What was the full recruitment process?
1. Application
2. Situational judgement test
3. Verbal reasoning test
4. Assessment centre
Which aspect does this report cover?
Assessment centre
Where did the assessment centre take place?
In person in the firm’s office
What did the assessment centre involve?
Full day assessment centre 10-5pm
Watson Glazer
Half the group (around 7 people) stayed in the room and individually completed the Watson Glazer test on a computer. I recommend practicing these beforehand, as some of the questions were the same as other practice ones I had done.
Interview
We were each taken individually to interview with different partners and associates. It felt less formal/more conversational than some other interviews. The interview focused on competency, motivation, and commercial awareness questions, including:
Lunch
Lunch was provided, and trainees came to eat with us (it was nice to chat to them).
Group exercise
The group exercise was based on a commercial scenario, where each of the four of us had been given background information. We had 20 minutes to read this information.
The materials we were given included a brief (the client was looking to invest in a technology-related company), fictional newspaper articles, and an overview of the client’s organic farm company.
In addition to the shared information, we were each also given unique information regarding different opportunities for a fictional client to invest in. The opportunities included investing in one of two different smart watch companies, an investment in a private equity firm, and an investment in a smartphone company.
It became clear that the two smart watch companies were competitors, with some of the background materials including newspaper articles about the CEOs publicly shaming each other for bad marketing, targeting obesity, and misrepresenting their products. One of the watches had health concerns from medical professionals, so think about bringing up potential litigation against that company as a reason to potential avoid investing in it.
We discussed and prepared a presentation for the “client” (played by a senior associate). An HR representative was also assessing us in the room.
Next, we presented our collective choice of investment and then the “client” asked a series of questions on our chosen option. Try and speak up and be confident when answering the questions. Some of the questions included:
We found out later that every group had picked a different opportunity, so I wouldn’t stress about which option your group chooses - its more about how you work together.
Written exercise
Based on the same scenario as the group exercise, I had to write a summary email (on a computer) to the client covering what was discussed in the presentation, so that they could then pitch the opportunity to the board. It had a 750 word limit.
What was the outcome?
I was still waiting on a response at the time of writing.
Do you have any specific advice on how to prepare?
The interview was much more relaxed than I thought it would be. Prepare good questions to get to know your interviewer. Practice Watson Glazer tests online in advance. For the group exercise, bring out your commercial knowledge and don’t be afraid to speak up.
Burges Salmon Spring/Summer Vacation Scheme - February 2024
What was the full recruitment process?
1. Application
2. Psychometric test: blended assessment including situational judgement and verbal reasoning tests.
3. Assessment centre
4. Vacation scheme
5. Training contract interview (on final day of vacation scheme)
5. Training Contract offer
Which aspect does this report cover?
Vacation scheme assessment centre and training contract interview
Where did the assessment centre take place?
The firm's Bristol office
What did the assessment centre involve?
Full day (10am-5pm) assessment centre.
1. Group exercise: work as a group to give a client advice based on a fictional investment opportunity (~90 minutes with a senior associate and a member of the Early Careers team)
2. Written exercise: write a fictional report to the client summarising the findings of the group exercise (~45 minutes)
3. Lunch: lunch provided with trainees
4. Watson Glaser test (~35 minutes)
5. Competency and motivation interview: competency, motivation and commercial awareness questions (~35 minutes with 1 partner)
Group exercise
The group exercise was based on a commercial scenario. As a group, we had to decide on which investment opportunity would be the best for our fictional client and pitch it to the senior associate (the ‘client’). The prospective investments were all retail and consumer opportunities.
We had 20 minutes to read through the pack of background information. We were given a brief on the client and their interests, summary reports and statistics related to each investment opportunity, and fictional newspaper articles.
After our allocated reading time, we had 30 minutes to discuss each opportunity and assess which one would be the best potential investment for our client. This was very time-pressured as there was a lot of information to get through, so I would recommend writing pros and cons for each investment as you work through them as a group to speed up the deliberation process.
We then had 15 minutes to present our investment choice and the senior associate asked us a series of questions as to why we chose this particular business. None of these questions were particularly out of the ordinary or designed to slip you up. Make sure to tailor your reasons for investment to the client’s interests.
My group was lucky as there were only 3 of us (in the other groups they had 4), so all of us had plenty of opportunity to speak. When it came to the questions, if I had already spoken, I made sure to offer the floor up to the group in case someone else had something to add. Demonstrate that you know how to work collaboratively!
Written exercise
Immediately following the group exercise, we were taken to a computer room where we had to write up an e-mail to the client to summarise what we discussed in the presentation. We were allowed to take our notes from the group exercise with us. The e-mail had a 750 word limit.
