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.
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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.
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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!
