TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2022-23

[CorpLawyer00]

Applied 04/12, invited to WG 05/12 and completed WG on the 7th or 8th of Dec I think

thanks!

 

[patternteddybear]

just submitted my TLT application, good luck to everyone applying!

 

[Klawdabbe]

Just did the Mills & Reeve Online test and the feedback report for the SJT part really isn't promising
I find these SJT questions really unpredictable

Same here. I completed the Mills & Reeve test a few months back and wasn't too happy with the feedback. They said they should start getting back to people after the 16th Jan. We'll just have to wait and see what happens!

 

[jnice]

Does anyone else feel absolutely hopeless? I had a bad cycle last year and fortunately took a lot from it. Since graduating last year, I've spent so much time improving myself/applications. I have a much better commercial awareness (enough to get to the CAC semi final), I understand practice areas well, I am targeting my applications very carefully and being specific with my research. I've taken annual leave to do AS Aspire, I've attended application-only open days. My tangible work experience is much stronger and I've worked hard to regularly review and improve how I describe my w/exp in applications. And yet, I've had another big slap in the face. When you work FT so many opportunities dry up for you and I've invested so so much time and effort into improving - and I am a good candidate. But I am not an excellent candidate, and I don't know how to be so I won't get there anytime soon, because despite introspection and effort and getting support/reviews, I am nowhere closer than I was when I first decided I want to be a commercial solicitor. It's getting hard to pick myself back up and carry on going all the time.

Trust me, I absolutely understand how you feel!! This cycle is my fourth cycle and up until this cycle, I’d never made it past the application/psych test stage.

You have to just keep going and you need to remember that every rejection does not reflect your ability as a candidate. Also the pool of candidates compared to available training contracts is crazy. You have to tell yourself to keep going and remember why you want to be a commercial solicitor. It is not an easy road to get a training contract which is why resilience is a key competency for this career. Keep your head up! A key tip that’s kept me going is don’t have your sights set on one firm. I know it’s easier said than done. I used to be obsessed with HSF and the amount of times I’ve been rejected, I know for sure when they see my app they think, “not this one again”!😭 trust me, just keep going - all it takes is one yes and it’ll be worth it in the end!

also if you are eligible - sign up to some mentoring programmes which can really help with app development - GROW mentoring, STRIVE, Rare recruitment etc. Best of luck!!

 

[Ghassen]

I 100% believe that you can and will pass your VIs- you just need some information on how you can ace them. I'm linking my post on VIs here to help and also this super recent one here by a star member of our community, @ml_vk2022! Let me know if you find these useful!

Thanks a lot. I really appreciate this. I have already checked the new one, but I will go through your post as well.

 

[Highnumberofapplicants]

Does anyone else feel absolutely hopeless? I had a bad cycle last year and fortunately took a lot from it. Since graduating last year, I've spent so much time improving myself/applications. I have a much better commercial awareness (enough to get to the CAC semi final), I understand practice areas well, I am targeting my applications very carefully and being specific with my research. I've taken annual leave to do AS Aspire, I've attended application-only open days. My tangible work experience is much stronger and I've worked hard to regularly review and improve how I describe my w/exp in applications. And yet, I've had another big slap in the face. When you work FT so many opportunities dry up for you and I've invested so so much time and effort into improving - and I am a good candidate. But I am not an excellent candidate, and I don't know how to be so I won't get there anytime soon, because despite introspection and effort and getting support/reviews, I am nowhere closer than I was when I first decided I want to be a commercial solicitor. It's getting hard to pick myself back up and carry on going all the time.

Hey, I’m sorry for how you’re feeling, large parts of me can relate. It’s been two back to back bad cycles for me. And I’ve not had anywhere near the kind of difficulties you have. All I can say is that hearing you do all this and keeping the dream alive is amazing to see and I guess we’re all in the same boat. It’s not a case of if, more of when it happens so just keep making the amazing progress you have been and I’m sure things will work out for all of us!

 

[lawstudent9]

has anyone who applied in Dec heard from slaughters? I see many people have gotten PFOs or interview invites and I'm getting anxious. Should I email grad rec to ask?

 

[lawstudent9]

Does anyone have advice on how to answer "what is your greatest weakness" type question in interview/ VIs?

 

[lik0401]

Reed Smith VI!

 

[nanook133]

Reed Smith PFO... Does anyone know why? I got Judgement, Attention to Detail and Drive as my strengths. This rejection hurt for some reason

 

[JessicaIsabelle]

I'm still waiting to hear from them.

May I ask when you gave the SST and what your strengths were?

I know this wasn’t a reply for me but I did my SST on the 27th December, and my three strengths were Commercial Awareness, Collaboration and Attention to Detail ☺️

 

[HopefulFutureTrainee123]

For the question "How have you developed your skills and interest in the profession through your non-academic experiences?", talking about skills is fairly standard, but I'm unsure how to talk about my 'interest in the profession'. My only legal experience is a vac scheme, and I've used this elsewhere in my application. Can I talk about an experience where I've used similar skills to those required by a lawyer, and link these to my interest in the profession? @Jessica Booker . Thanks in advance

 

[gw9]

Reed Smith PFO... Does anyone know why? I got Judgement, Attention to Detail and Drive as my strengths. This rejection hurt for some reason

I got a PFO too with collaboration, attention to detail and drive. Guessing it's just because other people matched their preferred strengths better, sadly! 😢

 

[Future Six Figure Fee Earner]

I got a PFO too with collaboration, attention to detail and drive. Guessing it's just because other people matched their preferred strengths better, sadly! 😢

Those were mine and I got a VI tbh.

 

[LJ]

Reed Smith PFO... Does anyone know why? I got Judgement, Attention to Detail and Drive as my strengths. This rejection hurt for some reason

I don’t think you can read too much into those reports. Although these are your strongest areas, you don’t know how well you have performed vs the benchmark/other people. It might be that you did average on those 3 areas, and poorly on everything else but you end up with those 3 as your ‘strongest’ areas. Keep your chin up, as one door closes another opens!

 

[Jessica Booker]

For the question "How have you developed your skills and interest in the profession through your non-academic experiences?", talking about skills is fairly standard, but I'm unsure how to talk about my 'interest in the profession'. My only legal experience is a vac scheme, and I've used this elsewhere in my application. Can I talk about an experience where I've used similar skills to those required by a lawyer, and link these to my interest in the profession? @Jessica Booker . Thanks in advance

I think this is trying to get you to think about careers events, seminars, Forage/virtual internships, other forms of learning, networking etc. It may also be your extra curricular activities too.

 

[HopefulFutureTrainee123]

I think this is trying to get you to think about careers events, seminars, Forage/virtual internships, other forms of learning, networking etc. It may also be your extra curricular activities too.

That sounds good, thank you!

 

[fleur269]

Is it a good idea to mention specific deals and/or cases in the, 'Why X firm' type of questions (mentioning why these are significant and/or interesting, of course)? Or is this unwelcome as the firm already knows what it does!

 

[k3086]

Has anybody done the Stephenson harwood interview? I’m stressing about mine!!

 

[Sarah T]

Anyone heard from PwC Legal for summer vacation scheme - they sent an email saying we would hear back soon but it says my application is still under review.