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TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2023-24
- Thread starter Jessica Booker
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the time constraints compared to the amount of info we were meant to digest had me 🫠
I have to do mine tomorrow! Can you give any more insight into the kind of questions to prepare?
Hi guys, I was asked in a DM about how to convert a VS to TC and this was what replied. Thought I would share - it is all my personal opinion/experience (at US firms btw).
Congratulations on securing the VS! I think the VS to TC conversion comes down to several elements.
First, your attitude! This is probably the most important thing within the process. They are looking for individuals who mesh well with others, are nice to work with. Basically can they stomach you for 10-12 hours a day. Your attitude has to be positive and respectful (especially to those more senior than you) and watch out with negative comments. This will be flagged in your feedback. Don't shit on the work given to you, just smile and do it! Its only 2 weeks and you won't be of much use so the work will probably be monotonous. Same goes for the events set up by GR or socials.
Second, listen carefully to instructions. Those giving you work (supervisor, trainee buddy, etc) have limited time, so listening carefully and having a notebook at hand will help you remember what they have asked you to do, what to watch out for, what you may run into trouble with etc. It also helps you not look like a moron because you forget something and need to ask them again.
Third, be kind to your VS buddies you are all together on the VS and those evaluating you will see how you integrate. Yes you will have d**kheads who are gunning for the role and are selfish and whatever, just remember that they'll probably have a bad overall attitude (point 1) so they won't get the TC anyway. And if they do... then that's the luck of the draw, but having friends on the TC is very important, so better to build bridges. This also goes for group projects and negotiations and what not, make sure to involve everyone. They want to see a team player who is respectful.
Fourth, prepare for you interviews , I understand that the final interview can be stressful, but prepping really helps and you can ask your trainee buddy (or supervisor if you see they are not too busy) for some help or to ask you tricky questions. Don't obviously over prepare since you want to see the forest as a whole and not only singular trees but knowing the ins and outs of various practice groups, prepping questions for the partners and reflecting on the VS as a whole will really help you.
Fifth, work hard! Think of it like a 2 week interview. You'll have a mix of work given to you by your team, by GR for the assessment process or assessments in general (think group presentations, written evaluations, etc.) Each of these will form a part of the larger assessment process, so make sure to work on each as hard as possible. Obviously this point depends on firm to firm, so if your supervisor tells you to go home, go home. But if you're at a firm where this isn't really the case (WEIL lol) work your ass off, plan your days and get to the office early/on time, this will be evaluated. Planning is key, and it leads to effective prioritisation.
Sixth, dress well. Now I'm a guy so I can only speak from my own perspective, but when I mean dress well I don't mean the cost of your clothes or whatever, I am solely speaking about taking care of yourself. It may seem silly but brushing your hair, clean teeth, clean shaven or well groomed beard, neatly pressed shirt/suit and polished shoes can give you the small edge. Everyone is judged by their physical appearance and it would be a shame to create bias against yourself if you don't take care of yourself.
Finally, enjoy yourself. The reason you are doing the VS is hopefully because you want to, so take the 2 weeks as your opportunity to learn as much as possible, meet as many cool people on the VS cohort and the firm and get a feel for if you'd like to work there. You more than talented enough to get the TC so smile, focus and get that job you deserve!
Congratulations on securing the VS! I think the VS to TC conversion comes down to several elements.
First, your attitude! This is probably the most important thing within the process. They are looking for individuals who mesh well with others, are nice to work with. Basically can they stomach you for 10-12 hours a day. Your attitude has to be positive and respectful (especially to those more senior than you) and watch out with negative comments. This will be flagged in your feedback. Don't shit on the work given to you, just smile and do it! Its only 2 weeks and you won't be of much use so the work will probably be monotonous. Same goes for the events set up by GR or socials.
Second, listen carefully to instructions. Those giving you work (supervisor, trainee buddy, etc) have limited time, so listening carefully and having a notebook at hand will help you remember what they have asked you to do, what to watch out for, what you may run into trouble with etc. It also helps you not look like a moron because you forget something and need to ask them again.
