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

[Bestkid98]

Following the vacation scheme I have accepted a training contract offer from Travers Smith! Woohoo!


If anyone reading this is a career changer, in their first cycle or feeling overwhelmed - you can do this! Happy to help anyone in any way I can.

Congratulations, so happy for you!!!!!!!!

 

[AvniD]

Following the vacation scheme I have accepted a training contract offer from Travers Smith! Woohoo!


If anyone reading this is a career changer, in their first cycle or feeling overwhelmed - you can do this! Happy to help anyone in any way I can.

Congratulations @Lily1234! This is wonderful news- very well done!! 👏 👏 👏

 

[Future Six Figure Fee Earner]

Interesting. Why when I have accepted. What is the point of that?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Interesting. Why when I have accepted. What is the point of that?

1) some people don’t want references checked until the offer is made (for instance if they are in employment, they won’t want their current employer to know)

2) Firms have a pretty robust recent e check process. That would be pretty arduous, time consuming and costly if they did that for any candidate they interviewed. The vast majority of the references would never be needed.

Therefore waiting until someone has accepted the offer and then doing the check thoroughly is the most suitable approach. Reference checks are needed to ensure candidates are telling the truth, and so doing it once people have accepted will be likely result in the most efficient use of time.

 

[Future Six Figure Fee Earner]

But if you've already accepted the TC, if you had lied, there is nothing that they could now do?

 

[Jessica Booker]

But if you've already accepted the TC, if you had lied, there is nothing that they could now do?

Yes, they can easily retract the offer if you are found to have lied.

I have done this numerous times in my career!

 

[Future Six Figure Fee Earner]

So basically I quit my summer job at a company after a few weeks. I have a few insight days coming up and they refused my holiday for those days, so I never turned up again. I don't need to give notice if I've worked there less than a month.

But the problem is I've worked for this company in the past, so if I put down the previous time I worked there as work experience, if they get a reference, 1.) they will find out that I left my job so soon, 2.) it could say I was dismissed for 'gross misconduct' for unauthorised absence, as they had to do what they had to do to remove, 3.) that I never told them about the second time I worked there.

sorry, I know that's worded bad

 

[Jessica Booker]

So basically I quit my summer job at a company after a few weeks. I have a few insight days coming up and they refused my holiday for those days, so I never turned up again. I don't need to give notice if I've worked there less than a month.

But the problem is I've worked for this company in the past, so if I put down the previous time I worked there as work experience, if they get a reference, 1.) they will find out that I left my job so soon, 2.) it could say I was dismissed for 'gross misconduct' for unauthorised absence, as they had to do what they had to do to remove, 3.) that I never told them about the second time I worked there.

sorry, I know that's worded bad

1) they won’t care as long as the dates are factual and correct. Short term work placements happen all the time. The only issue would be if you present false employment dates that inflate the period of time you worked there.

2) It would only state that if you had been charged by the employer with gross misconduct. The previous employer would have had to notify you if that was the case. The previous employer could state your employment was terminated on the grounds of unauthorised absence though if that is ultimately what happened. However, if you are concerned about it, one option is not putting the employment down on your application (but then make sure it’s not on anything publicly available like LinkedIn).

 

[Lily1234]

Congratulations, so happy for you!!!!!!!!

Congratulations @Lily1234! This is wonderful news- very well done!! 👏 👏 👏

Thank you so much! I love the support on this forum, it’s amazing. Thanks again!

 

[ZaraB]

Hi @Jessica Booker and @Jaysen! I wanted to thank you both for all the hard work you put into the TCLA and demystifying the application process. I have been made two training contract offers from two amazing firms and am over the moon. This would have likely not been possible if it wasn't for the TCLA! More than happy for anyone to reach out if I can help with the application process in any way at all!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi @Jessica Booker and @Jaysen! I wanted to thank you both for all the hard work you put into the TCLA and demystifying the application process. I have been made two training contract offers from two amazing firms and am over the moon. This would have likely not been possible if it wasn't for the TCLA! More than happy for anyone to reach out if I can help with the application process in any way at all!

This makes me so happy! Posts like this make my day. Thank you so much for your kind words and congratulations on securing multiple offers - that is an amazing achievement.

 

[Jaysen]

Hi @Jessica Booker and @Jaysen! I wanted to thank you both for all the hard work you put into the TCLA and demystifying the application process. I have been made two training contract offers from two amazing firms and am over the moon. This would have likely not been possible if it wasn't for the TCLA! More than happy for anyone to reach out if I can help with the application process in any way at all!

