan 31st, and one of the partners that interviewed me gave me a call on 1st Feb!

 

[Amy1]

This may be unrelated to this thread, but does anyone have experience with Goldman Sachs Legal New Analyst Video Interview? Any help would be much appreciated

 

[STWO]

Anyone know how soon we can expect to hear from Bristows post VI?

Still waiting too! could be today could be in a month! How did yours go?

 

[Helena]

Me three! Also been wait-listed by Mayer Brown, so not one but two KOs today

Yes - What is this all about. So annoying, got it too.

 

[S30]

Yes - What is this all about. So annoying, got it too.

Got this as well, I may think it is because I applied late (as I applied on their deadline day).

 

[Roland]

Anyone applied to K&L Gates' summer vac scheme? Has anyone heard anything yet?

 

[haylaw]

Has anyone completed the interview AC for Travers Smith. If yes, any advice or insight as to the questions they ask and how the interview goes would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

 

[Owen10101]

Has anyone happened to have heard back from Baker McKenzie (summer vac scheme)?

 

[Amy1]

Please has anyone heard back from Osborne Clarke post Reading AC?

 

[Jaysen]

Any advice for Taylor Wessing AC??

From a future trainee:

The Taylor Wessing AC was definitely one of the most enjoyable. When I attended, we had one group task focused on presentation skills, and one interview with two partners which covered motivational and commercial questions in light of my application and a case study. The case study concerned a start up looking to expand and obtain finance. None of the questions were out of the blue and the majority of the commercial questions are logical and in line with the case study.

A few tips - Taylor Wessing is definitely a personality firm, so don’t be afraid to be yourself (but still remaining professional). Treat the interview as a two-way conversation rather than an assessment. As much as the firm is there to make a decision on you, you’re also there to decide if that’s where you’d want to be one day, so use the opportunity to ask questions and get to know the team. For example, make a mental note of the departments the interviewers work in, and perhaps ask them questions about their work at the end. It’ll really help you build rapport and learn a bit more about the day to day workings of the firm.

Some more specific advice - be familiar with the departments of the firm and what the firm is all about, because it’s likely you’ll be asked what departments would be involved with the client in the case study. Further, have an understanding of how companies finance themselves - debt, equity, start-up funding etc, and be prepared to outline pros and cons, as that’s another common question many firms ask. Regarding the presentation task (if they still do that), build rapport with the people you’re working with! Keep it light and don’t dominate the discussion. If you see someone isn’t getting a chance to say anything, ask them for their thoughts to bring them into the conversation - show you’re a team player! If it’s a timed exercise, maybe take initiative and offer to keep an eye on the time to ensure you all prepare effectively, or offer to be the flipchart scribe, any way to make yourself stand out without stepping on anyone else’s toes - little things are enough to make a good impression.

 

[gigi23]

Still waiting too! could be today could be in a month! How did yours go?

Difficult to say I was quite nervous and not sure I said quite everything I wish I had how about you?

 

[Zahra]

Hey everyone! Please bear with me for the very lengthy post...

I am delighted to announce that I have just been offered a TC! Needless to say it has been a real journey to get to this point, and I feel the need to share mine because I really wish someone had explained to me that:
1. things will only always happen when the timing is right for YOU;
2. you can have a goal, and plan out your whole life working towards that goal.... only to realise it's not what you wanted in the end... and that's okay.

I initially embarked on a career at the Bar. In the last two years, I made 18 pupillage applications. I received 16 flat out rejections. I had interviews with two sets', but didn't succeed in any. I could not for the life of me understand why things weren't working out. Every time I was about to start healing from a rejection, it would happen again. The worst thing was I couldn't deal with my emotions and had to soldier on as I had continuous exams going on for the Bar. It took some time for me to pick myself up before I could decide what my next steps would be.

After I finished the BPTC, I moved to my home country. I spent some time recharging, recouping and reflecting. I then decided to take up a job and work with English qualified solicitors. I realised that my skill-set and personality traits were better suited for a career at a law firm... I had a hard time accepting this as choosing to switch career routes would mean I would have to start from scratch.. but then I realised that we are all on our own journeys, and we need to have faith in them.

