Slaughter and May Written Exercise

[TheCustardPants]

Hey guys,

I have a Slaughter and May's Direct TC interview coming up. I was wondering if anyone has any tips on how to do the written exercise. People have been saying to use SWOT or Porter's Fives - does this just literally mean listing SWOT as separate headings and writing under them? Moreover, do we only use SWOT or Porter's Five - and not both?

I was also wondering if there are any other resources that can be used for the written exercise, as I had one a few months ago at Latham, but mine didn't go down too well.

Kind regards,
TCP

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hey guys,

I have a Slaughter and May's Direct TC interview coming up. I was wondering if anyone has any tips on how to do the written exercise. People have been saying to use SWOT or Porter's Fives - does this just literally mean listing SWOT as separate headings and writing under them? Moreover, do we only use SWOT or Porter's Five - and not both?

I was also wondering if there are any other resources that can be used for the written exercise, as I had one a few months ago at Latham, but mine didn't go down too well.

Kind regards,
TCP

My advice is to not try to get too bogged down with the specifics of structure. If they wanted SWOT the instructions would say to use it.

 

[TheCustardPants]

My advice is to not try to get too bogged down with the specifics of structure. If they wanted SWOT the instructions would say to use it.

Thanks Jessica - so how would you recommend structuring it? Also, should I summarise anything for the client or not? If so, do I keep it very brief?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thanks Jessica - so how would you recommend structuring it? Also, should I summarise anything for the client or not? If so, do I keep it very brief?

It’s impossible to advise on this without knowing the detail of the exercise. There is not one answer to these exercises though, so I think you are asking the wrong questions here, When it comes to structure you just base this on the basic rules of writing.

When you see the context of the scenario you are faced with, ask yourself the following questions:

What might the client not know/understand?
What is important to the client? Are they right in thinking this should be a priority?
If the client only remembers three things, what do you need them to take away?
How do I back up what I am saying?
How can I ensure I am not ambiguous?
What do I need to signpost to the client, particularly if I need them to action anything or need them to be aware of anything else that needs to be considered/actioned?
What’s the purpose of the writing - to inform/persuade/direct?

You are ultimately trying to prepare for an exercise that you cannot prepare for though. Try not to go in with too many fixed ideas on the particulars of how you would write this assessment.

 

[TheCustardPants]

It’s impossible to advise on this without knowing the detail of the exercise. There is not one answer to these exercises though, so I think you are asking the wrong questions here, When it comes to structure you just base this on the basic rules of writing.

When you see the context of the scenario you are faced with, ask yourself the following questions:

What might the client not know/understand?
What is important to the client? Are they right in thinking this should be a priority?
If the client only remembers three things, what do you need them to take away?
How do I back up what I am saying?
How can I ensure I am not ambiguous?
What do I need to signpost to the client, particularly if I need them to action anything or need them to be aware of anything else that needs to be considered/actioned?
What’s the purpose of the writing - to inform/persuade/direct?

You are ultimately trying to prepare for an exercise that you cannot prepare for though. Try not to go in with too many fixed ideas on the particulars of how you would write this assessment.

Thanks Jessica - I'll guess I'll just have to see the written exerise on the day and make my decision then as to how to write it.