TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[MayaM0921]

@Jessica Booker

Hi Jessica,

I’ve progressed to the written assessment stage with a firm after completing an extensive application and online test. However, all the available time slots for the assessment fall during the working hours of my winter vacation scheme. I reached out to request a transfer to their summer application cycle, which has a later timeline, but they refused simply saying “due to timing issue”.

Is there anything I can do in this situation? I feel quite disappointed, as I wouldn’t have applied if I had known this in advance, especially considering the effort I put into writing over 1,000 words for their application.

Thanks for your advice!

 

[Andrei Radu]

@Jessica Booker

Hi Jessica,

I’ve progressed to the written assessment stage with a firm after completing an extensive application and online test. However, all the available time slots for the assessment fall during the working hours of my winter vacation scheme. I reached out to request a transfer to their summer application cycle, which has a later timeline, but they refused simply saying “due to timing issue”.

Is there anything I can do in this situation? I feel quite disappointed, as I wouldn’t have applied if I had known this in advance, especially considering the effort I put into writing over 1,000 words for their application.

Thanks for your advice!

Hi @MayaM0921, just before @Jessica Booker can come back to you on this with a more informed perspective, one idea that I would consider is choosing one of the time slots happening within the vacation scheme week. If the exercise is only one hour long, you could just do it in your lunch break.

Alternatively, you could speak to your supervisor about coming in a bit earlier and leaving slightly earlier one day, so that maybe you can complete the written assessment from 4-5? I would however only advise this if you have a really good relationship with your supervisor, as you definitely do not want to be seen as insufficiently motivated; and you want to prioritize doing everything to be successful in a VS rather than for an intermediary application stage.

Finally, if you have not yet disclosed to the other firm's graduate recruitment the reason why you are unable to do the written assessment at the available times, I would consider doing so. Telling them you have another VS will raise your candidate profile and slightly changes your "bargaining position". However, I would only do so (i) if I thought the other options wouldn't work; and (ii) while stressing to the graduate recruitment team that I do have a preference for their firm, but that given the extreme levels of competitions in applications you have to prioritize the more concrete opportunity of a VS if they cannot postpone your written assessment.

 

[sammm10101]

received HL test for summer

 

[marisachr]

Anyone know if the Reed Smith session today on Situational Judgement Tests was recorded?

 

[Andrei Radu]

what is defined as a small v large trainee intake? I know some firms offer 70+ which is obviously significant, however would an intake of 10 be seen as small though some firms take even less than that?

There is no agreed upon figure for what counts as a small, medium, or large trainee intake. These are ambiguous and relative concepts; which get even more fuzzy if you consider options such as describing certain intake numbers as 'small to medium' or 'medium to large' sizes. But if I were to express my personal intuition as to figure ranges, I would say:

• Small intake: from 1 to 10-15
• Medium intake: from 15 to 30
• Large intake: 30+

A final point to add is that what counts as small/medium/large will depend on the context in which you are discussing an intake size. If you are mentioning an intake size in the context of an US firm, and you are aiming to differentiate it from other US rivals, it would not make a lot of sense to label an intake of 15 as 'small', since the majority of other US firms in the City will have have smaller intakes than that. However, if you were aiming to differentiate the firm from Magic Circle rivals, even an intake of 20/30 could count as small.

 

[Jessica Booker]

I just realised I have jumbled up my answers and questions for the CMS app.. ie: for question 1 i’ve pasted my question 2 answer 😭
@Jessica Booker @Amma Usman
Do you guys recommend applying using a new email perhaps? or contact grad rec

Can you withdraw your existing application? If so withdraw it and reapply.

 

[MayaM0921]

@Andrei Radu

Hi Andrei,

Thank you for your detailed reply—I really appreciate it.

I’ve already disclosed the vacation scheme situation and offered to provide documentation to prove it, but they didn’t seem interested. The written assessment is a fixed 2-hour slot, so it’s not something I can complete at a time of my choice. My winter vacation scheme hasn’t started yet, so I can’t gauge whether it would be appropriate to ask my supervisor for flexibility.

I’m also sharing this to highlight to others that firms might reject candidates on this basis. It’s something I wasn’t aware of and think others should consider. 😞

 

[Jessica Booker]

when an application asks, 'what skills would make you good trainee solicitor at XYZ firm' are you meant to be specific about the firm or more general like - good at communication because that's important as a lawyer?

I would try to make it more tailored to the firm where you can. Think about the firm's values, culture or strategy and how that may need more specific skills related to those elements.

 

[James Wakefield]

Is it about a week on average that people have waited for the CMS WG?

I applied last weekend and assuming they’re busy with lots of late applications to screen.

 

[Jessica Booker]

what is defined as a small v large trainee intake? I know some firms offer 70+ which is obviously significant, however would an intake of 10 be seen as small though some firms take even less than that?

I generally consider less than 15 to be a small intake - but I stress to people they need to look at the size of the office too as an intake of 15 trainees in a firm of 400 lawyers is going to be very different to an intake of 15 in a firm of 200 lawyers.

 

[Jessica Booker]

@Jessica Booker

Hi Jessica,

I’ve progressed to the written assessment stage with a firm after completing an extensive application and online test. However, all the available time slots for the assessment fall during the working hours of my winter vacation scheme. I reached out to request a transfer to their summer application cycle, which has a later timeline, but they refused simply saying “due to timing issue”.

