TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

[ayiiii05]

When did you hear a response?

Around mid Feb, had my interview a week after and got rejected but they invited me to their open day.

 

[Inderpreet996]

Hey, has anyone heard back from PMC post-AC? I had mine on the 22nd and still haven't heard back—I don't know if I should take it as a rejection.

 

[e.jy336]

Has anyone heard from W&C post-AC? (for Summer)

 

[celine02]

has anyone heard back from SH about the spring scheme yet? haven't seen any offers/pfos here or on linked in either but i might just presume a PFO and book a holiday at this point

 

[Law_Between_Life]

If anyone has any advice regarding Gateley ACs, specifically the Reading office. Please let me know.

Thank you

 

[user254]

If anyone has any advice regarding Gateley ACs, specifically the Reading office. Please let me know.

Thank you

Congrats for getting the AC! When did you hear back?

 

[Law_Between_Life]

Congrats for getting the AC! When did you hear back?

I got emailed on Thursday; I have just been incredibly busy, so I have not got around to reading it until now. The AC is on the 10th of April.

Not seen anyone else comment regarding the Reading office, though, so unsure if they are all sent out.

 

[lllaaawww098]

anyone heard from dentons spring vac scheme? or even summer vs

 

[BuddingLawyer1211]

anybody heard back from Dwf - and if you have, was it via email or telephone? 😊

 

[Zi48]

This kind of question has probably been asked before but if you are offered a direct tc is there much point spending the time and money to complete vacation schemes that you have also been offered?

If you know you definitely prefer the direct TC firm then I would say there’s no point. But if you’re not sure, and still considering the other firms then it could be worth completing the vacation schemes to help with your decision

 

[mattyh23]

In a written exercise, is it fine to use bullet points or will this look unprofessional?

My thinking is that clients have limited time and want the most pertinent information. So, if I was instructed to write a memo say, could I bullet point the main recommendations in an executive summary, before using headings and substantive paragraphs for each point?

Or is better to just stick with prose? Any thoughts @Jessica Booker @axelbeugre?

 

[holz567]

In a written exercise, is it fine to use bullet points or will this look unprofessional?

My thinking is that clients have limited time and want the most pertinent information. So, if I was instructed to write a memo say, could I bullet point the main recommendations in an executive summary, before using headings and substantive paragraphs for each point?

Or is better to just stick with prose? Any thoughts @Jessica Booker @axelbeugre?

Kinda following on from this point, how do you write an executive summary?

Say if you were using one, would you go straight into a heading with “executive summary” and a brief summary of your findings?

 

[Jessica Booker]

This kind of question has probably been asked before but if you are offered a direct tc is there much point spending the time and money to complete vacation schemes that you have also been offered?

Only if you see yourself accepting a TC with the VS firm over the from you have already got a TC with.

 

[Jessica Booker]

In a written exercise, is it fine to use bullet points or will this look unprofessional?

My thinking is that clients have limited time and want the most pertinent information. So, if I was instructed to write a memo say, could I bullet point the main recommendations in an executive summary, before using headings and substantive paragraphs for each point?

Or is better to just stick with prose? Any thoughts @Jessica Booker @axelbeugre?

Bullet points are fine to use if used appropriately. If you are writing multiple sentences to make one point, then prose and heading maybe more suitable.

 

[Broadwater]

Hi all,

I’ve followed this thread for a while but have made a profile today as I have a situation I am really struggling with, and I don’t know what to do.

I graduated from university in 2022 and this is my third cycle of applications. In my first cycle, I sent off about 15 applications and ended up getting 1 AC, which I was unsuccessful at. Second cycle, I sent off about 8 applications and got 4 assessments centres, which I was, again, unsuccessful with. This year, I sent off 12 applications and reached 7 assessment centres. I heard back on Friday that I’d been rejected from my final one. This cycle has now completed.

So to summarise, I’ve had 12 AC rejections in 3 years.

Today, I just broke down about it and couldn’t stop crying. I always prepare really well for my ACs but no matter what I do, I get rejected. I ask for feedback but each firm’s feedback seems to contradict another, so it’s really unhelpful.

I just don’t know what to do now. This has been my dream for a long time, but I can’t go through this again and have more rejections because it’s become so detrimental to my mental health.