Watson Glaser test
We had to complete a Watson Glaser test on a computer. I strongly recommend practicing these beforehand as I had previously come across some of the questions.
Competency and motivation interview
We had an individual interview with a partner at the firm. This was much more informal and conversational than I had expected, which made me feel really comfortable. The interview focused on competency, motivation and commercial awareness questions, including:
The partner had a strict set of questions they had to ask, so it felt very structured. However, we naturally veered off these questions as they wanted to ask more about some of the experiences I brought up so it felt like more of a conversation. As a result, my interview ended up lasting just under an hour. I strongly advise treating it as more of a chat about yourself and your interests, rather than a formal interview.
Training contract interview
On the final day of my vacation scheme, I was interviewed for 90 minutes by a partner and a member of the Early Careers team.
There were 4 parts to this interview:
1. Presentation of a project I completed during the vacation scheme (I just had to defend my thesis essentially, discussing the advantages/disadvantages).
2. Firm motivation questions (Why Bristol? Why Burges Salmon?
3. Competency questions (discuss a time you worked in a team/discuss a time you had to manage multiple deadlines, what qualities would you bring to the role?)
4. Fictional commercial scenario questions (if a partner gives you work but you have too many deadlines, how would you go about dealing with this/prioritising work? If you were working with a fellow trainee who was falling behind, how would you support them?
What was the outcome?
The firm emailed me 2 weeks after the assessment centre to tell me I had been successful. The firm then emailed me 3 weeks after my vacation scheme to tell me I had secured a training contract.
Do you have any specific advice on how to prepare?
For partner interviews, have a few generic questions in mind that you can ask your interviewer at the end. I remember being worried that my questions were always too general (e.g. why have you stayed at this firm?), but from those, I could then ask follow-up questions that allowed us to have a really interesting discussion about their careers. It really is a two-way interview at the end of the day, and they want to see that you are interested in their opinions and experiences too.
For the Watson Glaser tests, it’s all about practice. I strongly recommend using practice test websites especially in the days beforehand to familiarise yourself with the format of the questions.
For the group exercise, try to enjoy working as a group and don’t be afraid to give the question to someone else if you can see they really want to speak! I really got along with the people in my group and we all gave each other the chance to speak up - it really felt like all three of us wanted each other to do well, which made a big difference. In the end, we were actually all on the Spring vacation scheme together.
Burges Salmon Vacation Scheme – February 2023
What was the full recruitment process?
1. Application
2. Verbal reasoning test and situational judgement test
3. Assessment centre
4. Vacation scheme
Which aspect does this report cover?
Assessment centre.
Where did the assessment centre take place?
The assessment centre was held in-person at the firm’s office in Bristol.
What did the assessment centre involve?
1. Interview (45 mins with a senior associate)
2. Group exercise (1 hour in front of 1 partner and another senior lawyer)
3. Written exercise (30 mins)
4. Watson Glaser test (30 mins)
Interview
Motivation questions
Competency questions
Commercial awareness questions
Group exercise
We were divided into groups of four for the entire day, including the group exercise. In this exercise, we engaged in a fictional commercial scenario where we were acting for a client that was considering options to grow/remain competitive. Initially, we all received the same brief detailing information about our client’s business, along with relevant statistics and other pertinent details.
Subsequently, each of us was given a different brief about another business that our company could acquire or invest in. Our task was to use the information provided to each of us and then collectively discuss and decide which of these 4 options our client should consider pursuing. We were then asked a series of questions about our decision by two lawyers who had observed the group discussion.
I would recommend assuming a role within the team, such as time manager, writing on the whiteboard to track the discussion, taking on a leadership role, or assuming any other clear responsibility, as these were common strategies among successful participants. Additionally, leveraging resources such as Jake's Commercial Law Handbook can significantly enhance your understanding of the business concepts in play.
The feedback I received from this exercise (which could be helpful for others in the future) emphasised some key points. Firstly, avoid merely accepting information at face value and instead delve deeper into its implications. It was also suggested that I should actively ask probing questions of others to foster meaningful discussion and avoid simply agreeing with others without deeper consideration.
Written exercise
Based on the same fictional scenario as the group exercise, the written exercise provided an opportunity to showcase an understanding of the material and critical issues in a different format.
I was tasked with drafting an email to a client summarising our decisions as a group, but with the additional flexibility to personally choose any of the four options available.
With this exercise, maintaining a professional, clear and concise writing style was vital. Incorporating headings where appropriate was essential to enhance readability and organisation. My feedback also suggested that I could have incorporated some more creative ideas into the recommendations I provided, such as potentially offering innovative solutions or approaches to the client's challenges.
