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TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25

simplyfaith

Distinguished Member
Feb 13, 2022
60
434


Guys, what are your thoughts on this? (Not trying to stir things up here, I genuinely want to hear thoughts from everyone with a current or future stake in these firms so please keep it friendly hehe)
Some young people jump on the bandwagon of complaint because they want an easy life. To them, I have little sympathy. They make it difficult for everyone else to form a coherent argument. The bandwagon itself is very much real, though. Under-trained and over-worked in a broken economy prioritising the wrong metrics.

If we're genuinely considering advanced civilizational pursuits such as AI and space travel, we need to at least get the basics right! We'd look pretty silly, otherwise.
 

Ram Sabaratnam

Legendary Member
Staff member
Future Trainee
Gold Member
Premium Member
Sep 7, 2024
447
1,037
This question may have been asked before, but how best do you go about structuring an answer to the question “introduce yourself/tell us about yourself” in an interview?

Hiya @M_m

This question is basically your elevator pitch. I would treat it as an opportunity to introduce yourself in a way that helps the interviewer get a sense of who you are beyond just your qualifications. It’s a chance to basically share a little about your background, education, and recent experience, while also mentioning any interests that might help you connect with your interviewer. Try to keep the answer more conversational, yet succinct. I'd recommend aiming for an answer that's around 1-2 minutes.

You'll want to basically cover the following:
  1. Where you’re from
  2. Your educational background
  3. A very brief mention of any recent (legal or non-legal) work experience
  4. Mention your hobbies or interests
For example, in my own case, I’d mention that I was born and raised outside Toronto, but lived, studied, and worked in Montreal and Chicago before moving to London to be with my partner. After moving here, I decided to study law and after graduating worked for UCL’s Faculty of Law and continued to do various legal volunteer roles. Finally, I’d round things off by saying that I love travel (having backpacked through 30+ countries), as well as art history and hiking. This usually never took more than 2 minutes for me to do and I think it allowed me to ensure my answer was easy for my interviewers to remember.

Hope this helps and let me know if you have any other questions!
 

nostalgicstar

New Member
May 21, 2022
4
4
OK, writing this because I need some advice. I received PW interview which I'm doing on Monday. I've had so much other work and I've barely prepared for it. If I got it, it would already clash with another VS that I have. I feel like pulling out of the process. I know that sounds really silly but it's just so much work and I wonder whether it's worth it. Could someone advise me on what to do?

Also, one of my top choices is CRS and I haven't heard back from them at all, so if I get a PFO I will kick myself for not having done the PW interview, but at the same time I now only have two days to prepare.
When did they let you know, was this today?
 

congrades

Well-Known Member
Gold Member
Premium Member
  • Jul 7, 2023
    22
    38
    Sorry to hear this! Can I ask in your email did it say something along the lines of “hope you take confidence in knowing your application was strong”?
    yeah i got the pfo with this same bit, not sure if it means anything positive especially when it comes to the training contract assessment centre (which I also applied to)
     

    abbiewhitlock03

    Star Member
    Dec 13, 2022
    45
    107
    Did you get an email discussing the training contract aswell?
    Yes I did! It's nice to know there's still a possibility of being invited to an assessment day later down the line.
    Sorry to hear this! Can I ask in your email did it say something along the lines of “hope you take confidence in knowing your application was strong”?
    Yep, mine said that. Must be in all the emails they send out
     
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