Work experience

[Ali2020]

Hi All!

I am currently amending my work experience section and the word count/limit is 250. Most of my experiences are about 150words or under. I have tried to stay concise etc....would you advise that I add more words to reach the 250 word count?

Or does it not really matter for the work experience section?

Thanks!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi All!

I am currently amending my work experience section and the word count/limit is 250. Most of my experiences are about 150words or under. I have tried to stay concise etc....would you advise that I add more words to reach the 250 word count?

Or does it not really matter for the work experience section?

Thanks!

Depends on the nature of the work experience. If it was a short placement 150 words is likely to be sufficient, while if it is a long placement, it probably isn't.

 

[Lawyerwithadream]

@Jessica Booker Hi Jessica,

Can I include legal pro-bono work and other volunteering positions (non-legal) in the work experience section?

Thank you!

 

[Jessica Booker]

@Jessica Booker Hi Jessica,

Can I include legal pro-bono work and other volunteering positions (non-legal) in the work experience section?

Thank you!

Yes

 

[Lumree]

Yes

Hi Jessica,

I’m a bit confused about what should go in the work experience section. Should you include volunteering roles if there is a separate question asking you state non academic activities and positions of responsibility? Thank you

 

[Olivia99]

Hey guys!
Was just wondering whether you would include an open day at the firm within work experience or mention through the application questions? Thanks

 

[Lawyerwithadream]

Yes

Thank you Jessica

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica,

I’m a bit confused about what should go in the work experience section. Should you include volunteering roles if there is a separate question asking you state non academic activities and positions of responsibility? Thank you

Again this is not a one size fits all response. It depends on the role you are talking about

To me if the volunteering role is like a job (eg fixed hours, expected to turn up) then to me it's a job. If you get the ”voluntarily” turn up as and when suits you, then it is an EC.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hey guys!
Was just wondering whether you would include an open day at the firm within work experience or mention through the application questions? Thanks

See to me an open day is not work experience. You have no objectives/responsibilities on the day.

However, some firms actively encourage you to put open days in your work experience section.

 

[Ishan B]

@Jessica Booker just wanted to ask how detailed the portion on work experiences ought to be: I understand that this would vary depending on the period of the internship, the responsibilities allocated etc: but what might be a golden standard of what tasks are meant to be included/excluded while putting up pointers for work ex?
Is it a good idea to put in everything- for instance, if I was allocated some 10-12 different short tasks in the course of a three week internship, would it be prudent to mention all of them separately- or does it make sense to compile these under broad headings: researched queries pertaining to x, y and z; drafted brief reports on a, b and c and so on. Even whilst doing this, does it make sense to enumerate everything I did or just the things I'm most comfortable with being asked questions on?

[This is for the Linklaters' application, which only allows for three work experiences to be enumerated]

 

[Jessica Booker]

@Jessica Booker just wanted to ask how detailed the portion on work experiences ought to be: I understand that this would vary depending on the period of the internship, the responsibilities allocated etc: but what might be a golden standard of what tasks are meant to be included/excluded while putting up pointers for work ex?
Is it a good idea to put in everything- for instance, if I was allocated some 10-12 different short tasks in the course of a three week internship, would it be prudent to mention all of them separately- or does it make sense to compile these under broad headings: researched queries pertaining to x, y and z; drafted brief reports on a, b and c and so on. Even whilst doing this, does it make sense to enumerate everything I did or just the things I'm most comfortable with being asked questions on?

[This is for the Linklaters' application, which only allows for three work experiences to be enumerated]

There is no “golden standard” unfortunately.

Are any tasks self explanatory? (eg “I attended meetings with associates and trainees”). If so there is no reason to include them.

You don’t need to list out all 12 tasks. You could either try to amalgamate some tasks “I researched topics including X, Y and Z” where they are the same process. Or you could just focus on your more substantial tasks, the aspects that align more to the firm you have applied to, or the ones you thought you got the most personal development from.

 

[Ishan B]

There is no “golden standard” unfortunately.

Are any tasks self explanatory? (eg “I attended meetings with associates and trainees”). If so there is no reason to include them.

You don’t need to list out all 12 tasks. You could either try to amalgamate some tasks “I researched topics including X, Y and Z” where they are the same process. Or you could just focus on your more substantial tasks, the aspects that align more to the firm you have applied to, or the ones you thought you got the most personal development from.

Makes a lot of sense! Thanks so much