TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[shays]

Anyone still waiting on Latham? Or should I just assume PFO?

 

[MaxC7930]

Anyone done the NRF Arctic Shores? Same as Gowling's?
My feedback from Gowling was:

"How you understand others": 4/4 - I always do well on emotion recognition games
"How you respond to change" 1/4 - I'm sure this is from reacting too slowly or wrongly in the press x/y type games
"How you attend to tasks & decisions" 1/4 - I'm not sure what this relates to specifically
"How you approach challenges" 3/4 - I think this is spending too long on the game at the end.
"How you identify patterns & rules" 4/4 - I will have performed very well on the maths stuff

So my concern is that research proves that reaction times decline with age and I'm 40+.

NRF have asked "If you have require any reasonable adjustments please do let us know as soon as possible and we can look at what adjustments cant be made."

I'm slightly confused by this because they say on their form that "We’re positive about employing disabled people and are an accredited Disability Confident Employer. As a Disability Confident organisation we offer interviews to disabled people that meet the minimum criteria for our roles."

On that basis I therefore disclosed that I have ASD (although I don't have a formal diagnosis, I would likely get one), so I'm a bit confused now about this, in that I've already disclosed a disability so there's some second-guessing perhaps on whether I should request an adjustment. In addition, I don't think that the people at Arctic Shores have considered that their games are age discriminatory specifically, and it says on the Arctic Shores page only that any of the following may warrant an adjustment and/or additional time:

"▶ ADHD ▶ Autism ▶ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ▶ Dyscalculia ▶ Dysgraphia ▶ Dyslexia ▶ Dyspraxia ▶ Epilepsy ▶ Mental Health Issue ▶ Multiple Sclerosis ▶ Physical Disability"

but age is not listed there.

I'm very much in doubt that it would be a good idea to email NRF and say "hey, your testing discriminates on the basis of age, which is illegal", even though it's obvious that it does. So maybe I just email and say "I'd like more time for the split-second games on the basis of ASD meaning I have slower reactions" [even though this is probably scientifically much less certain than the age issue, lol]? Anyone with experience dealing with this?!

Im 19, play lots of hard videogames and still found to reaction time tests difficult for NRF. It sounds like it is very similar to Gowlings

 

[mariistm]

oh yeh I went for London Cambridge etc so expect I'll have to wait a bit longer then, well done though !!

thank you! could still be a rejection but will hope for the best, good luck to you too!

 

[lolololol]

does anyone have insight or resources for the eversheds internal meeting simulation for the ac? its my first ever ac and idk how to prepare for it so any insight would be appreciated.

 

[zq522]

Congrats!! When did you apply?

A few days after the applications opened so some time in October I think

 

[futuretrainee101ac]

Does anyone have any tips for the Kennedys VI please, any advice would be much appreciated? Thank youuuu!

 

[Tsitsipas10S]

NRF TC offer! 🥳🥳🥳

 

[tcla888]

AG PFO (London)

 

[James Wakefield]

AG PFO (London)

Sorry to hear that. Post-app or Post-VI?

 

[andrewk]

Weil VI invite, applied 24th November. My deadline is 15th January, is it safe to assume the questions will be different to the VIs with a deadline on the 5th?

 

[Star Light]

For Sullivan & Cromwell, who should I address the cover letter to? Thank you.

 

[xMontmorency]

Probably doesn't matter but if there are 2 AC slots, one from 9am to 1pm and one from 2pm to 5:30pm, is there any benefit to picking either one over the other?

pick the 9am one

Top tip (in my opinion) for picking interview timeslots is to find a time when your interviewer is most likely to be friendly, energetic and keen to have a conversation with you. Don't choose Mondays or Fridays. Morning slots, right after they've had their coffees, are better than afternoons (your interviewer probably just wants to go home).

 

[chrisbrown]

NRF TC offer! 🥳🥳🥳

Congrats!! 🥳

 

[jacksollaf]

I think bakers said we would get a test invite in Feb

no no, they personally told me, I spoke with the graduate recruitment officer... He specifically told me, on the 9th of December, "We do not send out tests until all applications have been reviewed. The deadline for the Summer Vacation Scheme is 01 January 2024. We hope to have test invites out by 10 January 2025."

Evidently, they may be delayed, but max a few days...

 

[EA95]

AG - PFO, I’m starting to believe none of these applications are good enough

 

[GSJ]

They sent an email earlier this week confirming that they will give the outcome of our applications on the 10th

Anyone heard from forsters today

 

[tcla888]

Sorry to hear that. Post-app or Post-VI?

Post app 💀

 

[EA95]

NRF TC offer! 🥳🥳🥳

Congrats 🥳🥳

 

[jta227]

NRF TC offer! 🥳🥳🥳

Congrats!! Is this off the back of the WVS?

 

[jacksollaf]

AG - PFO, I’m starting to believe none of these applications are good enough

Not at all! We're all more than sure that you'll get something! Remember, it's not because it's a smaller firm, compared to Linklaters or HL, that a PFO means you're not good enough... Think of it this way: in an application cycle to US unis, some people get rejected from Dartmouth (the lowest ranked Ivy League university [equivalent technically to Russel Group]), yet still get accepted into Harvard, Yale and Princeton in the same cycle! A bit unrealistic with UK unis, but you get the point; it's like getting an offer from Oxford and LSE but being rejected from the university of Liverpool...

My point being: the recruitment team was simply looking for someone who aligns more with what they are looking for; doesn't mean, in any way shape or form, that you are not good enough - it's simply means that, at least according to them, you might not particularly fit too well with exactly what they are looking for! It's part of the process, just keep applying and don't forget, most firms' acceptance rate is extremely low, on average it's a 1.7% acceptance rate; keep your head up and you'll get something!