TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[Ram Sabaratnam]

@Jessica Booker Hi there! for VS applications when they ask questions about their clients and what issues they might be facing and how can the firm help the challenge? how should I go about answering these kinds of questions, also I always get rejected after VIs so was wondering if there's anything I can do to practice / improve them - any help and tips very much appreciated!

Hiya @LawLawLawLawLaw

Just to add a few ideas here before @Jessica Booker jumps in. I think the depth of your answer and the number of challenges you can feasibly discuss will depend on the word count you’re given. Broadly speaking, I think it’s better to focus on one or two challenges and explore them in greater depth, explaining how the firm is particularly well-positioned to assist clients with the challenges you identify. I generally find this approach better than trying to superficially cover too many challenges.

Some candidates might prefer to focus on broader “macro” issues covering economic, financial, or commercial trends, including things like inflation, supply chain disruptions, or far-reaching legal changes. They then might discuss how these would specifically affect the firm’s client base and what it is about the firm that makes it well-placed to handle these broader trends and their impact on its clients.

My own preferred approach is to focus specifically on industry/sectoral developments that the firm is well-known for advising on. The trick here would be to start by researching the firm’s key industries, sectors, or practice areas. For example, a firm specialising in technology or life sciences might have clients facing very discrete or particular challenges that vary considerably from firms with a finance or energy focus. I'd then try to connect these challenges to the firm’s strengths. For instance, you can highlight their experience with handling similar challenges for clients in the past. You might also point to specific things about their business structure or blend of practice area capabilities that makes them well-equipped to advise clients on the challenges you identify. Taking this structured approach should allow you to hit the various prompts this question contains.

As for video interviews, I think the key is to practice answering typical video interview questions as often as possible. You can do this by creating skeleton outlines for the standard motivational, commercial, and competency questions, and then practising your answers to these with friends or family members. In my case, I also tried to practice by recording myself to ensure that my delivery was impactful and that my points could be made in a structured manner within the typical 1-2 minute time frame. It’s not a natural thing to do, so can require take some practice to get used to. Hope this helps and best of luck with your applications!

 

[Deleted member 37508]

CMS Video interview invite.

 

[Amma Usman]

Hi there! for VS applications when they ask questions about their clients and what issues they might be facing and how can the firm help the challenge? how should I go about answering these kinds of questions - any help and tips very much appreciated!

Hey @LawLawLawLawLaw , @Ram Sabaratnam has perfectly covered both questions. With regards your second question, @Andrei Radu has also made a guide on navigating VIs which I’ve linked below;

A complete guide for competency interview preparation

This is a guide for the purposes of preparing for competency interviews, be they in a VI, another intermediary step or an AC/final stage interview. The advice here is based on my personal approach, as I received VS offers from top US/MC firms 4/4 times I implemented it. This will include: A...

www.thecorporatelawacademy.com

Best of luck with the apps!!!

 

[Amma Usman]

CMS Video interview invite.

Hey @IneedaTCASAP , well done! I’ve linked two pieces of advice from the team below;

@Ram Sabaratnam : “As for video interviews, I think the key is to practice answering typical video interview questions as often as possible. You can do this by creating skeleton outlines for the standard motivational, commercial, and competency questions, and then practising your answers to these with friends or family members. In my case, I also tried to practice by recording myself to ensure that my delivery was impactful and that my points could be made in a structured manner within the typical 1-2 minute time frame. It’s not a natural thing to do, so can require take some practice to get used to. Hope this helps and best of luck with your applications!”

@Andrei Radu : https://www.thecorporatelawacademy....de-for-competency-interview-preparation.9380/

I dont’ have much to add to the above. I’ll just say be confident and dress appropriately - as if you were going for a real in-person interview

Curious to hear what @Jessica Booker has to say on this as well!

Goodluck with the VI…!!!

 

[KBanana]

Hi! @Ram Sabaratnam @Amma Usman @Jessica Booker
Is it ok to cover three practice areas in one paragraph in my answer to the 'why our firm' question for a firm with a transactional focus? They are all transactional areas, and my interest in these areas is a genuine reason why I am applying to the firm. In my answer, I provide a brief explanation of my interest in each of these practice areas.

My overall answer structure is:
- Para 1: I am drawn to firm's transactional focus (this is where I explain my interest in the 3 practice areas)
- Para 2: I discuss a training-related point

For context, the word count is only 200 words.

Is this okay? Thanks!

 

[Ram Sabaratnam]

Hi all- I’m wondering if anyone has some advice on applying to Taylor Wessing?

I’m especially interested in what they look for in the cover letter and how’s that’s different to ‘What motivates you for a career in Law at Taylor Wessing and what key skills would you bring? {provide answer of 2500 characters}’.

Thanks!

Heya @James Wakefield

You’re absolutely right that the key here is to ensure your answers are complementary rather than repetitive. Whenever I came across applications that required both a cover letter and a separate “Why do you want to join us and what skills do you have?” question, I tried to approach them in the following way.

In the cover letter, I tried to focus on broader reasons for joining the firm. This included explaining my initial encounter with the firm (perhaps at an event or law fair), and how this initial encounter sparked my interest in them. I also highlighted the firm’s general strengths, such as its expertise in EC/VC work or its focus on the tech sector, and explained why these areas resonated with me personally given my interests. The cover letter was also where I addressed broader topics like why I was drawn to commercial law and any key experiences, events, or schemes that I'd attended that helped me develop this interest. Additionally, I used this space to highlight standout achievements or academic accomplishments that didn’t quite fit into the more targeted questions relating to "why us and what skills can you bring."

