The Student Room Group

Vac schemes without interview?

Does anybody know of places that offer places for these without having to go into the office for an interview? I know Halliwells base it on the application form alone...its just that most of them don't say on their website, believe it or not, and its obviously nice not to go ****ing up your schedule with time off uni work and train times, etc-obv I will apply to ones that do interview for more schemes (I will be final year non-law) but its nice to have some where this isn't necessary as well. Thanks.

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Reply 1
I think Ashurst give vacation schemes without an interview being required. Pretty sure my friend mentioned this was the case!
slaughter and may
Reply 3
Weil do.
Reema is right about Ashurst.
Reply 5
white & case
Reply 6
Pannone don't interview.


To be honest if you cant be bothered applying to those who interview just because you have uni work on i think you need to rethink your career plan! competition is fierce and you have to be dedicated to get anywhere in this business.

Also it seems to me your not really thinking about the type of firm your applying to, Ashurst, Pannone and Halliwells are all very different types of firms, you need to narrow down what you actually want.


What recruitment procedure they adopt should be the least of your worries!
Reply 7
Some will run interviews in your university anyway, so the disruption need not be that great.
Reply 8
Reema
I think Ashurst give vacation schemes without an interview being required. Pretty sure my friend mentioned this was the case!

indeed. my cousin, when in his final year as an undergraduate (non-law), was desperate to get on some vacation schemes. at the university's law fair, he got quite chummy with someone from ashurst and was effectively given a vac scheme on the spot (though he had to apply for it to be officially arranged).
Reply 9
I think I do better in interviews than on paper.. though the possibility of getting a vac scheme without taking time out for an interview is appealing, I think I'd rather just apply early and try to get my interviews in the holidays as much as possible.
Reply 10
silence
indeed. my cousin, when in his final year as an undergraduate (non-law), was desperate to get on some vacation schemes. at the university's law fair, he got quite chummy with someone from ashurst and was effectively given a vac scheme on the spot (though he had to apply for it to be officially arranged).



this is true, the ashurst grad recruitment guy makes friends at law fairs and offers them vac placements and if he likes you he'll give you a vac placement straight away. i think anyone who can bare speaking to him for more than 2 minutes deserves this...
CC do (or did) for their winter scheme, but the scheme itself only last 2 days and I don't think you're paid.
Reply 12
somegirl
this is true, the ashurst grad recruitment guy makes friends at law fairs and offers them vac placements and if he likes you he'll give you a vac placement straight away. i think anyone who can bare speaking to him for more than 2 minutes deserves this...


'bare' or 'bear' even is pretty harsh, if steven trowbridge is still their grad recruitment guy then he seemed like a really decent bloke. after the vac scheme he extended a general invitation to help with any other tc or vac scheme applications and gave some really decent advice.
Reply 13
man123
Weil do.


I could be wrong but I seem to remember reading in their latest brochure that they give you one interview for Vac schemes.
rah2
'bare' or 'bear' even is pretty harsh, if steven trowbridge is still their grad recruitment guy then he seemed like a really decent bloke. after the vac scheme he extended a general invitation to help with any other tc or vac scheme applications and gave some really decent advice.

I spoke to him at a law fair for a few minutes and thought he was a right knob...
Reply 15
kidney thief
I spoke to him at a law fair for a few minutes and thought he was a right knob...


Can see why you thought that :wink: But honestly he was alright. Ashurst's recruitment policies did seem a little odd though, some of their trainees were just...weird.
Reply 16
Does anyone know when White & Case, Shearman & Sterling, or Travers Smith give replies re summer vacation scheme interviews?:smile:
Reply 17
Why all of the Trowbridge-hating? :eek:

EDIT: From what I understand, it isn't unusual for Graduate Recruitment to remember people who they've talked to at Law Fairs and been impressed by, and prioritise them for interviews/schemes. Seems to be a sensible thing to do. They've met you already and been impressed by you as a person. As long as your application isn't completely horrid and you have good academics then I don't see a problem with them doing this.
Reply 18
i'm a trowbridge lover. haven't met him but he offered me a vs place so can't be too bad!

it could be argued that a significant quality for a decent lawyer is that they can make a good first impression. if graduate recruiters get a good impression (and candidates are bold enough to try and make such an impression), then fair play.
Reply 19
At the end of the day, a lot of what you're going to be doing as a solicitor is dealing with clients and giving them advice in a way that inspires confidence and that is understandable. Whenever you read interviews with the top Partners (especially in something like Private Equity) that's what they say is most important, more so than necessarily technical expertise.

If you are at a Law Fair at UCL, LSE, Oxbridge, Nottingham, etc. then they can pretty much assume that your intellect is there. If you then make a good first impression then that's definitely going to work in your favour.

Okay, okay. I'll stop talking like the Ashurst-fanboy that I am. :wink:

Silence, I think I saw on RoF that you're on the Easter Scheme. I'm on the first Summer intake. You'll have to let me know what it was like!