As a trainee you will need to be flexible in your approach to everything, as each day will bring different demands to your time.

Please tell us about a time when you have had to manage multiple tasks or responsibilities. What was your role, what did you do and what was the outcome? (2000 characters)

I often encounter times where I have to manage multiple tasks and responsibilities as I have three part-time jobs alongside my degree and extracurricular activities. Recently, I had a week of university that had a particularly high number of important deadlines. I had an essay due at the start of the week, and two portfolio submissions due at the end, on top of my regular lecture schedule, note-taking role and my weekly responsibilities on top of a training day for my role as Campus Representative for the University of Law.

[Feedback: This is a typical competency question. To answer these, we usually recommend employing a STAR (situation, task, action, response/result) or CAR (context, action, response/result) structure. Indeed, the question indicates that they would like you to use such a structure by asking you to address your role, your actions, and the result.

The candidate has made a good attempt at a context paragraph. The answer clearly articulates the candidate’s situation and context. Additionally, the candidate provides some detail as to what they faced – they describe the number of tasks and the type of task.

This paragraph’s two main points for improvement are (1) more detail, and (2) and more explicit argumentation.

First, whilst this candidate does qualify and quantify their examples, more detail is still required. For example, the candidate could have briefly described, in no more than 10 words, what their three part-time jobs were. Furthermore, the candidate cites, in abstraction, their ‘weekly responsibilities’ – this statement needs further unpacking . Remember, though you may feel as though you have given all the information the recruiter needs, the recruiter does not know you personally. Hence, you must ensure your answers are more detailed and explicit than you would usually write.

Second, this paragraph lacks a strong sense of purpose. Whilst the beginning of the answer clearly indicates the candidate’s situation, the end of the answer becomes jumbled and weak. The last sentence of the paragraph is one long list which is poorly formatted. Although you may have many things to discuss, you should avoid writing such lists as they are hard to follow and their grammar is easy to get wrong. Additionally, avoid repeating phrases as it shows a lack of originality and poor writing form – for example, in the last sentence, the candidate has said ‘on top of’ twice.

However, even aside from the last sentence, the paragraph does not make its purpose clear. After reading this paragraph, the recruiter should know exactly what you will go on to discuss. This paragraph could go in any direction – at first blush, the reader will be unsure as to whether the focus will be on the part-time jobs or the university commitments. You should include a short concluding sentence at the end of each paragraph to ensure the reader is entirely aware of what is to follow in your succeeding paragraphs.]

I planned in advance to prioritise tasks for different days, making sure I had prepared for the extra time it would take to complete my university assignments. I delegated tasks for my role as Secretary for the [redacted student society #1] at University, as this was a lower priority that week. I also made sure I had completed my tasks for the [redacted student society #2] before the start of the week, as I had a few emails to send to the charity we support. As the week began, I split each task into manageable sections and set small deadlines for each one, to ensure I could track my progress. I regularly attend non-timetabled seminars and events, however I decided not to that week and emailed the hosts well in advance to let them know. This prioritisation meant that I had time to complete my assignments and stay on top of my commitments without losing out on sleep.

[Feedback:  The main substance of this answer is good. The candidate systematically works through how they managed to balance all of their commitments. Furthermore, the candidate shows an awareness of their abilities by stating that they planned for the extra time it would take to complete their university assignments. This is excellent – law firms are looking for candidates who are capable but also knowledgeable about themselves and their respective limits.

Additionally, in the sentence beginning ‘I regularly attend non-timetabled…’, the candidate demonstrates their ability to make sacrifices when necessary but not recklessly and in a way that would displease others. This answer is strong because it answers the question and addresses the competency of flexibility; however, it also addresses other competencies that are relevant. Such answers differentiate themselves from the crowd and it would be beneficial if you could, when appropriate, do the same when writing your own answers.

The main point of improvement for this paragraph pertains to grammar and phraseology. In the sentence ‘as the week began, I split each task into manageable sections and set small deadlines for each one, to ensure I could track my progress’, there is no need for a comma before the infinite ‘to ensure’. Furthermore, in the following sentence, the candidate does not use ‘however’ appropriately. You should research the grammar rules for ‘therefore’ and ‘however’ before writing your applications – these are words that candidates often misuse. Finally, although they are not technically incorrect, the candidate could have simplified their complex sentences. Although stringing ideas together in complex sentences saves words, it can also become tiring to read. For example, the candidate could have easily split their first sentence into two – doing so would have made it easier to read and given the paragraph a clearer topic sentence.

A more minor point improvement concerns detail. The candidate has spent this entire paragraph discussing prioritisation and organisation. However, they have not actually described the methods that they took to organise themselves. For example, the candidate writes that they ‘set small deadlines for each one’, yet they do not say how they kept track of them. For example, the candidate could have mentioned that they used a digital calendar, physical to-do list, or phone alarms/reminders to ensure that they kept on top of their work. Remember, law firms do not expect candidate’s to be superhuman – in fact, telling the recruiter how you kept organised can demonstrate your initiative and practical ability.]

As a result of my careful planning, scheduling and delegating, I managed to complete my assignments and submit them on time. I also attended all of my timetabled lectures, and managed to keep on top of my job requirements. Although I did not manage to attend the extra events I would normally have attended, I was able to be flexible with this time as I planned in advance and prioritised my health. I have so far received a first class mark, and am waiting on the results of my other assignments, however I am confident that I completed them to the best of my ability.

[Feedback: This is a simple concluding paragraph to the answer. The candidate clearly details the results of their actions – specifically, preserving their health, upholding their main commitments, and receiving a first.

Once again, the main points of improvement are regarding detail and grammar. The candidate mentions that they received a first class mark but fails to mention in what assignment. Indeed, the candidate mentioned that there were several university assignments going on during that week. Hence, including some additional detail would allow the recruiter to better understand the result of the candidate’s actions.

Additionally, the candidate makes the same mistake regarding their use of ‘however’ and includes commas before ‘and’s when there is no need for them. Although you may be drafting your work on a Mac, we recommend using Word or another word processor which has a powerful spelling and grammar checker. If you use these programs, you are far more likely to catch grammatical mistakes as and when they appear. Failing this, you should always make sure to proofread your work before submission – if you can, give it to a trusted friend or family member to scan for typographical, and spelling and grammar errors.]