TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

[axele]

Sorry if this is a dumb question. For the 1 day application review - if I submit before 4pm on Thursday do I get it back on Friday?

 

[Jessica Booker]

@Jessica Booker for Skadden’s application they ask:

“If you had to choose a career apart from law, what would it be”

For this question is it okay to pick a career that is vastly different from the role of a lawyer? I’ve always been interested in technology and would probably be a software engineer if I wasn’t pursuing a career in law. Would that be an acceptable answer or are they looking for a much more commercial profession like consulting or banking?

Thanks for the help!

It is not about how closely they are in terms of commercial aspects. It’s about drawing comparisons between the careers that align with your motivations. I have seen examples of teaching, being a fiction writer, working in the civil service etc. it isn’t really about what you choose it is more about how you describe what keeps you interested /motivated that the firm can then see parallels with the career they offer.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Please note, for our vacation scheme, insight scheme and solicitor apprenticeship opportunities you are not required to upload a CV but you need to include a covering letter providing details on your skills and why you have applied for the scheme.

What motivates you for a career in Law at Taylor Wessing and what key skills would you bring? {provide answer of 2500 characters}

Hi! The application form for Taylor Wessing requires a cover letter as well as asks a motivational question. I am confused about how to structure my cover letter in a way that it doesn't overlap with my answers. @Jessica Booker @Andrei Radu could you please help me out on how to structure the cover letter? Thank you so much!

I would split out reasons for applying for the firm into the role/job in the application question and more environmental aspects (like culture, firm’s values etc) into the cover letter, so it effectively becomes why the day job/career in the application question and why in this specific working environment in the cover letter.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Sorry if this is a dumb question. For the 1 day application review - if I submit before 4pm on Thursday do I get it back on Friday?

Yes - anytime up to 4pm on Thursday and you would get it back by Friday evening.

 

[IneedaTCASAP]

PFO Bird post app and W&C.

You had a W&C post application rejection? Was this for winter. I know many of us are waiting to hear back. Surprised to see this

 

[A worried graduate]

Anyone here know if it’s worth applying for Simmons and Simmons

 

[andreilover01]

@Andrei Radu for Skadden's question "Tell us about your interests and inspirations outside of education/work", what exactly does 'inspirations' refer to/ expect from an applicant? I assume 'interests outside of education/work' is a clear indication to target actual extra-curriculars such as art, sport, etc (correct me if I'm wrong). However, it seems like inspiration is an odd middle ground that I am struggling to navigate.

 

[Andrei Radu]

Please note, for our vacation scheme, insight scheme and solicitor apprenticeship opportunities you are not required to upload a CV but you need to include a covering letter providing details on your skills and why you have applied for the scheme.

What motivates you for a career in Law at Taylor Wessing and what key skills would you bring? {provide answer of 2500 characters}

Hi! The application form for Taylor Wessing requires a cover letter as well as asks a motivational question. I am confused about how to structure my cover letter in a way that it doesn't overlap with my answers. @Jessica Booker @Andrei Radu could you please help me out on how to structure the cover letter? Thank you so much!

Hi @a1024 the basic answer is that you should still deal with the same 3 big questions (why commercial law, why the firm, why you) in the cover letter but that you should also (i) employ a more narrative structure - walk the reader through your journey and decision-making rather than giving pointed paragraph answers for each; and (ii) focus on personal experiences more. I have wrote a longer post discussing this in more depth, I have quoted it bellow

Hi Bella, I agree with @safari3's advice here. I would still seek to answer the three main questions in the cover letter as well (Why commercial law, Why the firm, Why me) but I would seek to employ more of a 'narrative structure' and speak more about personal experiences. Essentially, you should describe your personal, academic, and professional trajectory more broadly, focusing on how your journey had led to where you are now. In the application form question, while answering the same questions, you should write in a to-the-point style and implement a very clear structure. Your points should be a lot more factual and the experiences you describe should be more academic/work related.

