The Student Room Group

Vacation Scheme Applications (yet more questions)

Well, really there's only one question. On application forms where it asks you the question "Why are you interested in this firm?", what exactly are they asking you for?

I'm thinking that they want reasons why you want to do the Vacation Scheme in particular and not just why you'd want to work at the firm in general. For example, it wouldn't be a good idea to apply for a VS at Freshfields, mentioning the three-month seats that you would do on a TC. Likewise, you wouldn't say that you want to do a VS at Bird and Bird because of their particularly strong reputation for IP as it's unlikely that you'll be having all that much to do with IP on the VS.

Or are they looking for these more general reasons why you're interested in the firm?

I'm almost certain that it's the former that they are primarily after, with maybe a bit of the latter, but surely the point of the VS is to get to experience what the firm is like and see whether you like the sort of thing that they do. That doesn't really leave all that much to talk about and so surely you'd have to talk about something else (for example, the firm's strength in a particular area).

I'd appreciate any help you could give me, ideally from your personal experiences. Keep any derogatory comments to yourself, and let's not let this descend into madness like my last VS thread.

Thanks.

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Reply 1
And another thing, I haven't read the form through properly yet, but am I being stupid or does the A+O ask the same question twice, on the same page?
well if you think about it a VS could lead to a TC...so try to appear committed and interested in the firm from the get go!!

the why are you interested in us question is pretty standard...try to mention how you have differentiated them from their competitors because that helps you focus on why you really are interested in them!! and it will impress them too hopefully :wink:
questions are slightly different- the first mentions mitigating circumstances and the second doesn't! presumably the second ques is one where you'd add something extra OTHER than mitigating circumstances!
Reply 4
Yeah, my reasons for wanting to do VS schemes are very much tied up in my reasons for wanting to do TC. Part of the reason for doing a VS might be to see whether you like the firm enough to apply for a TC.

The differentiation was something that I was definitely going to try and include, while keeping it relevant to VS. I just wanted to check whether or not I should mention aspects of the TC in my application, say, for example, if I particularly like the idea of the three-month seats at Freshfields. That's something that differentiates the firm, but isn't entirely relevant to why I want to do a VS.
Reply 5
with the example of bird and bird, whilst you wouldn't do any real IP work during a vac scheme, it's obviously good for you to show that you know what the firm's strengths are.

as strange as it may sound, many firms just want a) for you to big them up and b) for you to show that you haven't simply copied and pasted from other forms. getting a vac scheme with a firm is a really big step up the ladder of getting a tc/career with them. so showing that you've thought about the possibility of working there isn't a bad thing.
Reply 6
chocmonster
questions are slightly different- the first mentions mitigating circumstances and the second doesn't! presumably the second ques is one where you'd add something extra OTHER than mitigating circumstances!
Hmm, it says 'For example any mitigating circumstances'. Methinks it would be clearer if they asked two separate questions: "Are there any mitigating circumstances?" and "Is there any further information?"

Anyway, neither of them are particularly relevant to me. I was just curious. :biggrin:
Reply 7
silence
with the example of bird and bird, whilst you wouldn't do any real IP work during a vac scheme, it's obviously good for you to show that you know what the firm's strengths are.

as strange as it may sound, many firms just want a) for you to big them up and b) for you to show that you haven't simply copied and pasted from other forms. getting a vac scheme with a firm is a really big step up the ladder of getting a tc/career with them. so showing that you've thought about the possibility of working there isn't a bad thing.
That confirms what I was thinking. I also take it that you should not mention another firm under any circumstances, no matter how horrible and derogatory you are towards it. :p:

EDIT: And don't include the words 'Circle' and 'Magic' anywhere on a Herbert Smith application. :wink:
Reply 8
TommehR
That confirms what I was thinking. I also take it that you should not mention another firm under any circumstances, no matter how horrible and derogatory you are towards it. :p:

EDIT: And don't include the words 'Circle' and 'Magic' anywhere on a Herbert Smith application. :wink:


I agree with the other posters - tbh getting a VS is getting you about 90% towards a TC unless you do really do something fantastically bad during the VS. Its your long term interest in the firm that you really want to demonstrate, not just your desire to spend 4 weeks in a data room.

And yes, probably best not to talk about any other firm! You can diss the competition in interview though, I'm sure that would go down a treat at a few firms I can think of...
Reply 9
I agree with the above post. You're pretty much sorted if you can get on a vac scheme with any of the big firms. The way you complete the form is really important; it definitely helped me to get interviews, schemes and ultimately a TC in the MC.
From talking to graduate recruitment so many of the applicants they receive have the same stats a 2:1 with relevant work experience and extra curriculars etc. Trying to stand out from the thousands of other applicants is what you should be trying to do. These comapanies want applicants who are interested in and understand their business and who know what trainees do within it- and not in a superficial way.

It is actually simple get this across, esnsure your form is firm specific especially making reference to the firms leading practices, cases, and innovations; making this subtle and relevant to you will get an interview. Thereafter it's up to you.
Reply 10
Just another quick question (which I could find out myself if I weren't trying to do Property II stuff). What is the general process for VS applications? Do they have all the multiple interviews, assessment days, group workshops and psychometric tests that they have for TCs?