For the application question, this is where I think you can get into the details. Given the character count, I recommend focusing on two to three specific aspects of Taylor Wessing that genuinely resonate with you. Given that this question lends itself better to detail (unlike in a cover letter), this is also where could include discussions of particular deals, cases, or client matters that align with your interests. When discussing your skills, use this section to delve deeper into specific work experiences and explain how they’ve prepared you to excel as a trainee at a firm like Taylor Wessing.

Overall, I think it's by using the cover letter to set the stage and the application question to dive into specifics that you can create a well-rounded and cohesive application without sounding repetitive.

Hope this helps, and best of luck with your application!

 

[AS24]

CMS VI invite!

 

[Ram Sabaratnam]

Hey @LawLawLawLawLaw , @Ram Sabaratnam has perfectly covered both questions. With regards your second question, @Andrei Radu has also made a guide on navigating VIs which I’ve linked below;

A complete guide for competency interview preparation

This is a guide for the purposes of preparing for competency interviews, be they in a VI, another intermediary step or an AC/final stage interview. The advice here is based on my personal approach, as I received VS offers from top US/MC firms 4/4 times I implemented it. This will include: A...

www.thecorporatelawacademy.com

Best of luck with the apps!!!

Go @Andrei Radu!!! Go @Amma Usman!!!

 

[Ram Sabaratnam]

Hi! @Ram Sabaratnam @Amma Usman @Jessica Booker
Is it ok to cover three practice areas in one paragraph in my answer to the 'why our firm' question for a firm with a transactional focus? They are all transactional areas, and my interest in these areas is a genuine reason why I am applying to the firm. In my answer, I provide a brief explanation of my interest in each of these practice areas.

My overall answer structure is:
- Para 1: I am drawn to firm's transactional focus (this is where I explain my interest in the 3 practice areas)
- Para 2: I discuss a training-related point

For context, the word count is only 200 words.

Is this okay? Thanks!

Hiya @KBanana 👀

I think including a training-related point in paragraph 2 sounds like a solid idea. It shows you’re also considering a range of factors for joining the firm.

As for paragraph 1, discussing three practice areas in one paragraph could work. My main worry is that it might end up sounding a bit rushed, especially given the 200-word limit. Transactional practice areas can vary significantly, and without enough detail, there’s a risk of your answer coming across as too broad or superficial. For instance, restructuring, banking and finance, and corporate M&A all involve different kinds of challenges and client needs, so it’s worth being careful not to paper over those distinctions.

Personally, I’ve found it more effective to focus on one or two practice areas and really connect them to my experiences or interests. By providing a specific example (e.g. a project I worked on, research I conducted, or previous work experience), I was able to demonstrate my interest in those areas in a way that felt personal and genuine.

That being said, I’d be curious to hear what @Jessica Booker @Andrei Radu and @Amma Usman think too. They'll likely have a different perspective on this in terms of both style and content. Good luck with your application!

 

[Wannabe_Lawyer]

Just got rejected from a paralegal role because they wanted someone with paralegal experience, despite me having paralegal experience lol

Sorry to hear that...and then I see posts on LinkedIn like this one...

 

[Tcvspfo]

nearly 1 month post AC no response W&C

Nearly 8 weeks post VI no response.

 

[Ram Sabaratnam]

Sorry to hear that...and then I see posts on LinkedIn like this one...

View attachment 6429

Love this! Thank you all for being such a wonderful source of support and encouragement to each other!

 

[Deleted member 37508]

congrats all!! when did you guys do your WG and for which office did you apply to?

23/10 London

 

[Deleted member 37508]

Hey @IneedaTCASAP , well done! I’ve linked two pieces of advice from the team below;

@Ram Sabaratnam : “As for video interviews, I think the key is to practice answering typical video interview questions as often as possible. You can do this by creating skeleton outlines for the standard motivational, commercial, and competency questions, and then practising your answers to these with friends or family members. In my case, I also tried to practice by recording myself to ensure that my delivery was impactful and that my points could be made in a structured manner within the typical 1-2 minute time frame. It’s not a natural thing to do, so can require take some practice to get used to. Hope this helps and best of luck with your applications!”

@Andrei Radu : https://www.thecorporatelawacademy....de-for-competency-interview-preparation.9380/

I dont’ have much to add to the above. I’ll just say be confident and dress appropriately - as if you were going for a real in-person interview

Curious to hear what @Jessica Booker has to say on this as well!

Goodluck with the VI…!!!

Thank you for this information @Amma Usman super informative.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Good afternoon,

Would running an online business/marketplace be considered an extracurricular ?

@Jessica Booker @Jaysen

I would consider this work experience rather than an extra curricular, but it is a bit of a grey area but I’d lean towards work experience

 

[Pola123]

CMS VI haha. I guess I won’t drown into sadness for a few days. Anyone have any experience with CMS VI format?

 

[nlntc]

congrats all!! when did you guys do your WG and for which office did you apply to?

London and 25/10

 

[Jessica Booker]

@Jessica Booker I have booked a TC call with you for tomorrow. Are we allowed to send over an application to discuss?

I can’t review the application (this would be better suited for the application review service) but I can talk about broader themes of the application.

 

[NJS]

Just met CMS at the legal cheek fair just a few points to mention.

- non-rolling but they view applications as they come in and progress applicants to the Watson Glaser if they are successful at application stage/meet the eligibility criteria.
- timeframe from submission to Watson Glaser invite is a week.
- if you pass the Watson Glaser you can be placed into two different pools - 1) if you exceed the pass mark then you are automatically progressed to video interview. 2) if your score is decent but not considered as a ‘strong pass’ then you’ll be placed in a holding pool and your score will be compared with the wider pool when the bench mark has been established.
- Watson Glaser test score and Application is viewed holistically before progressing to the video interview.

So it’s basically rolling lol

 

[HarmonyN]

CMS VI Invite
Can't believe I've finally passed their WG