Congrats, what stream is this for?21st June! What office did you apply for?
Hey Guest, do you have a question for graduate recruitment? Gemma Baker from Willkie is live to answer your questions!
Congrats, what stream is this for?21st June! What office did you apply for?
Hi @donxerxerI am unable to access the links. I am getting this response "You do not have access to The Corporate Law Academy. Please contact an admin to add you as a member."
I am unable to access the links. I am getting this response "You do not have access to The Corporate Law Academy. Please contact an admin to add you as a member."
My apologies- they should be working for you now!Alright, I'll include a range of links below so that you can prepare widely. Also know that we have a mock interview service that you can check out here if you feel the need to give practicing a go.
London business oneCongrats, what stream is this for?
No - you could always do the LPC during your TC, it’s just the vast majority of firms didn’t do this.This might be an obvious question but is it always necessary to complete the LPC/SQE before embarking on a training contract?
@sh.95 I am really sorry to hear this; it is always awful failing to convert a VS and I can understand that are seeking thorough and reasoned feedback. I am not sure that you should worry too much about whether or not they give you a phone call or send an e-mail, however.Hi everyone, I am unsure that this is the right thread, but after failing to transform a VS in a TC, I asked for detailed feedback. The motivations I was provided with when they actually called me, did not make any sense and were so vague that I was really bothered ("you did not manage to demonstrate enough enthusiasm"....like ok... I can't even really tell you how ridiculous it was...).
But the weird thing is that when I asked for specific feedback, they e-mailed back saying that they could reply to my email or arrange a call, the choice was completely mine.
Now, I work over 50 hours a week and I spent way too much time to go through their assessment process and to attend a scheme there - I am also residing abroad and the whole experience was very difficult for me already...I am frustrated and I would rather hear from them by email. So I send them my preference and they reply saying that becuase my email address is external and in order to comply with their data protection policy it is best to arrange a call.
I am really annoyed now. What are they talking about? Is it so hard to provide proper feedback by email? Does anyone else have similar experience or were unable to get written feebdack?
I swear my impression given this approach is that their assessment criteria are non existent and their decision-making process is random. I am so angry....looking for reassurance :/
Hi @iamJW! In my case, I was rejected post-Video Interview for a law firm and had success applying for a direct TC in the same cycle - I know that this is not exactly the same as being rejected post-AC, but if the firm has nothing stating that you cannot reapply in the same cycle and if you were actively encouraged to apply for the direct TC route, then I would definitely recommend doing so and many of the same principles apply to my post-VI rejection.Has anyone had any positive experience with being rejected post-AC for a VS and then having some success after applying for a direct TC with the same firm within the same cycle? I was strongly encouraged to reapply for the direct TC route that opens this summer in my AC feedback call and although it doesn't conflict with any policy (only applying once per cycle etc) I am wondering how I can improve my application or how likely I will make it to the AC stage when my experiences are unlikely to change between now and the summer?
@Arendt0927 I want to start by saying how sorry I am to hear that you have found yourself in this position. Think about the positives, though, which are that you have two more opportunities to shine this summer! Imagine what all those candidates are feeling who were riding all their hopes on that VS and have been rejected. You, on the other hand, are clearly an excellent enough candidate that you managed to secure THREE vacation schemes and so I am confident that you will have success. Ultimately, there is so much luck to the process that you have done yourself very well to have three opportunities to play the odds In the meantime, make sure to get feedback and reflect on how to improve in advance of your next schemes!Hi guys, (sorry this may not be the right place to post) just wondering if anyone has any experience/tips regarding reshaping your mindset after failing to convert a VS?
It's my first VS - I understand that it's a learning process & you can improve based on your feedback (yet to receive), but I'm slightly trapped by my own "if you can't make this one you're probably not gonna make the other schemes because no one wants you" thinking
I have 2 other schemes in the summer - would really appreciate any tips & insights
Congratulations @DTS!!! It sounds like it may have been worth the waitWell after sending off somewhere in the realm of 200+ applications over 4 years, and slowly but surely getting the hang of completing online applications/assessment centres & interviews, I finally have my dream TC at Clyde & Co. I appreciate this TCLA community more than you know and I am genuinely thankful and grateful for all of the support I received from this community which got me over the edge! I wish everyone else on here the best of luck with their future challenges and objectives, and hope I can provide my own tips going forward on this forum!
