In addition to the comprehensive review of the day-to-day aspects of work in the respective practice area, students can expect a variety of social activities and networking opportunities as well as in-house training on Allen & Overy`s computer systems and know-how and offer training in practical and technical skills. The competency interview assesses your skills, knowledge and motivation for a legal career at Allen & Overy. Candidates should expect to be asked questions based on the scenarios they may encounter as an intern. James: Hannah, unfortunately time flies by today. One last question before moving on to our basic weekly questions: What would you say to convince someone who is on two minds to apply to A&O? But I would say yes, the application form is where we`ve seen more people give up, so I really encourage people to take their time. Often, students tell me, « Oh, it`s a numbers game. I`m going to fill out ten applications in one day, » but I would really, really encourage people to focus on quality rather than quantity. We spend a lot of time reviewing your application form and reading it in detail, so it is very important that you are really satisfied with it and that you have invested as much and negotiated as much as possible. Allen & Overy offers a summer vacation program (for students in the penultimate year) and a winter vacation program (for finalists and graduates). In addition to asking for details about education, work experience and languages, the company asks a number of skills and motivation questions – most of which reflect the questions asked of candidates for training contracts: No, all applications must be submitted online via our career portal. Requests received in any other way will not be considered. All applicants must be on track to achieve a score of 2:1 or higher and must provide graduation module scores on the application form, even if they do not count towards graduation.
James: Oh, great. Going back to the training contract, once people join the program, what kind of training can they expect during the two years of courses? Repeat the answers with a friend or in the mirror until you can answer without ums or pauses. Similarly, you don`t want to look repeated, so make sure you can answer questions in different ways. You don`t need to study law to apply. We accept applications from all disciplines. But one point I`d just like to point out is that students sometimes think that a vacation program might be a bit of an easy way to get into A&O. My advice would be – I think vacation programs are a great opportunity if you`re not – if you still want to know what commercial law is, or if you still want to explore Allen & Overy. If you find yourself in a situation where you may have already completed an internship, or if you have already had experience in a business law firm, or if you really know that A&O is the right place for you, nothing could stop you from applying directly for an apprenticeship contract. I think it`s actually a myth of students that they assume they won`t go anywhere if they apply directly, but in fact, digitally, we`re getting more applications for our vacation program. Both options are there and it`s really up to you to decide which one you think is the right one.
Hannah: We`re opening applications this year on October 1st. We are therefore open from October 1st to December 31st. We are open for holiday programs and training contracts during this period. Hannah: This question is quite often asked by students on campus. I still think it`s a pretty interesting question because if you say a very high number, students can often be discouraged from applying. What I would say is that we are receiving a high volume of applications. We get a lot for our vacation program and training contract, but we also hire a lot. We hire about ninety apprentices per year, between sixty and seventy students on vacation plans per year. We often get thousands for all of our apps combined, but I`d say don`t let that discourage you because we hire people, so it`s not a case of « Oh, I don`t have any changes to move forward with this. » When do applications for the next program open and in what future are you recruiting? As with all applications at this level, the application form is a great way to make a good first impression. Here are some tips: Candidates can only apply for one opportunity per recruitment cycle. You must therefore decide in advance whether you want to apply for the winter holiday programme, the summer holiday programme or directly to a training contract.
We support you through the Graduate Diploma in Law (PGDL) and/or the Lawyers` Qualification Examination (SQE) in London, and then through your training contract in England and Wales in Singapore. In episode 50 of the Graduate Job Podcast, I am accompanied by Hannah Salton, Graduate Recruitment Manager at the international law firm Allen and Overy. During this half-hour, we explore the different opportunities available to Allen & Overy graduates, from their coveted apprenticeship contracts to their holiday programs and open days. We look at the application process for training contracts, the different entry methods, what they expect from candidates and how you can make sure you stand out throughout the application process. We also look at vacation programs in detail and see if it`s really the easy way for a legal career. You might be surprised by some of the answers. If you`ve ever thought about a legal career, then this is definitely the episode for you. Even though working for a law firm has never crossed your mind, keep listening to understand why more than half of the graduates who hire Allen and Overy didn`t study law at university. As always, all links to everything we discuss and a full transcript are available in the notes of the show under www.graduatejobpodcast.com/allenandovery.