Watson Glaser
The Watson Glaser assessment was fairly standard. It took place on a computer in an IT room A lot of practice can greatly improve performance (I was able to achieve 93% through practising for these online). However, the firm doesn't place too much weight on this element of the day, so don't stress too much about it.
What was the outcome?
The firm called me a week after the assessment centre to tell me I had been unsuccessful.
Burges Salmon Winter Vacation Scheme - November 2021
What was the full recruitment process?
1. Application
2. Psychometric test: situational judgement test and verbal reasoning test (practice tests are provided by the firm here)
3. Assessment centre
4. Vacation scheme: there was a 750 word assessed report that needed to be submitted a few days after the vacation scheme, centring on how the firm could innovate in connection with the way it delivers its services)
5. Final training contract interview (the week following the vacation scheme)
Which aspects does this report cover?
Vacation scheme assessment centre and final training contract interview.
Where did the assessment centre take place?
The firm’s Bristol office (trainees at Burges Salmon are always based in Bristol; there are no trainees in London)
What did the assessment centre involve?
The assessment centre lasted from 9:30 - 16:00.
1. Group exercise: based on a fictional commercial scenario, with a group discussion followed by a presentation and follow-up questions (~2 hours, with 2 graduate recruiters and 1 fee-earner)
2. Written exercise: ~750 word email summarising the outcome of the group exercise (~45-60 minutes)
3. Interview: competency and motivation questions (~30-45 minutes, with 1 partner or director)
4. Networking/tour: office tour with trainees and lunch with trainees and graduate recruitment
5. Watson Glaser Test (~30/45 minutes)
Interview
The interview had a rigid structure, centring on a fixed list of questions that the firm asks all candidates.
Competency questions
Motivation questions
Throughout the assessment centre, a lot of emphasis was put on the firm’s culture. The firm prides itself on its independence and West Country roots, and the fact that everyone is approachable. Trainees also share an office with their supervisor. Keep this in mind and apply this information where you can throughout your interview (but don’t just sprinkle information in for the sake of it; justify why these aspects of the firm’s culture are important to you).
Group exercise
We were each given a factsheet about potential investment options for a fictional business based in Bristol. This included background business information, such as a brief company description, press announcements, and data relating to its clients (in the form of pie charts and bar charts), as well as financial data presented in a simple table.
We were given 5-10 minutes to read through the background information, then had 40-60 minutes to discuss the different options as a group and prepare a presentation. The assessors do take notes during the discussion amongst group members, so make sure you treat the discussion as an assessed component and try to demonstrate strong collaboration skills and an ability to think commercially.
We were given 20-30 minutes for the presentation, which involved us presenting to a member of graduate recruitment (who acted as a representative from the fictional business) whilst the other assessors took notes. For the presentation, we decided to summarise the different options, outline the pros and cons of each, then present our final recommendation at the end. We were given minimal guidance as to how we should approach this, but we tried to make sure that everyone spoke for an equal amount of time. Everyone presented their own option, and other sections of the presentation (i.e. introduction, final decision, conclusion, other recommendations) were split evenly among us.
After the presentation, the member of graduate recruitment who we were primarily presenting to asked us questions, for example “How could the client innovate alongside the options presented in the presentation?”.
Try to present with confidence, speak clearly, and adopt a good structure for your portion of the presentation. I think outwardly lacking confidence during the presentation let some of the others down in the group. Also try to be creative and think commercially.
Written exercise
For the written exercise, we were instructed to write an email to someone within the firm to summarise the content of the group presentation, explain the group’s final recommendations, and provide additional ideas for the fictitious business’ business development. This was an individual, timed task that we completed in silence.
I recommend that you use formatting to your advantage, i.e. have clear subheadings and use bullet points where you can, rather than submitting a block of text.
Training contract interview
I then had a 1-hour training contract interview with a partner and a member of graduate recruitment the week following the vacation scheme, during which I was asked questions including:
What was the outcome?
The firm emailed me to offer me a place on the vacation scheme 1 week after the assessment centre. The firm then emailed me 1 week after the final training contract interview telling me I had not secured a training contract, and gave the option to arrange a feedback call.
I was rejected due to my lack of office experience compared to the other vacation schemers (most of whom had graduated by that point). They said they were still impressed with my performance, although I could have been more confident, and they still placed me on the reserve list.
Do you have any specific advice on how to prepare?
The main piece of feedback I received was to be more confident. Make sure your answers are very structured, particularly for the scenario/competency questions. Also try to build a rapport with the interviewer; I think this helped me a lot with securing the vacation scheme. After the interview, I asked more about my interviewer’s specialisms as I knew little about it, and asked how directors and partners assign work to trainees at the firm.