Dear all,
I have just been notified that I have failed converting a spring vacation scheme into a training contract. I feel quite lost particularly since I am a final year international student...
I also wonder whether my vacation scheme experience will be a good asset for future applications I am extremely anxious of getting questioned 'explain why you failed'.
I would appreciate any comments. Thank you so much.
@Arendt0927 I want to start by saying how sorry I am to hear that you have found yourself in this position. Think about the positives, though, which are that you have two more opportunities to shine this summer! Imagine what all those candidates are feeling who were riding all their hopes on that VS and have been rejected. You, on the other hand, are clearly an excellent enough candidate that you managed to secure THREE vacation schemes and so I am confident that you will have success. Ultimately, there is so much luck to the process that you have done yourself very well to have three opportunities to play the odds In the meantime, make sure to get feedback and reflect on how to improve in advance of your next schemes!
The very worst thing that could happen to you is that you get rejected from all three vacation schemes, but let me tell you it's not the end of the world. Guess what...I found myself in that exact position but received two TC offers by the end of the cycle nonetheless. I was rejected from three vacation schemes in the space of three months and every single one was brutal. Spending an entire application cycle building up to those schemes, with confidence that I would be able to convert at least one of them, meant that I just felt completely hopeless when I realised that I had failed to do so. The latter two post-vac scheme rejections came on the same day no less!! I allowed myself to be despondent for about 24 hours before I sat down and started looking at upcoming direct TC deadlines.
The day after I received both of those two rejections, I sent off an app that ended up in a TC offer less than a month later. The day after that I sent off another app that ended up in another TC offer! This was all in July right at the end of the cycle. The learning process of getting the vac schemes and subsequently being rejected from them was invaluable in ultimately getting me to a firm that I love. I also got a genuinely interesting and varied perspective of the kind of work that City lawyers do, so I have no regrets about any of these experiences.
Take time to reflect and then realise that you have two vac schemes remaining and that even if you were to somehow fail those like I did (you won't) then you will still have time left this cycle to apply to direct TCs! Of course it would be great to be all done with the process, but I sincerely think that the more work one puts into researching and applying to firms now pays dividends in the long run. You do not necessarily want to default into the first firm that offered you a vac scheme - it is great to have the opportunity to learn from that experience what areas of law you are interested in and which firms you should be looking at going forward.
It is an incredible feat that you got your vacation schemes in the first place, so congratulations!!! Firms will recognise how impressive this is. I went from getting past the application stage ~10% of the time before having a vac scheme on my CV to ~80% of the time once I did. Consequently, you would be in an enviable position when this experience enables you to receive multiple offers in the future and gives you the opportunity to make a reasoned choice abut which firm is best for you! With two upcoming vacation schemes, a lot of time left to make more applications, a vacation scheme already on your CV and confidence in your interview ability, you will find yourself in a pretty good position if you draw upon your resilience and keep moving forward
As I already mentioned, try to get feedback! I was not able to do so before each subsequent scheme after my first one; the first scheme simply refused to provide feedback and the other two schemes took place back to back. You have most of the cycle still ahead of you in which you can implement this feedback in both ACs and on your future vac schemes.
Either way, I know that you will bounce back stronger than ever
If we are talking generally, then people do move across firms, from global international firms to MC/US firms - it’s not like it never happens.Just a silly question, does it matter a lot about where you complete your training contract? For instance, if I did not do a training contract at a MC firm, just a ordinary global law firm, can I still transfer to MC firms or top US firms in the future?
Yes, it is possible to do it and I have seen similar links of the individual's characteristics and the firm's status/value/position in letters before.Hi guys,
Is it possible to compare, in a cover letter, your hard-working spirit/resilience to the firm's growth?
Hi @Vacationschemeapps - there is lots of useful information/advice and links in this thread that you may want to read: Converting your vacation scheme into a training contract - top tips in 2021 | The Corporate Law Academy ForumHi, @James Carrabino @Jessica Booker, @AvniD - I have a vac scheme lined up with CMS for the summer and was wondering if you guys have any advice on how to impress the firm at the scheme?
Would be super grateful!!
Thank you @Jessica BookerYes, it is possible to do it and I have seen similar links of the individual's characteristics and the firm's status/value/position in letters before.