TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

[Zaidoz10]

@Jessica Booker could you please briefly explain how background checks and references work upon receiving an offer from a firm? Are you required to provide reference details for every work experience you include on your application and CV? Some firms require you to input details for two references on the app form itself. How do these checks work for firms who don’t have this on their apps?

 

[gazdgazd11]

do u think I should put ‚incoming vacation scheme’ on my LinkedIn (I will attend a vac scheme in June)

 

[lolololol]

anyone got a response from bdb pitmans?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thanks Jessica, that's really helpful!

When you say more nuanced, how do you mean exactly? Would that be more culture related because your culture would have been limited until you've had that first-hand experience? Or have I misinterpreted you there?

Any questions do not need to be about the firm’s culture - it can be about any topic.

I meant that you are going to get a lot of the typical questions someone would ask during a VS interview answered by being on the scheme itself. You are going to see in action the culture/the work etc, so by asking broad questions at the interview you are less likely to get answers that are really going to inform you any more than your experience already has.

By nuanced, I mean more specific and tailored. You will be in a position where you have already seen a lot, so ensure the questions you ask bring value to you by ensuring they are more precise/specific and will help answer questions you haven’t had answered yet through the scheme

 

[Jessica Booker]

@Jessica Booker could you please briefly explain how background checks and references work upon receiving an offer from a firm? Are you required to provide reference details for every work experience you include on your application and CV? Some firms require you to input details for two references on the app form itself. How do these checks work for firms who don’t have this on their apps?

When you provide one or two referees this is typically for any pre-offer check processes.

Post accepted offer, you will typically be asked to complete a form that will provide all your previous employment and academic details within a certain timeframe. Thai can be anywhere between 3-10 years depending on the firm’s policy.

This information is given to whoever is doing the checks alongside your original application, and they request confirmation of your employment or education/qualifications typically via the information you have provided. However, some of the large reference check companies have large databases of previous contacts for organisations, and may just seek the information from those.

 

[Jessica Booker]

do u think I should put ‚incoming vacation scheme’ on my LinkedIn (I will attend a vac scheme in June)

You can put this as a reference in your bio or something similar.

You can’t put future dates into your employment section on LinkedIn though, so adding it there will need you to effectively lie about the dates you will do the scheme but it would have to be from the date you add the entry to LinkedIn.

Some people get around this by putting “future” ahead of the job title, but I personally would only suggest doing this for Training Contracts rather than VS.

 

[Zaidoz10]

When you provide one or two referees this is typically for any pre-offer check processes.

Post accepted offer, you will typically be asked to complete a form that will provide all your previous employment and academic details within a certain timeframe. Thai can be anywhere between 3-10 years depending on the firm’s policy.

This information is given to whoever is doing the checks alongside your original application, and they request confirmation of your employment or education/qualifications typically via the information you have provided. However, some of the large reference check companies have large databases of previous contacts for organisations, and may just seek the information from those.

Do these checks also include internships? Or are they mainly for times of full employment? I pretty much only have legal internships for work experience and no previous full employment. What sorts of things do they check for? I assume they check if the duration I stated is true and my role as well?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Do these checks also include internships? Or are they mainly for times of full employment? I pretty much only have legal internships for work experience and no previous full employment. What sorts of things do they check for? I assume they check if the duration I stated is true and my role as well?

Yes, it will include any employment, including internships.

The reference request may ask for more details than just employment dates and job title, but most employers providing references will only provide employment dates and job title unless there are any disciplinary issues.

 

[Zaidoz10]

Yes, it will include any employment, including internships.

The reference request may ask for more details than just employment dates and job title, but most employers providing references will only provide employment dates and job title unless there are any disciplinary issues.

Thank you Jessica. I have just realised that I entered the wrong dates for one of my internships on one of my applications. I accidentally put that it ended in 2023 rather than 2022. I’ve done a final interview for the firm’s vac scheme and am now worried that they’ll flag this. All of the other info is correct, it’s just this one internship I slipped up on. What would you advise me to do?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thank you Jessica. I have just realised that I entered the wrong dates for one of my internships on one of my applications. I accidentally put that it ended in 2023 rather than 2022. I’ve done a final interview for the firm’s vac scheme and am now worried that they’ll flag this. All of the other info is correct, it’s just this one internship I slipped up on. What would you advise me to do?