If anybody could just give me a general picture it'd be appreciated.
Reply 11
TommehR
Just another quick question (which I could find out myself if I weren't trying to do Property II stuff). What is the general process for VS applications? Do they have all the multiple interviews, assessment days, group workshops and psychometric tests that they have for TCs?

If anybody could just give me a general picture it'd be appreciated.


Yep, very similar indeed to TC interviews, though perhaps a tiny bit less involved - I believe that most do not have a specific commercial case study type interview, although you will of course be expected to talk about commercial issues & the legal market. So, if you interview for a TC at a firm you've already done a VS with, you will have much less to do at that point - you will not need to sit any of the tests again, for example, and you are likely to just have one interview, perhaps focusing on what you learnt over the course of the VS.
Reply 12
There's quite a range; some just one interview, some interview + assessment day and one or two no interview at all!

As for the original question... I've gone so far as to basically say "one reason for applying to this VS is because I want to apply for a training contract afterwards"... and then go on to talk about the things that attract me to working for the firm in the long term
Reply 13
I just had a look and out of the MC Slaughter seems to be the only one that doesn't have any sort of interview process at all.

The CC form looks particularly fun and seems to keep on asking about positions of responsibility that you held at school. As far as I'm aware, at my secondary school and sixth form college there weren't really any positions of responsibility to be held. There wasn't head boy/girl and they only started to introduce prefects as I was leaving. Hmm, that's going to be a big gap.

How much do they expect people to have held these positions of responsibility? There generally aren't that many positions for under-18s to have much responsibility in.
Reply 14
TommehR
I just had a look and out of the MC Slaughter seems to be the only one that doesn't have any sort of interview process at all.

The CC form looks particularly fun and seems to keep on asking about positions of responsibility that you held at school. As far as I'm aware, at my secondary school and sixth form college there weren't really any positions of responsibility to be held. There wasn't head boy/girl and they only started to introduce prefects as I was leaving. Hmm, that's going to be a big gap.

How much do they expect people to have held these positions of responsibility? There generally aren't that many positions for under-18s to have much responsibility in.


Yes, I think it is a bit silly really, but such is life. Young Enterprise, if you've done it is very good. I think it varies by firm, but it really is not essential to have been a 'leader' in most activities; firms are more discerning than that - it is the overall value they are concerned with.

CC is even more annoying as they only want (or when I applied last year they did) sixth form activities. This is a real shame, as my school did not organise team sports for the 6th form. But volunteering (any form), school council/student rep body, music, sport, young ent, target 2.0... include anything and jazz it up (but obviously don't lie). For CC, btw, I was told the question was also a test to see whether you just list, or actually describe the activities. So having too much - believe it or not - can be just as frustrating (not that I was in that position!).

CC do also have - I believe (this is purely speculative) a 'profile' of your school, so don't worry too much.
Reply 15
Haha, okay. The positions of responsibility seems somewhat geared to public schools that have strong prefect systems and lots of sports teams. At the State schools that I went to there wasn't really any of that.

I guess I'll just have to focus on me being a former tennis captain at my local club and volunteering at the tennis club and at a fringe theatre around the corner from me.

Thanks guys.
Reply 16
TommehR
Haha, okay. The positions of responsibility seems somewhat geared to public schools that have strong prefect systems and lots of sports teams. At the State schools that I went to there wasn't really any of that.

I guess I'll just have to focus on me being a former tennis captain at my local club and volunteering at the tennis club and at a fringe theatre around the corner from me.

Thanks guys.


That is plenty, and they're really good activities.
Reply 17
TommehR
Just another quick question (which I could find out myself if I weren't trying to do Property II stuff). What is the general process for VS applications? Do they have all the multiple interviews, assessment days, group workshops and psychometric tests that they have for TCs?

If anybody could just give me a general picture it'd be appreciated.


Most firms modify their training contract process slightly. E.g. Slaughters do not interview at all. Some firms, such as A&O, use exactly the same process. The downside to this is that, because the second interview uses a case study which is identical to the case study which will be used for training contract interviews, very few people who are unsuccessfully interviewed get training contract interviews. Having said this, A&O do give quite a few 'near misses' open day places.
Reply 18
mr_lawyer
Some firms, such as A&O, use exactly the same process. The downside to this is that, because the second interview uses a case study which is identical to the case study which will be used for training contract interviews, very few people who are unsuccessfully interviewed get training contract interviews. Having said this, A&O do give quite a few 'near misses' open day places.
I was worrying about that. I don't want to apply to lots of Magic/Silver Circle firms for VS, only to get rejected by them at interview and thus prejudice any chance I might have of getting a job with them. But I guess that if I don't impress them at the VS interview it's unlikely that I'd impress them a few months later at a TC interview.

I really am thinking too much about all this. I should just concentrate on researching the firms and getting my applications together.
Reply 19
The CC site is probably the most confusing one that I've come across. I wish that there was some kind of standardisation between all the sites so that you'd know where to find the information that you need. :wink: