My TC journey!

[yasmars]

Hi everyone!

I’ve been inspired by a few on this forum to start my own thread on my TC journey.

I’m currently working full-time and I’m finding it quite exhausting balancing TC/VS applications with life and work. This is my second application cycle. Last year I passed three app stages but ultimately fell down at the test/vi stages. So I’ve decided to be a little more strategic this year and focus on firms with simpler processes. However, I think I’ll still attempt to apply to some firms with test/VI stages.

Applied:
Linklater’s open day
Paul, Weiss open day
Simmons & Simmons WVS
Fieldfisher TC
Travers Smith TC
AG TC

Pending:
Pinsent
Willkie
Covington
Gibson
Goodwin
HSF
Skadden
Slaughter and May
White & Case
Arnold & Porter
Akin

Rejected:
Taylor Wessing post test

I might apply to Sullivan & Cromwell because i like the sound of their generalist approach. However, a lot of their trainees are Oxbridge grads with first class and that’s just not me 😭

I want to apply to Hogan Lovells but I find their application questions so longwinded but we’ll see. I also heard that now they review your app before sending the WG? Not sure how accurate that is

 

[Deleted member 37508]

Interesting read and great selection of firms.
I applied to HL. Not sure it is screen prior I applied on a Saturday and received the test 2 days after on the Monday. I do not believe they read and progressed me in such a short time.

I have a friend who interned at Sully and it is very Oxbridge heavy. They focus on grades.

 

[yasmars]

Interesting read and great selection of firms.
I applied to HL. Not sure it is screen prior I applied on a Saturday and received the test 2 days after on the Monday. I do not believe they read and progressed me in such a short time.

I have a friend who interned at Sully and it is very Oxbridge heavy. They focus on grades.

Thanks for confirming that

 

[yasmars]

Mini update:

Received a test invite from Fieldfisher! It was quite an enjoyable test, much less stressful than critical-thinking/WG tests. My strengths were drive and self-awareness, and my weakness was attention-to-detail. Hopefully this is enough to secure an interview ☺️

Feeling quite positive about my applications this cycle!

Submitted my Slaughter and May TC app a few days ago, now working on writing Willkie and HSF.

 

[Deleted member 37508]

Second that the fieldfisher test was fun. I’ve never encountered a test as such. Happy to say my strengths were self awareness and resilience and my weakness was growth mindset. I do hope I have passed. I applied to the diversity scheme so it’d be straight AC not the telephone interview.

I am also doing my HSF application now as well. I will work on Willkie in due course.

 

[yasmars]

I feel like those values contradict eachother 😂

Second that the fieldfisher test was fun. I’ve never encountered a test as such. Happy to say my strengths were self awareness and resilience and my weakness was growth mindset. I do hope I have passed. I applied to the diversity scheme so it’d be straight AC not the telephone interview.

I am also doing my HSF application now as well. I will work on Willkie in due course.

 

[Deleted member 37508]

I feel like those values contradict eachother 😂

Exactly what I said. Goes to show these tests are stupid.

 

[Jessica Booker]

I feel like those values contradict eachother 😂

To me they are quite different. You can be incredibly self aware but have no drive to learn about different things/push your self development, and vice versa, have lots of willingness to learn but no self awareness.

One is an internal factor while the other is more of an external factor.

 

[yasmars]

To me they are quite different. You can be incredibly self aware but have no drive to learn about different things/push your self development, and vice versa, have lots of willingness to learn but no self awareness.

One is an internal factor while the other is more of an external factor.

Oh thank you for that perspective, I definitely didn’t think about it in that way

 

[yasmars]

Just completed HSF's SJT. I found the test relatively enjoyable, however, I felt the feedback report did not reflect my answers whatsoever. I'll be interested to see whether I pass the assessment or not. I'm quite neutral about the outcome either way, which I'm happy about.

 

[yasmars]

Update:

As suspected I received rejections from HSF (post-test) and Linklaters' open day. I really don't understand how Linklaters chooses applicants based on the capp assessment, WG and grades. I would love to have insight into their GR processes.

Just submitted my Willkie application which I feel very positive about. Still debating whether or not to apply to CC. I don't want to write the application just to fail the test. Now working on writing Gibson and Akin as I've seen they've started giving out interviews.

 

[SoonToBeTrainee]

Update:

As suspected I received rejections from HSF (post-test) and Linklaters' open day. I really don't understand how Linklaters chooses applicants based on the capp assessment, WG and grades. I would love to have insight into their GR processes.

Just submitted my Willkie application which I feel very positive about. Still debating whether or not to apply to CC. I don't want to write the application just to fail the test. Now working on writing Gibson and Akin as I've seen they've started giving out interviews.