Is there anything I can do in this situation? I feel quite disappointed, as I wouldn’t have applied if I had known this in advance, especially considering the effort I put into writing over 1,000 words for their application.

Thanks for your advice!

The assessment may fall into working hours as they may need to be available for when the assessment is being done, and therefore they can only do it within working hours themselves.

Is there any possibility of you getting time off work or working around the written assessment timings?

Edit - just seen your other posts. I think it is tricky if you have got a vacation scheme elsewhere and I would personally suggest focusing on that - you will have a strong chance of converting that scheme and so is likely to be worthwhile your effort. It is a shame the other firm is not being flexible but I would take that as a sign of their general culture anyway. If they cannot accommodate this, there is a decent chance they won't accommodate other needs for flexibility.

 

[Andrei Radu]

I've seen a few people do 'suggest firms for me' posts recently and I thought it would be fun and helpful to hop on the trend!

There are some non-negotiables for me - decent/good firm culture, international opportunities and supportive/well-structured training. I understand they are largely subjective but they are still important for me to say at the outset because at some firms, these qualities might categorically not be present (e.g., narrow focus on one market). Also, by 'culture', I don't mean work-life balance, just that the people are friendly.

Other fun facts: very interested in the US, interested in IP and life sciences (but happy to explore anything else - I am far from committed to a specific sector), I have decent language skills.

Academic record is strong (GCSEs, sixth-form, second year uni), but with a bad blip in first year (with mitigating circumstances). Non-Oxbridge; RG.

No VS, no open day experience

I appreciate any thoughts

In terms of culture, I will only recommend to you firms I have done vacation schemes with, as I feel open days/other firm events do not suffice to make a strong inference in this regard. I have done 4 VS and the two firms that stood out to me in terms of how friendly people there were are Davis Polk and Willkie. For both of these firms the training style is not particularly structured, but after speaking to many trainees I believe they are well-supported. As for the other criteria, Davis Polk has exceptional reputation and history in the US, and guarantees all trainees the opportunity to do a six month secondment in their New York office (unless you want to qualify in competition law, in which case you would be expected to go on a Brussels secondment). Willkie arguably offers a broader training experience than other US rivals. While it has a great PE practice, it not solely focused on corporate and finance and has more established advisory and contentious teams.

 

[MayaM0921]

@Jessica Booker

Based on your experience, is it ever acceptable to request time off during a vacation scheme to complete an assessment? I had assumed that doing so, especially at a US firm, might require a degree of discretion beyond what’s afforded by the vacation scheme. I’d really appreciate any advice on how to navigate this situation professionally!

 

[futuretrainee2503]

Can you withdraw your existing application? If so withdraw it and reapply.

It’s on AllHires and there is no withdraw option.. Should I email them and apply from a diff email?

 

[tarty23]

@Jessica Booker @Andrei Radu

Thank you both, much appreciated

 

[Jessica Booker]

@Jessica Booker

Based on your experience, is it ever acceptable to request time off during a vacation scheme to complete an assessment? I had assumed that doing so, especially at a US firm, might require a degree of discretion beyond what’s afforded by the vacation scheme. I’d really appreciate any advice on how to navigate this situation professionally!

Its okay to ask whether it may be possible. But if the scheme is only a week, I would generally say it is better to focus on the scheme itself as taking even two hours out is effectively 5% of your time on the scheme and could have an impact even if you do stay late or work around it.

 

[Jessica Booker]

It’s on AllHires and there is no withdraw option.. Should I email them and apply from a diff email?

I would contact the recruitment team first and get their advice on how best to approach it. It maybe that they can reset your application to incomplete so that you can edit it rather than submitting a new application.

 

[Solking456]

Do Latham send a feedback report after the online test/confirmation that the test has been submitted ? Also are we meant to have had only one VI question ?

 

[mrebeccafr]

Has anyone heard back from Bird & Bird following the VI? I completed it at the end of October and still haven't heard back, wondering if it is worth emailing.

I completed mine on 15/11 and haven’t heard anything back

 

[Andrei Radu]

@Andrei Radu

Hi Andrei,

Thank you for your detailed reply—I really appreciate it.

I’ve already disclosed the vacation scheme situation and offered to provide documentation to prove it, but they didn’t seem interested. The written assessment is a fixed 2-hour slot, so it’s not something I can complete at a time of my choice. My winter vacation scheme hasn’t started yet, so I can’t gauge whether it would be appropriate to ask my supervisor for flexibility.

I’m also sharing this to highlight to others that firms might reject candidates on this basis. It’s something I wasn’t aware of and think others should consider. 😞

No worries Maya! I can definitely emphasize with how frustrating that must feel, but unfortunately it doesn't seem like there's much you can do about it. I would still provisionally accept the invitation to complete the assessment and then see if my relationship with the supervisor allows for a request for this type of flexibility. I do not think you stand to lose anything by delaying the process until you get more clarity on that point.

In terms of general approach, I definitely agree with Jessica that you should prioritize the current vacation scheme. Don't worry too much about this other firm and focus on showing your best self, and I am sure in a few weeks you'll be announcing your TC offer here !