I’d point out the error as soon as possible as this will have potentially been viewed as a year long internship rather than one for a couple of weeks. It is bound to be seen as an innocent typo/error though if the day and month are correct and the year is just out by one digit on the keyboard.

 

[CP2000]

Thank you for responding! @Jessica Booker

I thought it was a mistake because if I had told firm B my preferred date was 10 June, I could have potentially participated in all three VS.

So do you think it’s better to ask firm B if they could move me later on? I just thought asking now would give them more time to make arrangements (if even possible).

Hi @Jessica Booker - id love to know your thoughts

 

[Zaidoz10]

I’d point out the error as soon as possible as this will have potentially been viewed as a year long internship rather than one for a couple of weeks. It is bound to be seen as an innocent typo/error though if the day and month are correct and the year is just out by one digit on the keyboard.

By point out the error do you mean emailing them now and pointing it out before I receive a decision regarding my final interview? Or should I wait to see if I get a spot on the vacation scheme or get rejected and then tell them based on the outcome? I’m supposed to hear back by the end of this week. Also the internship lasted for about 4 months so it wasn’t a one or two week thing but I understand it still is a big difference compared to a whole year.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thank you for responding! @Jessica Booker

I thought it was a mistake because if I had told firm B my preferred date was 10 June, I could have potentially participated in all three VS.

So do you think it’s better to ask firm B if they could move me later on? I just thought asking now would give them more time to make arrangements (if even possible).

If you want to, you can but I don’t think it is worthwhile doing so until you have an offer from the other firm.

 

[Jessica Booker]

By point out the error do you mean emailing them now and pointing it out before I receive a decision regarding my final interview? Or should I wait to see if I get a spot on the vacation scheme or get rejected and then tell them based on the outcome? I’m supposed to hear back by the end of this week. Also the internship lasted for about 4 months so it wasn’t a one or two week thing but I understand it still is a big difference compared to a whole year.

But by adding another year on, the internship looked a year longer than it actually was. That is a significant error.

It is up to you. However, I would tell them at the earliest opportunity given the nature of the error just in case you are offered. If you wait until post offer it could look like you have intentionally lied/held this information back. If you were at an earlier stage of the process, I would wait to hear back if you were successful in getting to the next stage, but this sounds like the next stage is an offer, and so it’s best to tell them sooner rather than later.

 

[Zaidoz10]

But by adding another year on, the internship looked a year longer than it actually was. That is a significant error.

It is up to you. However, I would tell them at the earliest opportunity given the nature of the error just in case you are offered. If you wait until post offer it could look like you have intentionally lied/held this information back. If you were at an earlier stage of the process, I would wait to hear back if you were successful in getting to the next stage, but this sounds like the next stage is an offer, and so it’s best to tell them sooner rather than later.

Thank you Jessica. I emailed them just now explaining the situation. I really hope this doesn’t ruin my standing as I felt like I performed very well at the final interview. Do you think this will be a definite rejection?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thank you Jessica. I emailed them just now explaining the situation. I really hope this doesn’t ruin my standing as I felt like I performed very well at the final interview. Do you think this will be a definite rejection?

It really depends on how much weighting the firm has put on how they view that one work experience entry at any stage of the selection process. For instance, there may be much more weighting on it if it is your only work experience entry than it would be if there is one of many.

The firm may also have realised it was an error if you were in other forms of employment when the internship looked to be running to, and therefore may not be concerned.

You have done the right thing to flag it and should just wait to hear back from them now - there isn't really anything else you can do.

 

[lawyergirl2903]

Is anyone still waiting to hear back from W&C?

 

[EzeLaylor]

Hi @Jessica Booker - hope you're doing well today - I am applying for a role at Shearman (overseas role) should I include why A&O Shearman given its recent merger or is it okay just to focus on why Shearman?

Edit: the role was open before the ,merger went live on May 1st

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi @Jessica Booker - hope you're doing well today - I am applying for a role at Shearman (overseas role) should I include why A&O Shearman given its recent merger or is it okay just to focus on why Shearman?

Edit: the role was open before the ,merger went live on May 1st

I’d go with A&OShearman now rather than just Shearman.

 

[JustOneTC]

Any news from Orrick post AC?