After attending the Bright Network First Year Lawyers Top 100, Chantal heard about the Springboard Scheme Student offered by Clifford Chance on Bright Network’s website, and starts the role in June. She took time out of studying Law at Magdalen College, Oxford to talk to us about her new role.
Why did you choose a vacation scheme with Clifford Chance?
Clifford Chance has always stood out to me because of its friendly and approachable culture, truly global outlook and the excellent training their lawyers receive. I had attended an Open Day previously with Clifford Chance, met them on campus at both the law fair and at workshops, and, of course, at the Bright Network First Year Lawyers Top 100 event, where I was able to speak to Clifford Chance representatives on a one-to-one basis during the speed networking session.
The Springboard Scheme appealed to me because not only can I shadow lawyers at the firm, and attend workshops which give me the skills to make a successful training contract application, but I will also visit their Paris office during the week, and potentially have the opportunity to be interviewed for a training contract - the only scheme for first years that I know of that offers this!
What was the toughest part of the application process? And your favourite part?
The toughest part of the application process was the Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Test because there's no ongoing feedback throughout the test. You have to keep going no matter how many questions you're unsure about, and it's sufficiently time pressured to keep you on your toes! However, after practising on Assessment Day (an online test provider) a few times I had got the hang of the types of questions that might be asked and felt confident enough to give it a good shot.
My favourite part of the application process was the interview. My research about the firm paid off, and the case study was designed to be accessible for everyone. Their new strengths-based interview allowed me to express myself without forcing these stories into certain categories. The tips on Bright Network's website were also useful in helping me with interview nerves.
Overall, the whole process felt natural, and even though there were a few stages, the graduate recruitment team kept me updated at all stages.
Were you surprised by anything in the process?
I was surprised by how welcoming everyone was on the assessment day! The icebreaker at the start put me at ease, and after the preparation for the case study there was half an hour of chatting, snacks and laughter to dissipate the nerves so that we were feeling calm when we went into the interview. There was a supportive atmosphere, encouraged by the graduate recruitment team, which was far from the overly competitive and intimidating atmosphere I had experienced at assessment days at other firms.
What three top tips would you give your fellow Bright Network members?
Research the firm thoroughly, take each stage separately (don't get daunted by looking at the whole process), and try to enjoy it because the lawyers at the firm want to choose people they can see themselves enjoying working with in the future.
And finally, do you have a lucky charm or pre-interview ritual?
Before an interview, I always do a final read through of Bright Network's Commercial Awareness updates.
Thank you to Chantal for sharing her story.
