Reapplying to firms

[moxiebobo]

Hi all,

I am in third year and planning to reapply to a number of firms I applied to last year. I had both a vac scheme this summer and summer internship (same company as in years prior) so I do have new experiences.

My query is how much I should be changing my applications from the previous years. K&E, for instance, is 1200 words of material all of which I put a lot of time and effort into last year - it also got me to the video interview. Questions like "what is your proudest achievement?" are difficult to reanswer as I have put my best answer done already.

Any clarification on this topic would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you.

 

[Ahi88]

This is a very tricky question because your previous application to K&E progressed you through to the video interview stage and you do not want to fall in the trap of 'reinventing the wheel'.

Personally, I think some questions warrant themselves to be changed/amended more than others. For example, if the question of "Why law", "Why this firm" or "Which practice area appeals to you" ever comes up, you most definitely should change them to comment on how your recent experiences such as your vac scheme and summer internship have contributed towards your motivations up to the point that you are applying.

With questions like "what is your proudest achievement", I think it would be fine to keep this largely the same. However, what may be altered or changed could perhaps be the structure and how it may read. Although your content may be fine, there is always room for improvement on every single application ti ensure that what you are saying is conveyed in the best way possible.

I have personally applied to a few firms with largely the same application but have tweaked how my subsequent experience has contributed towards my motivations. I actually obtained a TC from two firms I applied to twice so it shows that it can be possible! Just be sure to concentrate on showing your best side because everything can be improved the second time. A lot can happen within a year so focus on the new experiences you have obtained over the summer and how you have grown since your last application.

 

[RS31]

@Ahi88 did you also change your answers to questions like why commercial law? I am reapplying to a few firms this year (Last year I unthinkingly applied for a direct TC only to learn that they most likely didn't even consider my application because they filled all available TC slots from the vacation scheme pool). I just don't know how much I can change about myself!

 

[AvniD]

Hi all,

I am in third year and planning to reapply to a number of firms I applied to last year. I had both a vac scheme this summer and summer internship (same company as in years prior) so I do have new experiences.

My query is how much I should be changing my applications from the previous years. K&E, for instance, is 1200 words of material all of which I put a lot of time and effort into last year - it also got me to the video interview. Questions like "what is your proudest achievement?" are difficult to reanswer as I have put my best answer done already.

Any clarification on this topic would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you.

Hi @moxiebobo,

In my experience, I always find something that I can change about my answers, even if they were written with my best effort at the time. If you find that you do not want to change the content of some of your answers, try examining their structure, tone, style of writing- do they match how you express yourself today? Can you elaborate on your answers with more detail or clarity? Can you link them better to the characteristics that the firm is looking for in their trainees?

I also remember a recruiter giving me advice about re-using application answers and they essentially said that if you want to re-use answers you should ensure that you tailor them further by using/including any new information about or experience you've gained with the firm. While tailoring your answers in this manner is easier to do with industry or firm-specific questions, you can also try this with questions like 'what is your proudest achievement?' by linking them to anything new you've learnt from the firm's open days, webinars, graduate recruitment events, social media etc. about the structure/tone/character traits they may be looking for in your answers.

Good luck with your applications and I hope this helps!

 

[James Carrabino]

One thing I would add to all the great advice above is that you should definitely come up with a new answer for a commercial question about a business news story! It may go without saying but last year's example is outdated, plus it is easy for a firm to check your previous application to see whether you did a copy-and-paste job. Ultimately, I would feel less pressure to change answers about your motivations that you feel are still accurate and I think it is certainly possible that your 'proudest achievement' remains the same a couple years later. If you have new stuff to add, though, I wouldn't avoid doing it just because it's easier to submit what you already wrote. Hope that helps