Third, be kind to your VS buddies you are all together on the VS and those evaluating you will see how you integrate. Yes you will have d**kheads who are gunning for the role and are selfish and whatever, just remember that they'll probably have a bad overall attitude (point 1) so they won't get the TC anyway. And if they do... then that's the luck of the draw, but having friends on the TC is very important, so better to build bridges. This also goes for group projects and negotiations and what not, make sure to involve everyone. They want to see a team player who is respectful.
Fourth, prepare for you interviews , I understand that the final interview can be stressful, but prepping really helps and you can ask your trainee buddy (or supervisor if you see they are not too busy) for some help or to ask you tricky questions. Don't obviously over prepare since you want to see the forest as a whole and not only singular trees but knowing the ins and outs of various practice groups, prepping questions for the partners and reflecting on the VS as a whole will really help you.
Fifth, work hard! Think of it like a 2 week interview. You'll have a mix of work given to you by your team, by GR for the assessment process or assessments in general (think group presentations, written evaluations, etc.) Each of these will form a part of the larger assessment process, so make sure to work on each as hard as possible. Obviously this point depends on firm to firm, so if your supervisor tells you to go home, go home. But if you're at a firm where this isn't really the case (WEIL lol) work your ass off, plan your days and get to the office early/on time, this will be evaluated. Planning is key, and it leads to effective prioritisation.
Sixth, dress well. Now I'm a guy so I can only speak from my own perspective, but when I mean dress well I don't mean the cost of your clothes or whatever, I am solely speaking about taking care of yourself. It may seem silly but brushing your hair, clean teeth, clean shaven or well groomed beard, neatly pressed shirt/suit and polished shoes can give you the small edge. Everyone is judged by their physical appearance and it would be a shame to create bias against yourself if you don't take care of yourself.
Finally, enjoy yourself. The reason you are doing the VS is hopefully because you want to, so take the 2 weeks as your opportunity to learn as much as possible, meet as many cool people on the VS cohort and the firm and get a feel for if you'd like to work there. You more than talented enough to get the TC so smile, focus and get that job you deserve!
Same here! I have mine on Tuesday & if anyone has an tips or insights, even just in regards to the logistics with TopScore it would be greatly appreciated!
When answering 'tell me about yourself', should you literally run through your experience or should you take it as an opportunity to do more of a hard sell?
Jessica Booker
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I’d advise not doing a general run through of your experience - this is going to be far too long or lacking depth of individuality.
Instead I would create structure by highlighting no more than three key themes about you and trying to make those things the elements that either are unique or stand out about your candidacy compared to other candidates. This will help with the “hard sell” element while without it sounding like you are a car salesman.
Hi, could I please get your thoughts on this? 
@Jessica Booker @axelbeugre
What skills do you think are needed to be a successful solicitor at our firm? (250)
For this question, I think focusing on 3 skills is pretty good amount given wordcount so that I can elaborate too. I do want to answer the question and not include what it isn't explicitly asking for but there's no "why you/what do you offer to us" question in the application form, so should I use this space to mention where I have demonstrated each skill I think is important?
thank you!
@Jessica Booker @axelbeugreWhat skills do you think are needed to be a successful solicitor at our firm? (250)
For this question, I think focusing on 3 skills is pretty good amount given wordcount so that I can elaborate too. I do want to answer the question and not include what it isn't explicitly asking for but there's no "why you/what do you offer to us" question in the application form, so should I use this space to mention where I have demonstrated each skill I think is important?
thank you!
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Jessica Booker
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You don’t need to demonstrate your own skills in this question. This question is purely asking about your understanding of the role, particularly at this firm, not your skills.Hi, could I please get your thoughts on this?
What skills do you think are needed to be a successful solicitor at our firm? (250)
For this question, should I focus on what skills are important and why? I think 3 skills is pretty good amount given wordcount. I do want to answer the question and not include what it isn't explicitly asking for but there's no "why you/what do you offer to us" question in the application form, so should I use this space to mention where I have demonstrated each skill I think is important?
Aiming for three skills is a good approach given the word count. Make sure this is more tailored to the firm too.
I will keep it in mind to make it tailored to the firm and the specific office. Thank you so much! As the application form doesn't have a question that allows you to really sell yourself to the firm, should I use the work experience section to briefly outline (within each entry) how the work experiences have improved my skills which will be helpful as a trainee? I mean I will obviously be doing that anyway, but I don't know if I need to make it absolutely clear. I think that's probably not the appropriate space in the application form for adding something that essentially responds to "why me" but just wanted to check!