So I spent the last three months focusing on applying to my dream firm using all the resources the Corporate Law Academy offered; engaging with the lovely members from this online community; and drawing on all the lessons I learnt from my previous applications.

Today, I was offered an opportunity with Clifford Chance.

Through this entire process and my pupillage applications, these are some of my reflections:
1. If you have attempted a TC application and don't succeed, try and reflect on how to make it better for the next stage. But if you have done everything you can in your power and still don't succeed - chances are the FIRM is not right for YOU, not that YOU aren't right for the FIRM. This is what I realised after my pupillage and interview experiences.
2. Take the time to understand your strengths, what makes you unique, and make sure you highlight them in your application. I would always talk about my communication skills, but I realised that everyone who is applying to become a barrister/solicitor probably has them. So this time round, I decided to use my diversity as my key strength. It worked.
3. You may not understand why things aren't going your way, but they always happen for a reason. I would have probably been miserable having to learn the bar wasn't right for me after obtaining pupillage; or if I didn't take up my new job, I probably wouldn't have gotten the necessary experience/confidence to apply for TC's.
4. Do not be afraid of change and embrace every experience that comes your way with an open mind.
5. Do not give up!

I hope this helps anyone who feels like things aren't going their way.

A huge huge thank you to everyone for their contributions on this forum, without which I couldn't have possibly gotten this opportunity.

 

[Salma]

Hey everyone! Please bear with me for the very lengthy post...

I am delighted to announce that I have just been offered a TC! Needless to say it has been a real journey to get to this point, and I feel the need to share mine because I really wish someone had explained to me that:
1. things will only always happen when the timing is right for YOU;
2. you can have a goal, and plan out your whole life working towards that goal.... only to realise it's not what you wanted in the end... and that's okay.

I am a Kenyan. I always wanted to qualify as a Barrister in the UK, but my mum (single parent) couldn't afford to send me to the UK directly. So I started my law degree in Malaysia. I wasn't happy about this initially, but when I saw how helpless she was, I changed my attitude and embraced the experience. I realised that it didn't matter where you study, but what you do with that education.

This change in attitude ended up being rewarding as despite having to study English and Malaysian law, and being one of the three international students, I managed to be ranked the first overall performer for year 1 and 2. I transferred to Cardiff University in my third year, thinking doing well in my first two years would ease the final year pressure. But when I transferred, I found out that my third year would count as 100% of my degree, meaning everything I did before didn't count; and I really wanted to pursue the Bar, but had no idea how to as funds were tight. During that year, I somehow managed to get a First, and also secure a full scholarship for the Bar.

I embarked on a career at the Bar. I made 16 pupillage applications last year AND 15 flat out rejections (I had an interview with one set, but didn't succeed). I could not for the life of me understand why things weren't working out and it took some time for me to pick myself up before I could decide what my next steps would be.

In the mean time, I moved back to Kenya, spent some time recharging, recouping and reflecting. I decided to take up a job and work with English qualified solicitors. I realised that my skill-set and personality traits were better suited for a career at a law firm... but choosing a career as a solicitor would mean I would have to start from scratch. I decided that I'm not in a hurry to qualify and I just want to learn.

So I spent the last three months focusing on applying to my dream firm using all the resources the Corporate Law Academy offered; engaging with the lovely members from this online community; and drawing on all the lessons I learnt from my previous applications.

Today, I was offered an opportunity with Clifford Chance.

Through this entire process and my pupillage applications, these are some of my reflections:
1. If you have attempted a TC application and don't succeed, try and reflect on how to make it better for the next stage. But if you have done everything you can in your power and don't succeed in an interview/paper application - chances are the FIRM is not right for YOU, not that YOU aren't right for the FIRM.
2. Take the time to understand your strengths, what makes you unique, and make sure you highlight them in your application. I would always talk about my communication skills, but I realised that everyone who is applying for the bar/solicitor route probably has them. So this time round, I decided to use my diversity as my key strength. It worked.
3. Things always happen for a reason. You may not understand why they do at that point, but they will fall into place when the timing is right for you.
4. Do not be afraid of change, and embrace every experience that comes your way with an open mind.
5. Do not give up!

