- Sep 9, 2024
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Hey @ghostyb, first of all huge congratulations for the AC, it is a big achievement! I have had presentations included in my VS/TC interviews before, though in my case I received the details of the exercise one or two days prior to the assessment and I got to use a power point presentation. In terms of your questions about what it could look like, the only one I can properly address is the first, as I think (based on my experience and that of others) that it is quite likely the presentation will be on a commercial topic. This way, firms get to test both your ability to digest and synthetize information and your general commercial awareness. As to the split - there could be many reasons for it and many ways to divide a topic in two parts; it could be something as simple as there being two different questions they want you to answer based on the same research material. Finally, I believe it is somewhat more likely that there will not be a choice of topics involved, as having a single topic is simply easier administratively and arguably leads to a more objective performance assessment.Hi everyone! I'm preparing to attend my first-ever AC after 3 application cycles🥶. This AC includes an Individual Presentation, and I have no idea what to expect so would be grateful for any further insights!
Here's what I know:
- Format:
- Total duration: 45 minutes
- 20 minutes prep, 25 minutes to present + Q&A with partners
- Split into two parts:
- Part A: 10 mins presentation + Q&A
- Part B: 5 mins presentation + Q&A
- Preparation:
- No prep required beforehand—info will be provided on the day.
The other AC components are a strength-based interview and a group exercise. Since neither of those components seems particularly technical, could this presentation be about a commercial topic? What kind of presentation topics can be broken down into 2 parts like this? Could Part A involve synthesizing information, and Part B about proposing solutions or recommendations? Will the firm assign the topic or let me pick from a few options?
This is all complete hypothecation on my part, so if anyone has any experience with this kind of presentation, I’d really appreciate any tips or insights to help me prepare. Also asking @Jessica Booker @Andrei Radu. Thanks very much in advance😊
Now, regarding preparation advice, I have two main pointers. Firstly, to improve your capacity for substantive commercial analysis, try to brush up on your commercial awareness. Listen to podcasts and read business news widely at first to ensure you are aware of all the important current issues, and then delve deeper into the stories that you think are more relevant for the firm's core practice areas. Secondly, to improve your communication and public speaking skills, do a couple of mock presentations following this structure. You can get a friend to select a few articles on a controversial commercial topic and then task you to read that under time conditions and then present a summary of the facts and your views on the issues. Ideally, your friend could then ask some follow up questions and argue against some of your points to also prepare you to defend your claims.
Finally, a bit of advice for how to manage the Q&A part during the day: it is quite possible that the partners will push back on your arguments and question your understanding of certain issues, but you need to be able to maintain composure and defend your views. This does not mean that you should never accept any criticisms or make clarifications when appropriate, of course you should. If they bring up relevant points, acknowledge that, and then seek to include them in a synthesis view combined with your points or explain why, despite being relevant, they do not carry as much weigh as the considerations you have brought up. It is important to show that you can argue for your viewpoint even when facing the pressure of an opposite opinion from someone more senior. This not only demonstrates desirable qualities like resilience and confidence, but is essential in commercial law, when many times you will find yourself negotiating or arguing on behalf of your client with someone more senior from the other side.