TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[FutureTraineeMaybe]

Hey @AGRACHEL , great question! I would recommend a hybrid approach. For example, you could include skills like organizational management and link an example of how you demonstrated this skill. Following this, you could also briefly touch on the result on a project/task of you effectively demonstrating this skill. Did it give rise to higher sales? Did it contribute to wider departmental efforts? What was the feedback you received from your manager? This will ensure demonstrated interest. You don’t need to touch on multiple skills, just a few you feel are relevant to the role.

Thank you!! This was extremely helpful!

 

[Apple]

How can I understand whether I did well or poorly on the Artic Shores test?

You really can't, you just have to wait and see. The only possible indication is whether your feedback strengths align with things the firm looks for, but thats probably a stretch.

 

[Andrei Radu]

thanks for the reply, similarly do you think its worth waiting to send off my app for mishcon de reya after attending the Open day on Oct 16th? the app is rolling and closes 3 weeks after the open day so i feel like itll be better to apply early regardless of mentioning the Open day on my application.

I completely agree with @Jessica Booker's advice - waiting to attend an open day and then mentioning that in the application is very unlikely to hurt your chances. Firms generally prefer applicants who attended open days and as such, although the application process might be rolling, they will not hold the later submission date against you. That would undermine the purpose of the open day, since an open day at this time of the year is organised to provide applicants with insight for this application cycle, not the next.

The only other thing I'll add is that while I think waiting to attend open days for each firm does generally lead to better odds for the success of each individual application, it does not necessarily translate into better odds at overall success in securing a TC. The reason for this is that employing this strategy for a high number of firms can make your application schedule administratively difficult.

Let's say you aim to apply to 20 firms this cycle, and let's say you would want to attend an open day at each before submitting a VS application. Firstly, this means that besides 20 VS application, you will need to take the time to write 20 open day applications, which is a significant increase in workload. Secondly, and more importantly, most open days you can apply to now will only be held between November-December. That is the exact period for most VS application deadlines. While there might be at least a two-week gap between the date of the open day and the deadline for VS applications at each individual firm, these periods are likely to overlap for different firms. Thus, if you do not submit some applications early, you could find yourself in a situation where you have 5 deadlines in a week. This can lead to a significant decrease in the amount of time you can invest in writing each application, which will in turn lead to a significant decrease of your chances of success. Alternatively, should you not want to compromise on quality, you may be forced to forego applying to some firms you wanted to apply to - which once again will reduce your overall chances of securing a TC. Hence, my advice would be to only wait to attend open days at a small number of firms you are particularly attracted to - around 4-5 is what worked for me.

 

[seaweed.bond]

Does anyone know if Goodwin is rolling?

 

[Andrei Radu]

Hi guys,

Does the Slaughter and May cover letter need to be in pdf format?

It can also be in an .doc, .docx, or .rtf format, but I believe it is general practice to send it in pdf.

 

[Andrei Radu]

Anyone know if K&E is doing Vac Schemes this year?

They most likely will, but K&E normally only announces openings for VS applications after the 1st of October - so I would advise you to have a look at their careers page in the coming days.

 

[Andrei Radu]

is it possible to apply to Davis Polk as a graduate? I can't work it out on their website?

When I spoke to the graduate recruitment team they said the firm would accept applications from final year students, provided they acknowledge they will only be able to start their TC in 2027. I would assume the same policy applies for applications from graduates, in that the application will be considered but they will not be able to accommodate an earlier start date.

 

[danielles]

Hi guys, do you think it is too late to hear back from Sidley now? (Winter Vac S)

 

[Tcvspfo]

Me checking the forum regularly too see any Ashurst case study invites!!!

 

[-legal-]

Has anyone applied to the Meet Cooley event ?

 

[johnnysins]

Hi guys, do you think it is too late to hear back from Sidley now? (Winter Vac S)

Hopefully not, fingers crossed!

 

[aspiringtrainee2024]

I think people have had interviews and now just waiting to hear back !

Hi guys, do you think it is too late to hear back from Sidley now? (Winter Vac S)

I don’t think so? I emailed grad rec and they said they’re in the process of screening applications. I’m assuming that means more interviews may still be held.

 

[Maddy]

For the question "How have you chosen to use AI tools (such as ChatGPT) in your application (99 words)?" I have answered this question as, "I have used AI tools such as ChatGPT to check for grammatical errors and Grammarly to assist with proofreading in my application." Is this a suitable response, or should I add more detail?

 

[Maddy]

For the question "How have you chosen to use AI tools (such as ChatGPT) in your application (99 words)?" I have answered this question as, "I have used AI tools such as ChatGPT to check for grammatical errors and Grammarly to assist with proofreading in my application." Is this a suitable response, or should I add more detail?

@Andrei Radu @Ram Sabaratnam

 

[Szofi66]

Has anyone got the Ashurst case study already? For wvs

 

[gazdgazd11]

Do Bird & Bird not accept LPC graduates? Only SQE?

 

[fingersarecrossed]

Is it easier to get a vacation scheme at a city firm than get a paralegal role?

 

[far]

Has anyone received rejection from Sidley ?

 

[BonanzaBih_]

Has anyone heard from NRF recently? Post Arctic shores

 

[dollydaydream]

Me checking the forum regularly too see any Ashurst case study invites!!!

Has anyone heard from Ashurst yet?