TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24

[laby201]

PFO from RPC post WG.

Disappointing as really liked the firm.

 

[nliro85]

What is it with law firms sending PFO today do they not have a heart!

 

[BolderBlackPrincess]

Is it a crazy idea to graduate and just spend the year focusing on VS and TC applications? lol

I feel like preparing for an AC, as well as the sheer volume of applications I could write without any academic commitments would help me immensely.

Might be a negative to not be doing something that year. Many might view this as not being pro-active, although perhaps this is only relevant to the more competitive firms.

 

[Seven]

Honestly, I would strongly advise against this strategy.

I know how time consuming the process is and the amount of time you want to dedicate to it, but the issue will be having a huge gap on your CV. If you get to AC interviews and they see you’re not currently employed after leaving uni, they may question that. If you say you’re spending the year solely focused on applications, I think they’d regard that as a poor use of time management/ability to balance various responsibilities when there will be plenty of others coping with applications, jobs, uni etc.

I also think you’d be incredibly bored and lose motivation. I think spending 4/5 months solid writing applications would be a drag. I think any form of employment/voluntary work is a better option

Have just seen @futuretrainee2023’s comment though and do feel it could probably work with winter schemes. Any grad jobs are competitive these days and if you say you’re actively looking but are also balancing apps, I reckon that’s fine. If you had an AC in March/April though and hadn’t been doing anything bar applications for 8 months, I’m less sure!

This is incorrect actually. They will never ask why you have a gap. Once you pass the app stage, your work experience is irrelevant until they ask you competency questions during the interview e.g. tell me when you worked in a team and then you can draw on one of your work experience or even at university. They will never ask at interview stage especially when they know you just recently graduated, as to why you have a “gap”. What you can do to bridge that gap though after graduation is attending open days and virtual events to put in the work experience section. A lot of firms value this proactive approach to attending legal-specific events, especially when you’re doing master classes or workshops at such firms.

 

[Deleted member 9747]

What's the contingency plan for people who have already graduated (and are currently doing the PGDL) and haven't secured the TC yet? I have no idea what I'll be doing after my PGDL. Tried my luck with the Civil Service but they received 60,000 apps. Is anyone in the same position?

A year paralegalling can do wonders for apps, especially in a corporate team. Just don't take your eye off the ball!

 

[BolderBlackPrincess]

This is incorrect actually. They will never ask why you have a gap. Once you pass the app stage, your work experience is irrelevant until they ask you competency questions during the interview e.g. tell me when you worked in a team and then you can draw on one of your work experience or even at university. They will never ask at interview stage especially when they know you just recently graduated, as to why you have a “gap”. What you can do to bridge that gap though after graduation is attending open days and virtual events to put in the work experience section. A lot of firms value this proactive approach to attending legal-specific events, especially when you’re doing master classes or workshops at such firms.

Work experience is most definitely not irrelevant. Many interviews are blind these days, so when they ask you why law/to introduce yourself, they will pick up that you are missing any activity post-grad. Equally, the gap on the application screening itself will be looked down upon. I'm sure there are many people who are hired with these gaps, but they are the exception, not the rule. If you aren't working (even a part time job at the pub), say you're going travelling instead, but if they think you're spending a year sitting at home sending off applications and messing around whilst others are sending off applications whilst still doing something beneficial/enriching, the former will lose out in 9/10 cases.

 

[LehmanBrothersRiskManagementIntern]

Work experience is most definitely not irrelevant. Many interviews are blind these days, so when they ask you why law/to introduce yourself, they will pick up that you are missing any activity post-grad. Equally, the gap on the application screening itself will be looked down upon. I'm sure there are many people who are hired with these gaps, but they are the exception, not the rule. If you aren't working (even a part time job at the pub), say you're going travelling instead, but if they think you're spending a year sitting at home sending off applications and messing around whilst others are sending off applications whilst still doing something beneficial/enriching, the former will lose out in 9/10 cases.

