TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)

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S87

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Sep 4, 2018
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Agree with you here @Jessica Booker
Hi @Jessica Booker and Gemma,

I understand and agree with some of your remarks. However, may I ask you how candidates can understand how to improve their apps?
I mean, if I receive a general rejection how do I know what went wrong?

English is not my first language, however I have British people in my life who do not work in the legal industry but are happy to look at my apps and give me their feedback. However, this is not enough and it can be frustrating and mentally challenging at times.
 

HopefulForALawJob

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  • Feb 3, 2022
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    Dechert VI and Written Exercise just hit my inbox. Applied on the last day (from memory) and it was defs for the summer vac/2024 training contract. Thanks for all the help in the forum thus far! What do written exercises usually involve? Is the VI one of those ones where you can re-record as many times as you like (easy as) or is it a one take show (worst thing in the world lol)? (And remember for all those who got Latham rejections, WAGMI!)
     

    IRO

    Distinguished Member
    Junior Lawyer 5
    Jan 21, 2021
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    Just a random thought but, has anyone done the Travers Smith winter scheme and can confirm you literally get paid £750 for a week?
    More generally, does anyone have any thoughts on why the massive discrepancy between TS and the usual £450 that firms pay per week of vacation scheme?
    The reason the pay is so high at TS is because they used to offer a two week scheme at what's a fairly standard rate for VS (iirc £450/week) and then decided to shorten their scheme to be one week only but keep the pay roughly the same (so now you get £750 but its for one week instead of getting £900 for two weeks). I think this is a pretty poor deal, as I'd prefer more time to experience the firm/work to decide if it's right for me but to each their own. It's also helped TS cut costs as they can get away with spending less overall and don't have run a lengthy VS.

    Here's an article about it.
     

    Jessica Booker

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    Graduate Recruitment
    Premium Member
    Forum Team
    Aug 1, 2019
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    Hi @Jessica Booker and Gemma,

    I understand and agree with some of your remarks. However, may I ask you how candidates can understand how to improve their apps?
    I mean, if I receive a general rejection how do I know what went wrong?

    English is not my first language, however I have British people in my life who do not work in the legal industry but are happy to look at my apps and give me their feedback. However, this is not enough and it can be frustrating and mentally challenging at times.
    I don't think a tick box exercise solves that problem though.

    It's not telling you where the spelling/grammatical errors are, which sentence was unclear that led to the firm stating something about your written communication, or where your understanding of what the law firm does was incorrect. My personal opinion is that something like this is just causing more process but with little benefit to the firm. Any process needs to benefit the candidate and the firm for it to really be considered. Graduate Recruitment is actually a small proportion of recruitment done by law firms and typically these processes have to be applied across both graduate and lateral recruitment. It can also get more complicated if it also needs to be applied internationally.

    If you don't know people in the legal industry, network to find people who are. Find ways to connect with people who could advise you. Just because you don't have the network now, doesn't mean you don't have the means to create a network within the next 6 months. It is ultimately why TCLA is here - the greatest value in TCLA is the community we have in the forum. We have a good number of future trainees in this forum and people who have been successful in recruitment processes. You could ask someone to review your application and in return you could review theirs.
     

    Rob93

    Legendary Member
    Dec 29, 2020
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    The reason the pay is so high at TS is because they used to offer a two week scheme at what's a fairly standard rate for VS (iirc £450/week) and then decided to shorten their scheme to be one week only but keep the pay roughly the same (so now you get £750 but its for one week instead of getting £900 for two weeks). I think this is a pretty poor deal, as I'd prefer more time to experience the firm/work to decide if it's right for me but to each their own. It's also helped TS cut costs as they can get away with spending less overall and don't have run a lengthy VS.

    Here's an article about it.
    God I hate the legal cheek comments section.
     
    • Haha
    Reactions: S87 and OB

    LEL

    Legendary Member
    Junior Lawyer
    Jul 22, 2020
    201
    419
    Dechert VI and Written Exercise just hit my inbox. Applied on the last day (from memory) and it was defs for the summer vac/2024 training contract. Thanks for all the help in the forum thus far! What do written exercises usually involve? Is the VI one of those ones where you can re-record as many times as you like (easy as) or is it a one take show (worst thing in the world lol)? (And remember for all those who got Latham rejections, WAGMI!)
    Feel free to PM me :)
     
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