As for the 'Why the firm' section, as @Jessica Booker mentioned, you can make the application form question answer more around the work opportunities (seats and rotations; secondments; practice area and sector expertise; client base etc) and the cover letter answer more around the working environment and why that is a great fit for your personality (here, you can discuss the training programme specifics and culture more, but perhaps also the working environment in the teams/practice areas of the firm you are interested in and more broadly the working environment at a type of commercial law firm like Taylor Wessing).

The one thing I will add is that while avoiding repeating the experiences you mention is ideal, it is not an issue if the points that you are illustrating through those experiences and the details of the experiences you are describing are different in the application form answer and the cover letter. As said before, the cover letter is meant to allow you to show your personality more. As such, you could also provide a more detailed explanation as to your fundamental motivations from a personal perspective in it. For instance, say your basic answer to 'Why commercial law' in the application form question looks something like this:

1. Becoming a commercial solicitor because this is the only career path that involves working at the junction point of legal and business advisory.
2. I have this academic/professional experience (explained with a STAR structure) which has shown me I am attracted to/a good fit for a career that involves both business and legal advisory.
3. Therefore, I want to be a commercial solicitor.

In the cover letter, you could discuss the same experience and underlying motivation for commercial law, but from a different perspective. You could use the opportunity to dig a lot deeper into your deeper personal interests and motivations: what is it about you that makes you attracted to an advisory role as opposed to an executive one? What is it about the legal and business world that would make learning about it more interesting than other fields? When did you realise you had these interests, and did you consider any other career paths? If so, which did you consider, and what steps did you take to confirm that commercial law is indeed the optimal choice? How did this impact you and lead to the evolution of your professional interests and preferences over time? The point is, you can delve a lot deeper into all the thought processes and less significant prior experiences that led up to the point at which you are now. While the final conclusion of this exposition might be the same attraction to business and legal advisory you mention in your application form answer, this does add a lot of value to the recruiter's understanding of you as a person. This is a lot of useful information and contextualization that would simply be impossible to include in the application form answer due to the space constraints and would therefore likely not be deemed a mere repetition.

 

[Andrei Radu]

Anyone here know if it’s worth applying for Simmons and Simmons

Hi @A worried graduate if your question is as to whether it is worth applying regarding success chances in view of particular circumstances, feel free to give me a bit more detail and I will be happy to give you my view on that. If your question is more to the effect of whether Simmons and Simmons is a good firm to work for, my answer is that I have generally heard good things. They may not have as generalist of an approach as the MC, but it has top tier practices in finance, funds, TMT and life sciences. If these practices/sectors are of interest, I would encourage you to apply.

 

[aspiringsolicitor8]

Did anyone else get an email from W&C today saying their application is still under consideration and that they will be back in touch in the New Year? This is post-VI for WVS

 

[Andrei Radu]

@Andrei Radu for Skadden's question "Tell us about your interests and inspirations outside of education/work", what exactly does 'inspirations' refer to/ expect from an applicant? I assume 'interests outside of education/work' is a clear indication to target actual extra-curriculars such as art, sport, etc (correct me if I'm wrong). However, it seems like inspiration is an odd middle ground that I am struggling to navigate.

I think this is a question that is meant to enable you to showcase some of your personality. I would not focus too much on the word 'inspirations', I interpret the prompt to cover a discussion of any enterprise or activity that is of value to you outside of school and professional endeavors. The question clearly invites you to include broader and more personal projects as well, so I would definitely considering mentioning sports or arts-related activities, even if you do not think you have achieved particularly impressive results. Ultimately, this answer is your opportunity to show yourself as a well-rounded individual.