It's so nice to check into the forum and see this. Really really well done for both of those training contract offers 👏 Please do stay in touch via the JLC!

(And bonus points for the office GIF)

 

[Jaysen]

Hey everyone,

So this thread has reached two million+ views and 19,000 posts 😮

Just a heads up that we will be creating a new thread for the next vacation scheme cycle on Monday, which means we will be locking this thread then.

Nothing will be changing, it will just make it easier to discuss the upcoming vacation scheme cycle.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hey everyone,

So this thread has reached two million+ views and 19,000 posts 😮

Just a heads up that we will be creating a new thread for the next vacation scheme cycle on Monday, which means we will be locking this thread then.

Nothing will be changing, it will just make it easier to discuss the upcoming vacation scheme cycle.

 

[golden99]

Hey, does anyone know when A&O will reopen their vac scheme applications?

 

[OB]

Thought I'd jump on @ZaraB's bandwagon and share that I've also accepted a TC offer! It definitely felt like a far off pipe dream for so long (especially after falling short at AC stage last cycle but securing a TC with the same firm this year) but this is testament that your day will come and I believe in all of you

If anyone wants advice or someone to rant to, my DMs are open. I would also like to say that the Law Firm Profiles on the TCLA Premium Subscription were so helpful to see the type of detail to go into with my applications, as well as the Joe Mallet Application Practice Course (https://www.jmral.com/about-jmr). And of course this forum was great to make friends and connect with my now future colleagues (@ZaraB is stuck with me now!). Thanks again to @Jaysen and @Jessica Booker for making this such a great resource for applicants!

 

[letmeintolaw]

Hi guys does anyone know if you are able to ask your firm if you can change the location where you study the SQE (still with the same provider but in a different city) or does it have to be on the location where the firm is?

 

[ZaraB]

Thought I'd jump on @ZaraB's bandwagon and share that I've also accepted a TC offer! It definitely felt like a far off pipe dream for so long (especially after falling short at AC stage last cycle but securing a TC with the same firm this year) but this is testament that your day will come and I believe in all of you

If anyone wants advice or someone to rant to, my DMs are open. I would also like to say that the Law Firm Profiles on the TCLA Premium Subscription were so helpful to see the type of detail to go into with my applications, as well as the Joe Mallet Application Practice Course (https://www.jmral.com/about-jmr). And of course this forum was great to make friends and connect with my now future colleagues (@ZaraB is stuck with me now!). Thanks again to @Jaysen and @Jessica Booker for making this such a great resource for applicants!

Huge congratulations again @OB, you deserve this so much!! Looking forward to studying and working together 🥳✨🎊💫

 

[Jaysen]

Thought I'd jump on @ZaraB's bandwagon and share that I've also accepted a TC offer! It definitely felt like a far off pipe dream for so long (especially after falling short at AC stage last cycle but securing a TC with the same firm this year) but this is testament that your day will come and I believe in all of you

If anyone wants advice or someone to rant to, my DMs are open. I would also like to say that the Law Firm Profiles on the TCLA Premium Subscription were so helpful to see the type of detail to go into with my applications, as well as the Joe Mallet Application Practice Course (https://www.jmral.com/about-jmr). And of course this forum was great to make friends and connect with my now future colleagues (@ZaraB is stuck with me now!). Thanks again to @Jaysen and @Jessica Booker for making this such a great resource for applicants!

Wonderful to see from a long time forum member. Really well done

 

[Abii]

Now that I have had a couple of days to let it sink in I can say that I have (finally) received a TC offer from one of the VSs I undertook this summer. So even if the other firm says no when I hear the outcome I still never have to do another TC application again!

Thanks to @Jaysen @Jessica Booker and the gang in the writing group (@Adrian_S @S87 @Raynz @Alison C @lawnoob ) and everyone else who makes this forum what it is - it’s so refreshing to be able to ask those questions and share knowledge with people without fear of judgement or lack of understanding. As much as my friends and family try none of them are in law so the assistance is limited!

This was my third application cycle and first time applying for VSs (I always did direct before as I worked and couldn’t use annual leave for VSs). I’m a state schooled, first to go to uni, 2.1 non-RG graduate without A levels who worked full time or almost full time throughout university so didn’t have a huge host of extra curriculars on my CV. It can be done!

I’m still gonna stick around here and help out where I can, and my messages are open for anyone that has any q’s or wants a chat!