I hope this helps anyone who feels like things aren't going their way.

A huge huge thank you to everyone for their contributions on this forum, without which I couldn't have possibly gotten this opportunity.

I am so pleased for your Zahra! All your hard work has paid off so you should be proud of yourself! Congratulations once again!!!!

 

[Jaysen]

Hey everyone! Please bear with me for the very lengthy post...

I am delighted to announce that I have just been offered a TC! Needless to say it has been a real journey to get to this point, and I feel the need to share mine because I really wish someone had explained to me that:
1. things will only always happen when the timing is right for YOU;
2. you can have a goal, and plan out your whole life working towards that goal.... only to realise it's not what you wanted in the end... and that's okay.

I am a Kenyan. I always wanted to qualify as a Barrister in the UK, but my mum (single parent) couldn't afford to send me to the UK directly. So I started my law degree in Malaysia. I wasn't happy about this initially, but when I saw how helpless she was, I changed my attitude and embraced the experience. I realised that it didn't matter where I studied, but what I did with that education.

This change in attitude ended up being rewarding as despite having to study English and Malaysian law, and being one of the three international students in my class of 50, I managed to be ranked the first overall performer for year 1 and 2.

I transferred to Cardiff University in my third year, thinking doing well in my first two years would ease the final year pressure. But when I transferred, I found out that my third year would count as 100% of my degree, meaning everything I did before didn't count; and I really wanted to pursue the Bar, but had no idea how to as funds were tight. During that year, I somehow managed to get a First, and also secure a full scholarship for the Bar.

I embarked on a career at the Bar. In the last two years, I've made 18 pupillage applications. I received 16 flat out rejections. I had interviews with two sets', but didn't succeed in any. I could not for the life of me understand why things weren't working out. Every rejection felt like a bandage being ripped off from my chest, and every time I was about to start healing, it would happen again. The worst thing was I couldn't deal with my emotions and had to soldier on as I had continuous exams going on for the Bar. It took some time for me to pick myself up before I could decide what my next steps would be.

After I finished the BPTC, I moved back to Kenya, spent some time recharging, recouping and reflecting. I then decided to take up a job and work with English qualified solicitors. I realised that my skill-set and personality traits were better suited for a career at a law firm... I had a hard time accepting this as choosing to switch career routes would mean I would have to start from scratch.. but then I realised that we are all on our own journeys, and we need to have faith in them.

So I spent the last three months focusing on applying to my dream firm using all the resources the Corporate Law Academy offered; engaging with the lovely members from this online community; and drawing on all the lessons I learnt from my previous applications.

Today, I was offered an opportunity with Clifford Chance.

Through this entire process and my pupillage applications, these are some of my reflections:
1. If you have attempted a TC application and don't succeed, try and reflect on how to make it better for the next stage. But if you have done everything you can in your power and still don't succeed - chances are the FIRM is not right for YOU, not that YOU aren't right for the FIRM. This is what I realised after my pupillage and interview experiences.
2. Take the time to understand your strengths, what makes you unique, and make sure you highlight them in your application. I would always talk about my communication skills, but I realised that everyone who is applying for the bar/solicitor route probably has them. So this time round, I decided to use my diversity as my key strength. It worked.
3. You may not understand why things aren't going your way, but they always happen for a reason. I would have probably been miserable having to learn the Bar wasn't right for me after obtaining pupillage, or if I didn't take up my new job, I probably wouldn't have gotten the necessary experience/confidence to apply for TC's.
4. Do not be afraid of change and embrace every experience that comes your way with an open mind.
5. Do not give up!

I hope this helps anyone who feels like things aren't going their way.

A huge huge thank you to everyone for their contributions on this forum, without which I couldn't have possibly gotten this opportunity.

Already!? It feels like just yesterday you were asking about how they work haha!

Really well done and thanks for taking the time to share your advice

 

[Zahra]

Already!? It feels like just yesterday you were asking about how they work haha!

Really well done and thanks for taking the time to share your advice

Thank you so very much! And haha, just goes to show how resourceful The Corporate Law Academy is