I’m in the exact same boat with CC!

 

[Deleted member 37508]

Attended a CC open day the test is valid for 2 cycle after taking it so if you pass this cycle you won’t have to take it until 2027. Also they recommended doing their forage course.

Well done on submitting Willkie.

 

[yasmars]

Mini update✨:

I am exhausted from balancing applications with full-time work. But I'm really lucky to have such a supportive supervisor who encourages me to take breaks/leave work earlier when needed. I now realise how lucky I was having so much free time as a student.

Anyway…I was rejected by Fieldfisher after passing the test. I am slightly disappointed but I'm over it now. I also received a WG invite from CMS! Bittersweet moment because the failure to success ratio is not in my favour.

Hoping to have some more wins this week!

 

[yasmars]

Another update✨:

Just received a Willkie VI invite!! I cannot believe it! After all these rejections this has really given me the confidence boost I needed.

Also nothing from CMS after completing the WG…maybe this means I passed!

 

[Deleted member 37508]

Well done on this success. Things are looking up for you. You may get CMS VI in the next batch

 

[yasmars]

Well done on this success. Things are looking up for you. You may get CMS VI in the next batch

Thanks so much!!

 

[yasmars]

I also forgot to add I got a rejection from Pinsent Masons TC 2 days ago. So if you haven’t heard back, likely you’re still in the running

 

[yasmars]

Update✨:

I've taken a well-needed break from drafting applications. I feel much more rested but this means I’m now rushing to send off some last minute applications. I am now aiming to complete and send off my Goodwin application tomorrow.

Rejections:

I received a rejection from Travers Smith a few weeks ago and was quite disheartened about it. I think my academic/professional background is just not what they’re looking for as my application was very well-researched and tailored to the firm. I was thinking of applying for their summer vacation scheme but I think I’ll direct my efforts elsewhere.

The most recent rejection to add to my pile is CMS. Although I had passed the benchmark, my pass mark wasn’t quite high enough to automatically make it through to the VI.

Success:

I also completed Willkie’s VI last week and found out that I progressed to the written exercise a few days ago! I was so shocked when I received the email as I really thought I had failed it. My answer to the first question was a jumbled mess, and my answers to the rest of the questions were not as structured as I had hoped. But I hope this serves as encouragement to those who are stressed about VIs that firms are not looking for perfection! They mainly are assessing the content of your answer, so more than likely you have done better than you think! I am also so happy that the exercise takes place at the end of Jan/beginning of Feb so I have ample time to prepare without feeling rushed off my feet.

Next steps:

I am still waiting to hear back from Slaughter and May, Gibson Dunn, Linklaters & Akin.

At the end of Dec/new year I aim to complete Macfarlanes, Reed Smith, Covington, Hogan Lovells, Orrick, Freshfields and White & Case.


Hopefully this cycle ends with a TC!

 

[Andrei Radu]

Update✨:

I've taken a well-needed break from drafting applications. I feel much more rested but this means I’m now rushing to send off some last minute applications. I am now aiming to complete and send off my Goodwin application tomorrow.

Rejections:

I received a rejection from Travers Smith a few weeks ago and was quite disheartened about it. I think my academic/professional background is just not what they’re looking for as my application was very well-researched and tailored to the firm. I was thinking of applying for their summer vacation scheme but I think I’ll direct my efforts elsewhere.

The most recent rejection to add to my pile is CMS. Although I had passed the benchmark, my pass mark wasn’t quite high enough to automatically make it through to the VI.

Success:

I also completed Willkie’s VI last week and found out that I progressed to the written exercise a few days ago! I was so shocked when I received the email as I really thought I had failed it. My answer to the first question was a jumbled mess, and my answers to the rest of the questions were not as structured as I had hoped. But I hope this serves as encouragement to those who are stressed about VIs that firms are not looking for perfection! They mainly are assessing the content of your answer, so more than likely you have done better than you think! I am also so happy that the exercise takes place at the end of Jan/beginning of Feb so I have ample time to prepare without feeling rushed off my feet.

Next steps:

I am still waiting to hear back from Slaughter and May, Gibson Dunn, Linklaters & Akin.

At the end of Dec/new year I aim to complete Dechert, Macfarlanes, Reed Smith, Covington, Hogan Lovells, Orrick, Freshfields and White & Case.


Hopefully this cycle ends with a TC!

Huge congratulations for progressing with Willkie, it is a huge achievement! Willkie's applications are incredibly competitive, and by reaching this stage it already means you were selected as likely having done better than 95% of other candidates. This should provide you with the confirmation that you have everything you need to succeed and with the confidence to give your best during the actual assessment. Keep at it, you are doing great !