Jessica Booker
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I don’t think you need to do this either in all honesty. Just highlighting the skills developed will be enough, you don’t have to explain why they are important for a trainee as the firm will know this all too well. Evidencing the skill will be far more persuasive than explaining why it will help you as a trainee.
Some firms don’t need to have a “why me” in the application stage - they know they will assess this further along in the recruitment process. So only really cover why me if asked (or if a cover letter/personal statement is requested).
Jessica Booker
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yes - that sounds like an appropriate approach.
If you have a vacation scheme [ VC] for jones day, and you are wanting to convert it to a training contract, the grad recruitment suggested:
1) be eager to do work in a variety of sectors - the more you explore, the more they like you (but ofc finish the tasks you were assigned first)
2) ask questions and take the time to get to know the associates/trainees
3) speak highly of the firm to trainees (apparently sometimes vc students have said they didn't really care if they get a tc with the firm or not etc - and that makes trainees at the firm feel down as its the firm they're training at so be nice about everyone and everything!)
1) be eager to do work in a variety of sectors - the more you explore, the more they like you (but ofc finish the tasks you were assigned first)
2) ask questions and take the time to get to know the associates/trainees
3) speak highly of the firm to trainees (apparently sometimes vc students have said they didn't really care if they get a tc with the firm or not etc - and that makes trainees at the firm feel down as its the firm they're training at so be nice about everyone and everything!)
Hey everyone!
By way of background, I graduated last summer and am currently working full-time as a paralegal. This is my third cycle and I must have done about 40 or so applications across that time, with around 4 ACs. Unfortunately, despite putting in plenty of effort and energy into the process, I'm still yet to land a VS or TC and unless I somehow pass a VI that I bombed, this cycle will be another failure.
I have a housemate who I lived with last year, who didn't apply in second year or final year of uni because she wanted to focus on studies/extracurriculars. This year, she's done one application to a firm she really liked and she phoned me on Friday to say that she'd got the VS with them. Obviously, I'm thrilled for her but that's tinged with jealousy. The fact she's done 1 application and successfully managed to obtain a VS, while I've done 40 applications or so across 3 years and have spent hours and hours writing applications, researching, preparing for ACs and so forth just seems brutally unfair. I know it's corporate law and it isn't supposed to be fair, but it's incredibly demotivating and makes me feel that the process is easy, and I'm just not good enough.
She's very personable and intelligent, so I understand why a firm would want her, but our grades/experiences etc weren't overly dissimilar. I just don't get how someone can manage that when I'm likely to be in my fourth cycle next year, still hoping that just one firm will give me a chance.
By way of background, I graduated last summer and am currently working full-time as a paralegal. This is my third cycle and I must have done about 40 or so applications across that time, with around 4 ACs. Unfortunately, despite putting in plenty of effort and energy into the process, I'm still yet to land a VS or TC and unless I somehow pass a VI that I bombed, this cycle will be another failure.
I have a housemate who I lived with last year, who didn't apply in second year or final year of uni because she wanted to focus on studies/extracurriculars. This year, she's done one application to a firm she really liked and she phoned me on Friday to say that she'd got the VS with them. Obviously, I'm thrilled for her but that's tinged with jealousy. The fact she's done 1 application and successfully managed to obtain a VS, while I've done 40 applications or so across 3 years and have spent hours and hours writing applications, researching, preparing for ACs and so forth just seems brutally unfair. I know it's corporate law and it isn't supposed to be fair, but it's incredibly demotivating and makes me feel that the process is easy, and I'm just not good enough.
She's very personable and intelligent, so I understand why a firm would want her, but our grades/experiences etc weren't overly dissimilar. I just don't get how someone can manage that when I'm likely to be in my fourth cycle next year, still hoping that just one firm will give me a chance.
Might be a bit of a no-brainer, but does anyone know any good podcasts to keep up with commercial awareness? I am trying to enhance my commercial knowledge so I would really appreciate it if you shared anything that has helped you!
Greenberg Traurig interview woop!
Does anybody have any insight/experience here? Curious how I would go about answering their commercial-centred questions.
Does anybody have any insight/experience here? Curious how I would go about answering their commercial-centred questions.
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