We recently caught up with Jude who told us about securing a training contract with Shearman & Sterling, preparing for the interviews and all the top tips for you to learn from.
What stood out to you about Shearman & Sterling?
I was interested in a firm from the US because they have small training in takes compared to the magic circle with up to 100 people, that appealed to me. Another draw for me were the international secondment programmes. I love travelling abroad and one secondment I’m interested in is in New York for six months!
How did you make your application stand out?
Nailing the basics. I don’t think there’s a need to be extraordinary at the application stage, that comes with the interview. Get the basics right like spelling your name correctly and making sure there are no grammatical mistakes in your application.
I also thoroughly researched the firm so I could really talk about it in detail. I attended a few networking events beforehand which helped me learn more about the firm.
Do you think having experiences beyond your education helps you stand out?
Yes! I’m a school governor in my spare time and a local councillor. These things really help you stand out. Recruiters will remember experiences that are unusual, so including them in your application is important. Also, you learn some great skills from this type of thing, for example I learned public speaking and networking.
What part of the application process did you find most challenging?
Initially, the psychometric tests. I found the Watson Glaser test quite difficult because there are no hard and fast rules, so I just had to practice, practice, practice. Case study interviews were quite hard too because you talk in depth about a topic. I did lots and lots of research before the case study interview. Once you’ve done an assessment centre before, it does become more natural so practicing these before is a great idea.
How did you prepare for the psychometric tests?
There are quite a few free tests online. I did lots of these. Because it’s not like a quiz where you there is a right and wrong answer, practicing so you know what to expect is important. Also, making sure you know where you could improve is important too so you can learn for the real thing!
How did Bright Network help you secure a role?
Bright Network gave me the first chance I had for networking in a professional sense. I attended the Bright Network Top 100 First-Year Lawyers event in 2019 before I even started university. It was a massive bonus to meet big firms like Slaughter and May and Macfarlanes before starting university.
Another great part was meeting everyone who went to the event (the competition!) who were all like-minded people. It made me want to persevere. I first got LinkedIn because of advice from this event, and I could scroll through to look at what everyone was up to.
The event had a trainee panel, and it was so helpful to hear from people going through the process now.
If you want to follow in Jude’s footsteps, look at the Bright Network events that we’ve got coming up.
What are your tips for tackling tough interview questions?
The running theme is preparation. People worry going into interviews about the difficult questions that they might ask but chances are they won’t ask the really difficult ones. They won’t ask you to write an essay on an obscure area of law; it will be something they expect you to know!
Speak to people who’ve already done assessment centres. Most importantly, speak to people who’ve done assessment centres at the firm you’re going into. This is particularly useful so you can get to know the type of questions beforehand.
Even if you don’t know the answer to a question, it’s always better to say something as long as it’s vaguely related. That’s far better than just saying ‘I don’t know’. Obviously, if you have no idea then it’s best not to ramble your way through it. If you research the firm well, then you usually have a good idea of what the answer is.
What top tips would you give to Bright Network members looking to follow in your footsteps?
- Start early. No time is too early to start preparing. This could be first year of university or even in sixth form to give yourself the best shot. You can start researching firms, different categories of firms and practice areas.
- Get concrete achievements on your CV. Taking part in negotiation and debating competitions is really helpful, especially if you do well in those because it gives you something to talk about.
- Commercial awareness. Keep up to date with all the factual gossip.
- Have a purpose at networking events. Don’t go into the event thinking you only want to hear more about a firm or an area of law. Go in thinking ‘I want to answer this question about this practice area with this person’. You can add them on LinkedIn afterwards. This structured approach pays off. As you go through the process, narrow down the firms you like so you can apply to the ones you like.
Let us know where you've secured your work experience, internship or graduate role. We want to celebrate your success with a gift from us and exclusive invitations to evening networking drinks throughout the year.
