TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2024-5

Ram Sabaratnam

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Sep 7, 2024
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Hi all, hope everyone's applications are going well!

For those who graduated a couple of years ago and are currently working, how would you approach the following question:
  • Please outline the details of your main extra-curricular activities and leisure interests.
To be honest, I'm not entirely sure how to respond. When I was still studying I would have listed any clubs and societies I used to be involved in, but that all seems quite outdated at this point. Ever since I started at my current role, my social life has undoubtedly taken a bit of a nose-dive and I can only think of truly leisure activities (i.e. travelling, hiking, exercise etc), but I'm unsure how to demonstrate any quantifiable "achievements" from these activities?

Any thoughts would be much appreciated! Thank you

Hiya @tc_hopeful

As someone who's worked with several career changers, I completely appreciate the worry here. But thankfully there’s no need to limit yourself to discussing interests or activities you undertook at university. This point actually applies to applicants at any point in their careers - whether you're in school or not. Ultimately, just focus on what you’re passionate about and how it has positively shaped you outside of work.

For instance, leisure activities are completely fine to mention here. As a career changer myself, I used this space to discuss my hobbies or interests that I genuinely enjoyed outside of work. If there are any activities you started during university and have continued, that could be great to highlight too. For example, I often mentioned starting improv comedy whilst at university and continuing to be involved in this sort of activity after graduation. When discussing the hobby, I tried to describing briefly what the it involved and how it’s helped me develop skills like quick thinking and confidence.

You could even mention purely leisure activities like travel, hiking, or exercise. These all involve a range of different skills. For instance, I'm also passionate about travelling and I especially love going to countries with really unfamiliar places and terrain and cultures. I mentioned this as part of my answer to this question, citing all the different countries that I've backpacked through and some of the quite incredible things that I had the chance to see and do in certain parts of the world. Whilst these aren't achievements per se, they're experiences that have allowed me to become more adaptable and resourceful.

Overall, I'd have a good think about the kinds of things you're interested in/passionate about, or even just things you enjoy doing on a regular basis. Discussing such things in a thoughtful way can really allow you to standout as an applicant.
 

Ram Sabaratnam

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Has anyone heard of ppl starting their contracts early at any MC firm? e.g. if they applied for a 2026 TC but were able to start in 2025 instead?

Howdy @KBanana :)


While it’s definitely possible for some candidates to start their training contracts earlier than planned, it really depends on the firm and their current availability. Sometimes spaces open up if others change their start dates or aren’t able to begin as scheduled. In some cases, candidates who have already completed the SQE or other professional studies might be allowed to start sooner if the firm has room. From my own previous experience though, it seems like this is generally handled on a case-by-case basis. If you're interested in starting earlier, I think it's best approach is to check directly with graduate recruitment to see if this option might be available for you. They’ll definitely have a better idea and can advise you on any flexibility with start dates. Good luck!
 

Jessica Booker

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Has anyone heard of ppl starting their contracts early at any MC firm? e.g. if they applied for a 2026 TC but were able to start in 2025 instead?
Yes - it sometimes happens but there is no guarantee of it happening. It can depend on a whole range of variable factors, none of which are really in your control. There is no harm in asking though, as the worst that happens is the firm says no and you just start in your original intake group rather than earlier (or later).
 

MC123

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Nov 24, 2020
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@Jessica Booker might be able to tell you more, but to try to address your questions before that:
  1. While I am not certain about this, I would assume this drafting excludes work experiences from the scope. Otherwise, they could have just said 'experiences' and would not have added the two qualifiers of 'personal life'.
  2. I do not think there is a set number of experiences that it is appropriate to mention. What works or not will greatly depend on the experiences themselves, how long it takes to properly explain them, and how long it takes to link this with the formation of a unique perspective that will allow you to succeed at the firm. However, my advice would be to prioritize depth over breath, as recruiters always say that the among the biggest mistakes candidates make is being insufficiently clear and specific in their explanations.
Thank you for this Andrei, very helpful!
 

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