 

[Szofi66]

@Andrei Radu and others, thank you in advance for answering: if a firm allows max 5 experiences including actual WE, extracurriculars, volunteering, sport activities etc. on its application form, is it a good idea to merge some of them into one? such as all extracurriculars done at uni societies as 1 experience, or all volunteering activities as another one. Further, if limited to 5, should I include the firm's Forage job simulation or that'd be a waste? (they don't ask elsewhere on the app form if I did it or not). I feel like I have much more valuable work experience but they could care about their own job sim more

 

[jojo23]

I think generally if the question is just framed as a simple 'Why commercial law?' one there is no need to integrate 'why this firm' elements as well. In fact, I think it is advisable not to do so, as you risk muddling your points and thus reducing focus and clarity. Since in this case there is also a subsequent 'Why the firm' question, it is definitely better to keep the points entirely separate.

Thank you, i appreciate it!!

 

[jojo23]

Hey @jojo23 , the team has already shared great insights on this. I‘ve also quoted below a thread which includes examples of generic/non-generic responses to the why CL question;

Why Commercial Law? Investigating Your ‘Why’

The question that often makes you pause for a moment. You know why you want to pursue this, you’re certain it’s what you want. Yet, putting it into words — especially in a way that resonates with recruiters — is a challenge. Then, you see it in an application form, and it’s just like “argg!” How...

www.thecorporatelawacademy.com

thank you so much for this!!

 

[jojo23]

Hiya @jojo23

Completely agree with @Andrei Radu here. There's no need to include your research or motivations for joining Reed Smith in your answer to this particular question. Instead, I would treat this as a standard motivational question about why you’re pursuing a career in commercial law.

Additionally, I'd just like to gently suggest that your answer should highlight reasons that really focus on commercial and corporate law. Thus try to avoid generic reasons that could easily to other professional services like consulting or finance. I think really distilling reasons that are particular to commercial law will allow your answer to demonstrate a level of nuance and strong understanding of this area of law and why it appeals to you. Best of luck with your application!

Thank you for your insight @Ram Sabaratnam, I will take all of this into account too!!

 

[Soprano]

Simmons WVS offer!!!!!

Did they contact via email or phone call?

 

[corporatelore]

Did anyone else get an email from W&C today saying their application is still under consideration and that they will be back in touch in the New Year? This is post-VI for WVS

Same for me. So confused lol.

 

[Smart water 0403]

is it okay to say 'PE' for private equity in an application- i will write it out as private equity (PE) the first time.

If so can I still use this abbreviation when writing out the name of an official award ?

 

[WhiskeyCharlie]

Hi, if anyone has experience of Clyde & Co's Digital Simulation Assessment I'd really appreciate any help.

1. Is the entire assessment recorded, or just the video interview questions?
2. I'm aware it is untimed, but can you "leave" and resume at a later point?
3. It says approx. 45-60 mins, but if anyone knows specifically how many written and video questions there are, that would be great.

Thank you!

1. Just the video interview questions are recorded AFAIK, but not really understanding your question...what else can be 'recorded' or how?
2. You cannot AFAIK
3. IIRC, 4-6 Video Qs, no written, the rest are 'ranking' SJT type questions

 

[Jessica Booker]

@Andrei Radu and others, thank you in advance for answering: if a firm allows max 5 experiences including actual WE, extracurriculars, volunteering, sport activities etc. on its application form, is it a good idea to merge some of them into one? such as all extracurriculars done at uni societies as 1 experience, or all volunteering activities as another one. Further, if limited to 5, should I include the firm's Forage job simulation or that'd be a waste? (they don't ask elsewhere on the app form if I did it or not). I feel like I have much more valuable work experience but they could care about their own job sim more

I'd avoid the Forage programme if you have lots to choose from and instead throw a brief reference to it in your motivational questions.

For work experience entries, you can group some activities, but only if they are very similar. I wouldn't really group extracurriculars together unless they are all the same activity (e.g. Mooting competitions) or if they are within the same society/club. For instance, I don't think it would be appropriate to group being captain of a netball team with being on the Law Ball committee where the responsibilities are quite different.

You could group together very similar part-time jobs (e.g. you've worked in multiple retail roles) or volunteer roles if similar (e.g. you have volunteered in multiple legal advice clinics).