I currently paralegal at a high street firm and am considering just trying to stay there now and qualify that way if I train. It’s not what I wanted, but I feel maybe I’m just not cut out for City law. I look good on paper and can write well, but no matter how hard I’ve worked, firms just don’t take to me.

Any advice or guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

JK Rowling had Harry Potter rejected by 12 publishers. She probably said to herself something similar to you like: "I look good on paper and can write well, but no matter how hard I’ve worked, [publishers] just don’t take to me."

Two things that I'm trying to say:
1) Your 13th AC could lead to your dream TC!
2) Don't be so hard on yourself with rejections. So many factors can go into firms' decision-making that have no link to your ability to become a great lawyer in the future.

 

[LawBrah]

Hi all,

I’ve followed this thread for a while but have made a profile today as I have a situation I am really struggling with, and I don’t know what to do.

I graduated from university in 2022 and this is my third cycle of applications. In my first cycle, I sent off about 15 applications and ended up getting 1 AC, which I was unsuccessful at. Second cycle, I sent off about 8 applications and got 4 assessments centres, which I was, again, unsuccessful with. This year, I sent off 12 applications and reached 7 assessment centres. I heard back on Friday that I’d been rejected from my final one. This cycle has now completed.

So to summarise, I’ve had 12 AC rejections in 3 years.

Today, I just broke down about it and couldn’t stop crying. I always prepare really well for my ACs but no matter what I do, I get rejected. I ask for feedback but each firm’s feedback seems to contradict another, so it’s really unhelpful.

I just don’t know what to do now. This has been my dream for a long time, but I can’t go through this again and have more rejections because it’s become so detrimental to my mental health.

I currently paralegal at a high street firm and am considering just trying to stay there now and qualify that way if I train. It’s not what I wanted, but I feel maybe I’m just not cut out for City law. I look good on paper and can write well, but no matter how hard I’ve worked, firms just don’t take to me.

Any advice or guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

I think most TC (and VS) applicants have only a somewhat realistic appreciation for just how competitive the training contract pipeline is. Try to visualise what a 2% chance (at application stage) truly is: picture 100 people, or some number where you have a good reference of, perhaps 150 if that was your school year. Only 2 or 3 of those will be successful, the other 98/147 will not, and the person who just missed out gained the exact same as the person who came last.

It is an acutely brutal game, and London law especially so as you are competing with the cream of the world's graduates, not just domestic ones. Compound this with an at best uncertain economic environment, pressures for firms to recruit trainees with characteristics that you may not have (no value judgement), and crucially that anyone with any 2.1 degree can apply; law is not like engineering or medicine where you need the requisite degrees - graduates from all disciplines see the law salaries and pile in.

I think your reaction constitutes your expectation gap on this fact closing, which is crucial - you now "get it" and can adjust accordingly.

My advice, for what it is worth, is that you place opportunities for qualification above all else. Commercial law is essentially a bottleneck; its chronically tight at the start, but there is more space further down the pipeline. It will be much easier for you to get into the firms you had ACs at if you interview as a qualified solicitor from a regional/high-street/any firm; its an infinitely easier sell and you will compete with a much shallower pool of candidates. If you can qualify at the firm that you are at now, I advise you do that and bypass the initial TC bottleneck.

Outside your current firm, if you can do another cycle, cast a wider net. Still apply to London firms as getting 12 ACs means you are a strong candidate and you obviously have a good chance, but I would urge you to hedge with firms in other areas. Outside London is a lot less competitive - personally I've found joy in Guildford and Bristol getting VSs there, there's a thriving legal scene in Newcastle, Leeds, Scotland etc. Leeds law in particular is growing rapidly. Again, you can skip the London TC bottleneck and move to London after much easier.

Good luck. DMs open as well to all

 

[lawbear123]

has anyone heard back from dentons post VI?

 

[lawbear123]

anyone from W&C heard back post AC?

 

[mp2000]

has anyone done the bupa legal grad online assessment?

I have it was awful

 

[LehmanBrothersRiskManagementIntern]

Has anyone heard from Winston & Strawn? And does anyone know whether the firm notifies unsuccessful applicants or it just ghosts them?