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

[Jessica Booker]

I've got a vac scheme in the summer, and just received an invite for an assessment day for a TC from another firm which is during the scheme. My question is, does anyone know whether a firm will allow you to take a day off during a vac scheme for a good reason?

I'd ask the firm who has invited you to interview whether they have any flexibility first and explain you are completing a vacation scheme on the date they have provided.

If they do not provide any flexibility, then ask the GR team at your VS firm whether it would be possible to take a day off. Be ready to explain why you need the time off though and potentially for them to say no if it conflicts with important elements of their vacation scheme.

 

[George Maxwell]

Hi Georgie! I thought I'd share a really useful piece of advice my mam was told by someone in charge of recruitment at a firm who she met on a train (long story I know). While you're going to be doing loads of group activities and networking, make sure the firm has some concrete work from you to assess you on at the end of the VS- apparently a lot of candidates stumble here by devoting too much time to networking, meeting people etc. so make sure you're really utilising your time the best you can

Congrats on getting three VS!

Hey @PastaPointOfNoReturn (fantastic name by the way!),

This is awesome advice. Thank you for sharing! I hadn't thought about it in this way, but I think this is right. It is easy to get caught up in networking and exploring the firm. Ultimately though, the minimum required of any vacation schemer is to produce high quality work(!). Networking is definitely a plus, but ultimately the quality of your work (such as attention to detail) will always be a determining factor of receiving an offer or not.

Prioritisation is really key. My trainee buddies often reminded me that more mundane tasks only need to be completed well. These tasks, such as admin or updating slides, are not going to get you the vacation scheme. However, if you do them poorly, they might be the reason that you don't get an offer. The tasks to focus on are those which require more engagement. For example, a research task or a draft piece of advice. This sort of task can be the difference between you receiving an offer and just falling short(!).

Also, at HSF, I ended up being assessed on a series of oral presentations that I gave (in preference to a written piece of work that I had produced) as my supervisor thought that this was higher quality work (and at HSF, my supervisors were able to choose a single piece of assessed work that they thought was strongest). So although this piece of work was not recorded in the same way as a piece of written work, it was regarded as substantial enough for assessment.

Very happy to continue this conversation if anyone is interested!

 

[lawstress]

I'd ask the firm who has invited you to interview whether they have any flexibility first and explain you are completing a vacation scheme on the date they have provided.

If they do not provide any flexibility, then ask the GR team at your VS firm whether it would be possible to take a day off. Be ready to explain why you need the time off though and potentially for them to say no if it conflicts with important elements of their vacation scheme.

Hi Jessica, thanks for your response.

So I asked the firm who has invited me, and they have no flexibility. In your opinion, will asking the firm I have a VS with if it is possible to take a day off hurt my chances when they assess me for a TC? Also, when asking, should I be honest and say I've been invited to an assessment day with another firm?

Thank you

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica, thanks for your response.

So I asked the firm who has invited me, and they have no flexibility. In your opinion, will asking the firm I have a VS with if it is possible to take a day off hurt my chances when they assess me for a TC? Also, when asking, should I be honest and say I've been invited to an assessment day with another firm?

Thank you

You should be honest about it - I think there is more risk in saying it is for something else and then being found out.

Just explain to your VS firm that you have been offered an AC but the firm is only giving you one date which is unfortunately during your scheme and therefore would the firm have any flexibility in you taking the time off to attend. The worst that can happen is the firm says no and you can't attend.

Call them (rather than rely on email for this) and then when you speak to them you can get across your tone about your disappointment of being put in this situation and having to ask this firm for flexibility. Also, ensure you make it clear that you are happy to make up the time that week if you cannot take annual leave (or you go over the annual leave amount).

 

[bchn9703]

Hi all, Just wanted to know if anyone has done the CRS vacation scheme recently. I would be so grateful for a rundown on what the scheme entails and involves and how they found it personally? I'm doing mine in June and am nervous as it is my first vac scheme. Any advice and help related to CRS will be greatly appreciated!

Hey! I am also doing the vac scheme in June this year and it's my first time too, are you in the London office?

 

[Goose]

I was just watching this documentary about life on benefits and one person mentioned that forms to potential employers are supposed to be written in block capitals. I submitted my vac scheme documents in lower case and am wondering if it's a bad look?

 

[Jessica Booker]

I was just watching this documentary about life on benefits and one person mentioned that forms to potential employers are supposed to be written in block capitals. I submitted my vac scheme documents in lower case and am wondering if it's a bad look?

There is no truth in this whatsoever - any form would state to write it in block capitals if it was required.

 

[Goose]

There is no truth in this whatsoever - any form would state to write it in block capitals if it was required.

Brilliant, thanks!

 

[F99]

Did anyone who applied for Pinsent Masons TC get a confirmation that their application had been submitted. I submitted on Friday and still haven't received a confirmation email. Also is there some kind of application portal?

 

[sibs23]

Did anyone who applied for Pinsent Masons TC get a confirmation that their application had been submitted. I submitted on Friday and still haven't received a confirmation email. Also is there some kind of application portal?

I haven't received an email either so I am assuming that they don't send them

 

[F99]

I haven't received an email either so I am assuming that they don't send them

Thanks, do you know if there is somewhere we can monitor the status of our application?

 

[sibs23]

Thanks, do you know if there is somewhere we can monitor the status of our application?

Not that I'm aware of, sorry

 

[Limanehious]

Hi did anyone apply to the Flex Legal TC scheme and have you heard anything back?

 

[Lily1234]

This is really inspiring - congratulations!!

Thank you James!

 

[Adrian_S]

Orrick interview!

Congratulations! Weird question, is Orrick rolling or non-rolling? I thought I’d seen somewhere that direct training contract apps were non rolling, but could be wrong

 

[FutureLawyer99]

I have this application question for TLT: By having a sector approach, TLT is able to advise clients on the markets in which they operate as well as their own business needs. What recent work in one of our sectors have you found interesting and why?

Do I need to talk about one of TLT's recent deals in that sector? Or is it asking me to talk about a recent update in the sector as a whole?

 

[Jessica Booker]

I have this application question for TLT: By having a sector approach, TLT is able to advise clients on the markets in which they operate as well as their own business needs. What recent work in one of our sectors have you found interesting and why?

Do I need to talk about one of TLT's recent deals in that sector? Or is it asking me to talk about a recent update in the sector as a whole?

It doesn't have to be a deal as such, it could be advisory or contentious work too.

I'd try to link it to the work that the firm would be doing - that could be linked to a general update/trend in the market, but I think it needs a clear tie to the work the firm does for it to work.

TLT have some great insight articles under each of the sectors on their website - I suspect these could be a good starting point.

 

[Amanpreet Kaur]

Hiya, just have a quick question, I've recently been offered a role at Dentons for a paralegal role, but I won't start for three months due to my current work's notice period. For upcoming TC apps can I include this within my work experience section even though the role is yet to commence?

 

[AvniD]

Hiya, just have a quick question, I've recently been offered a role at Dentons for a paralegal role, but I won't start for three months due to my current work's notice period. For upcoming TC apps can I include this within my work experience section even though the role is yet to commence?

I wouldn't list it as work experience as it hasn't commenced yet but would mention it in an additional info text box or something along those lines.

 

[WiseOwl]

Hi @Jessica Booker - so sorry, not sure if I am posting this in the right thread! :/ I was hoping I could ask you for your advice. I have several vacation scheme exit interviews coming up and I was wondering what would be the best way to go about preparing for them? Would exit interviews normally revolve around the tasks completed during the vac scheme + our experience? Thank you so much in advance!