What to do after VS rejections Grad

[sarg1234]

Hiya, I'm a non-law grad just finishing up my masters. This was my first year of applications, and I got two ACs and a partner interview. Unfortunately, I've already received two rejections and am just wondering what comes next.

I'm thinking of doing the PGDL in London. Is there anything I can do over the summer to improve my commercial awareness (I think this is where I fell short in ACs) or my work experience if I don't get this last VS?

 

[Ram Sabaratnam]

Hiya @sarg1234

It’s great that you’re thinking about this now because commercial awareness is an area where many candidates struggle. I really believe that focussing on developing this skill is what allows good candidates to really set themselves apart. In my experience, it was also by developing my commercial awareness that I could demonstrate genuine enthusiasm for and interest in the types of matters commercial lawyers work on.

While a lot of the advice for developing commercial awareness will recommend getting into the habit of reading the Financial Times, Bloomberg, or The Economist, I think what’s even more important is developing your ability to break down and analyse news stories/commercial trends. It’s not just about reading headlines, but more importantly about considering them from legal, financial, and political angles. This skill is what will make your commercial awareness more nuanced and convincing in interviews. To build this analytic ability, I’d suggest looking at resources like Little Law, which is free, or Zip Law, which offers more structured insights (though it requires a subscription). These newsletter can give you a good idea of how you should start thinking 'breaking down' and analysing trends and news stories in various sectors.

Since you already have access to TCLA Premium, I’d also highly, highly recommend making use of the commercial courses over the summer. When I was preparing for applications and interviews, I found them enormously helpful in building a basic understanding of topics like private equity and project finance. I really believe that working through these resources will help you develop a more instinctive grasp of commercial concepts, which can make all the difference at assessment centres/partner interviews. You’re clearly performing well, with a bit more of a push in this area, I think you’ll be in a great position to stand out next time.

Best of luck!

 

[Amma Usman]

Hiya, I'm a non-law grad just finishing up my masters. This was my first year of applications, and I got two ACs and a partner interview. Unfortunately, I've already received two rejections and am just wondering what comes next.

I'm thinking of doing the PGDL in London. Is there anything I can do over the summer to improve my commercial awareness (I think this is where I fell short in ACs) or my work experience if I don't get this last VS?

Hi there,

I’m so sorry about the rejections. The two ACs/ partner interview you’ve got, are a good sign that you are well-skilled in writing law firm applications. In my opinion, this is the hardest stage as it helps filter out candidates that have thoroughly researched into the profession & know what they want, and those that do not. You have done well on this, and that is great.

With regards building commercial awareness, I do not have anything to add to @Ram Sabaratnam ’s great insights. I have linked a post with some additional sources I made in the past to help. https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/threads/10-commercial-awareness-sources.9412/

With regards improving from a work experience standpoint, one thing I know people do is randomly popping into a solicitors office and exploring the possibility of a short shadowing placement. This has worked great for them as they were able to see how things were done on-the-job, and also gained soft skills like legal writing and oral communication. You could also volunteer at a legal advice clinic, or spend the summer reaching out to people on LinkedIn to gather as many insights as possible from both an application perspective (knowing how to ace each stage), and a commercial perspective (knowing what’s hot in the industry and what’s influencing their work)!

Best of luck on the apps! I know you’ll do great!