I finished uni last year in June. A couple of days after I started a graduate internship which finished at the end of September. After that, I attended three open days between October and December. Then in January I started the PGDL. Would you say the lack of work experience between October and January would be seen as negative?

 

[Sunshinepink]

Thanks, I actually never thought about that you know👌 I meant in terms of jobs, will people be going into a legal or non legal one?

A slight tip is that non-legal work is seen just as good, perhaps even better than legal work. Firms value non legal work experience so don't overlook it because it might be one of the things that actually helps you stand out from the application crowd. More than half with have paralegal and legal secretary experience which is amazing but I feel like also having something else will look good especially in terms of transferable skills. If you have another passion then you could also look at roles in that field too because it also gives you more to talk about on applications. Many solicitors/trainees/solicitors are career changers and people who didn't even do Law as an LLB so don't pass on non-legal experience. As long as you can answer the question of 'Why Law?' - I really believe that you will be fine without too much legal experience

 

[Apple]

Honestly, I would strongly advise against this strategy.

I know how time consuming the process is and the amount of time you want to dedicate to it, but the issue will be having a huge gap on your CV. If you get to AC interviews and they see you’re not currently employed after leaving uni, they may question that. If you say you’re spending the year solely focused on applications, I think they’d regard that as a poor use of time management/ability to balance various responsibilities when there will be plenty of others coping with applications, jobs, uni etc.

I also think you’d be incredibly bored and lose motivation. I think spending 4/5 months solid writing applications would be a drag. I think any form of employment/voluntary work is a better option

Have just seen @futuretrainee2023’s comment though and do feel it could probably work with winter schemes. Any grad jobs are competitive these days and if you say you’re actively looking but are also balancing apps, I reckon that’s fine. If you had an AC in March/April though and hadn’t been doing anything bar applications for 8 months, I’m less

This is incorrect actually. They will never ask why you have a gap. Once you pass the app stage, your work experience is irrelevant until they ask you competency questions during the interview e.g. tell me when you worked in a team and then you can draw on one of your work experience or even at university. They will never ask at interview stage especially when they know you just recently graduated, as to why you have a “gap”. What you can do to bridge that gap though after graduation is attending open days and virtual events to put in the work experience section. A lot of firms value this proactive approach to attending legal-specific events, especially when you’re doing master classes or workshops at such firms.

I think there is merit to both points. On one hand, many firms are CV blind, or simply wont particularly care about the gap. But it is very possible some firms will. I'm pretty sure having a look through the premium database there are some interview where a gap is questioned, but it could be tactfully avoided, or much simpler, preparing a rational explanation

 

[laby201]

This is incorrect actually. They will never ask why you have a gap. Once you pass the app stage, your work experience is irrelevant until they ask you competency questions during the interview e.g. tell me when you worked in a team and then you can draw on one of your work experience or even at university. They will never ask at interview stage especially when they know you just recently graduated, as to why you have a “gap”. What you can do to bridge that gap though after graduation is attending open days and virtual events to put in the work experience section. A lot of firms value this proactive approach to attending legal-specific events, especially when you’re doing master classes or workshops at such firms.

I think it’s very much firm dependent. I did have a friend who applied earlier this cycle who took time off to work on apps after not getting a paralegal job and they got queried about this in an interview.

Of course you can attend open days/do virtual experiences etc and those proactive responses will be viewed positively, but I also think some firms wouldn’t take too well to seeing you taking the application season as effectively a full-time job when others are managing other priorities.

I imagine @Jessica Booker may be more informed to offer advice on this as may be misinterpreting, but just basing it off a friend in a similar predicament

 

[adrk1234]

I have just recieved another rejection after the Video Interview stage. It is getting very disheartning as each one I feel like I am improving/getting better at them. Does anyone have any tips or is able to message me on the best tactics to ace these. I try and sound releaxed/normal but when doing them everything feels so forced. Thank you and good luck everyone

 

[BolderBlackPrincess]

I finished uni last year in June. A couple of days after I started a graduate internship which finished at the end of September. After that, I attended three open days between October and December. Then in January I started the PGDL. Would you say the lack of work experience between October and January would be seen as negative?

