The Pupillage Interview/Acceptance/Rejection Thread 2012

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18 RLC were out in May as I recall, though that's not too much help given that they aren't offering pupillage this year.

Now even four... thx. (Mini Pupil, hope you still reading)

Reply 661

TakeTwo

I can't sit here for hours formatting this, and it comes from an excel table, so apologies for the mess. It's up on TPP in a more coherent form.

Dates from last year:

Set- First Round Notification - First Round Interviews - Second Round Notification - Second Round Interviews Held
2 Hare Court 17th May to 6th June by email w/c 6th and 13th June 16th June by email 9th July
Furnival 5/6th July by telephone 11th - 15th June 14th July
23 Essex Street 21st June by telephone 22/23/24 June
Charter 6th June by email 11th June 2nd July
Argent 3rd June 11th June 20th June
25 Bedford Row 7th June by email 17th June
Carmelite 1st July - 5th July by email 23rd July 26th July by email
Atkinson Bevan 2nd June email 18th July by email 25th July
18 Red Lion Court 31st May by email 11th/12th June 20/21st June by email
Dyers 28th June 6th July 11th July 13th July
9-12 Bell Yard 10th June 18th June 3rd July
2 Bedford Row 9th June 25th June 2nd July
3 TG (John Coffey) 12th July by email 19th July one round only
Doughty 20th June via email
Tooks 1st July via email
6KBW 1st June via email 14/15/16 June
QEB Hollis Whiteman 7th June by email 29th June by email
187 Fleet Street 27th May by email
4 Breams Buildings 6th July 16th July 22nd July 13th August
One Paper 4th July by email
3 Raymond Buildings 26th May by email 14th June by email

Reply 662

Kessler`

So, as I said, it's early days yet :wink:

Looking for a criminal pupillage by any chance, TakeTwo? Nice table :smile:

Reply 663

Shearn

Friend of mine says Zenith have been in touch about interviews.

Reply 664

Mini Pupil

Zara, I think you misunderstand my point. "lots" is the total number of sets offering pupillage this year. At most, three sets that are still recruiting this year got in touch during Mat last year. My point is that: "You'll hear when you hear". Although, it's all very exciting seeing minor changes on the Pupillage Portal, Kessler's post above is the most accurate - it means nothing at this stage.

Here are my full thoughts on the matter, which I posted last night:

http://mini-pupil.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/waiting-game.html

I'm just trying to retain perspective.

Reply 665

zara82

Original post by Mini Pupil

I am not quite sure why we should read your blogs.
I wasted time reading one of them just to realise in the end that you didnt get the pupillage.

Reply 666

littlewig

Anyone received a rejection email from Zenith?!

Reply 667

Mini Pupil

Zara, first class trolling, really, top notch.

Reply 668

zara82

Original post by Mini Pupil

Zara, first class trolling, really, top notch.

I just gave you my opinion. That's what we are (or will be) paid for!

Reply 669

Mini Pupil

If you're going to go down the 'that's the way the career works' line, let me remind you of the Bar Code of Conduct:

701. A barrister:

(a) must in all his professional activities be courteous

Good luck with your career.

Reply 670

zara82

Original post by Mini Pupil

According to Code of Conduct you must also not waste the court's time :smile:

Reply 671

Mini Pupil

I don't even know what point you're making, and I feel pathetically immature even indulging you with responses.

Nonetheless, let me restate my point one last time: Yes, a few Sets may respond in May, but don't get your hopes up about receiving too many responses any time soon, as that's just not the way the timetable has operated historically. It was just friendly advice from someone who say through this last year and wasted an unnecessary amount of time worrying. Your responses have been needlessly hostile, and I would only seek to remind you that the Bar is a notoriously small profession; friends are in short supply.

Now, let's drop this inane rambling and go back to acting like humans, eh?

Reply 672

zara82

Original post by Mini Pupil

Nonetheless, let me restate my point one last time: Yes, a few Sets may respond in May, but don't get your hopes up about receiving too many responses any time soon, as that's just not the way the timetable has operated historically. It was just friendly advice from someone who say through this last year and wasted an unnecessary amount of time worrying. Your responses have been needlessly hostile, and I would only seek to remind you that the Bar is a notoriously small profession; friends are in short supply.

QUOTE]

This is how you should ve said in the first place. and not advising us not to sweat etc. Hope you got my point now too.

Reply 673

Mini Pupil

Original post by littlewig

Anyone received a rejection email from Zenith?!

Friend of mine has applied there, I've just asked them on your behalf and they've said they're yet to receive anything.

Reply 674

Mini Pupil

Original post by Wildman

Guys, this is an argument over literally nothing.

I know. I was just at a loss to understand Zara's tone.

Luckily we've put it behind us now and we're bezzers.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 675

MissBee88

First Round Interviews at Monckton are out.

Congrats

Original post by Mini Pupil

Friend of mine has applied there, I've just asked them on your behalf and they've said they're yet to receive anything.

I had an invite for Zenith they are interviewing 24 people on Sat the 26th May. People who were invited had to call and book a time, I guess they may be waiting until all the interview slots are filled before they reject?

Reply 678

littlewig

Most probably yes.
Ah well..
I just noticed a glaringly obvious mistake on my application anyway. Doh.

Reply 679

Bar-hunter

Original post by Kessler`

I might be able to clarify a little on this. "Decision made" does not mean very much at all. Someone from a chambers last year told us that could happen whenever chambers performed an "action", such as printing off the forms or even acknowledging to the system that they had recieved the forms. Sometimes, and only sometimes, it did precede an email. However, for the vast majority of cases, your status would be updated as "invited to first interview" or "rejected" as soon as chambers sent out the appropriate emails through the system. You couldn't rely on "decision made" as an early indicator, therefore, of either rejection or interview.

The important thing to remember at this stage, people, is that you are still in the early days. When I look back at my diaries for the preceding two years, chambers didn't really start applying themselves en masse to sifting/inviting people until June. You will recieve an email/telephone call to interview, so don't torment yourself by f5'ing the Portal all day :wink:

I agree broadly, but I have to add a caveat since having been given the same advice myself, I actively ignored it (and doubtless Kessler too). Perhaps more pragmatic advice is to acknowledge that nothing will stop you checking the portal or venting frustration on here but simply to be aware, as Kessler says, that its going to take time. Odd though it feels to me, I now have friends who I went to University/ did the Bar with, who as junior tenants, are now getting involved in their own sets with the applications. From what they tell me, the applications are in - but the process hasn't even begun in earnest yet.

This is the point they all repeatedly and independently make. Barristers are not expert recruiters or HR staff. They are managing their own caseload(s) under time and pressure constraints that most us don't fully understand...because we aren't practicing yet. Pupillage applications, though important, take priority over...(and here's the big bit)....pretty much nothing or just literally nothing. Logically speaking, as they approach the kind of time where they want to be holding interviews (in my experience early June onwards) the work they do on pupillage applications, both in respect of shortlisting and conducting the interviews, gains momentum and focus. Chambers also know from experience that they can afford, for the most part, to summon candidates for interview at short notice and be obliged.

Some chambers are faster than others. Some, for example, give the first sift to an outside recruitment agency who use the given chambers' criteria which also takes time. My point - it takes time. Its difficult but patience is paramount. Keep your sanity because if you don't, by the time you get those all important interviews you will seem jaded and it can seriously appear to erode your natural enthusiasm. I know this because I was told myself during interview feedback.