No thats fine. You've been proactive in getting the internship straight after graduation, you attended open days and are now doing PGDL. The gap is only an issue if you're sitting in an interview in February/March having sat doing nothing for 8 or so months

 

[laby201]

I finished uni last year in June. A couple of days after I started a graduate internship which finished at the end of September. After that, I attended three open days between October and December. Then in January I started the PGDL. Would you say the lack of work experience between October and January would be seen as negative?

I don’t necessarily think so. Even if so, you could phrase it as you were looking for jobs. Firms will be aware how competitive the job market is for graduates so if you say you weren’t able to find anything for that three month period but were actively looking/while applying for open days etc, I think that’s realistic and reasonable.

I think the main point is I would just be wary about having a major gap (i.e. graduating in July and then having no real work experience from then when you go to an AC in March).

 

[laby201]

I think there is merit to both points. On one hand, many firms are CV blind, or simply wont particularly care about the gap. But it is very possible some firms will. I'm pretty sure having a look through the premium database there are some interview where a gap is questioned, but it could be tactfully avoided, or much simpler, preparing a rational explanation

I think that’s exactly it — some firms will care and others will care less.

If you do have a gap, I would just be prepared with a reasonable explanation to say why that’s the case (which is more than just you were focused on applications).

 

[Seven]

I think there is merit to both points. On one hand, many firms are CV blind, or simply wont particularly care about the gap. But it is very possible some firms will. I'm pretty sure having a look through the premium database there are some interview where a gap is questioned, but it could be tactfully avoided, or much simpler, preparing a rational explanation

True yeah, I think it also really depends on how long of a gap it is realistically. If you graduated in July, and you spent a few months to apply for firms for the Winter Vac Scheme, I don’t see an issue. If you graduated in July but was working during uni or had some work experience prior to graduating, then went to several open days, virtual events, etc between October-December during the “milk round” and applied for firms, I don’t think it’s an issue either. But that’s just my opinion.

 

[bangarangbass39]

I don’t necessarily think so. Even if so, you could phrase it as you were looking for jobs. Firms will be aware how competitive the job market is for graduates so if you say you weren’t able to find anything for that three month period but were actively looking/while applying for open days etc, I think that’s realistic and reasonable.

I think the main point is I would just be wary about having a major gap (i.e. graduating in July and then having no real work experience from then when you go to an AC in March).

I don't have a full time/part time job at the minute. But I am doing regular volunteer work (weekly). I finished my final assignment in September but officially graduated in Jan. I've only had interviews for jobs. I've been "promised" positions but nothing materialises because as tough as the job market is for graduates, the internal operations in organisations/companies are even worse. Would my circumstances be a red flag or?

 

[lawbear123]

anyone heard anything from gibson post second stage interview?

 

[Petallove1]

And finally… the long awaited RPC PFO!! Honestly just happy to know did anyone else who received a PFO have any success in obtaining their WG score?

 

[maeeeeea]

I've heard back - PFO post AC. Have you heard back yet?

When did you hear back? I had my AC last Monday and haven’t heard back yet.

 

[axelbeugre]

@axelbeugre just had my Goodwin interview, and the interview ended in 20- 25 minutes (bear in mind, we were allocated 45) with the interviewers agreeing with all my points and, even in the case study, one of them said I knew more about the topic than they did! I spent the remaining time just asking them questions. I’m unsure as to whether I should take this as a good sign or a bad one (in that they knew they weren’t going to offer me a place and wanted the interview over and done with). What do you think?

It is definitely a good sign in my opinion so I personally would not worry about it! It is difficult to tell though as I was not in the interview. However, from what you described, I would think that it went very well. The interview is not meant to be super long anyway as I think they are pretty quick to understand who they like and who they do not so do not worry!

Congratulations on getting the interview and doing it! I interviewed last year today too so hopefully Valentine's Day will be helpful to you too!!