Vacation scheme – February 2025

What was the full recruitment process?         

1. Application

2. Video interview

3. Vacation scheme

4. Assessment centre on the last day of the vac scheme

Which aspect does this report cover?

Video interview

Where did the interview take place?            

Shortlister Platform

What did the interview involve?      

I was required to answer five questions. There was a limit of 30 seconds of preparation time for each question, and I was then given two minutes to record each answer. There was no option to re-record answers.  

Which questions were you asked?

In the interview, I was asked 5 questions that tested my motivations and knowledge of the firm, my skills, and my commercial awareness:

1. What makes CRS unique from a client’s perspective?
2. Tell us about a commercial trend or news story and how it is relevant to CRS?
3. Tell me about a problem you encountered and how did you solve it?
4. Give an example of when you worked in a team. How did you adapt your communication style in that scenario?
5. What are three unique qualities you have that would make you a valuable member of the CRS team?

What was the outcome?                                                  

I am awaiting a decision from the graduate recruitment team.

Do you have any specific advice on how to prepare?

My personal approach was to use the practice interview questions on the Shortlister platform provided by CRS in the invitation email. There were 10 practice questions in the same format as the interview; the invitation email described the practice questions as a good indication of the VI questions, and I can confirm they were very similar. Therefore, I noted down those practice questions and prepared answers for them using firm-specific knowledge.

To ensure my responses were aligned with CRS's values, I placed post-it notes of the firm's key values on the wall while doing the video interview. This helped me consistently reference them when answering questions.

I also structured my responses using the STAR format, making sure that every reflection on my strengths was explicitly linked to a CRS value. This approach ensured my answers remained tailored and relevant to the firm’s expectations.

Additionally, I timed my responses to fit within the allocated limit, ensuring clarity and conciseness. Practicing in front of a mirror and recording myself helped refine my delivery, making it more natural and engaging.

I also researched CRS’s recent deals, commercial trends, and firm initiatives to ensure my answers were backed by up-to-date information. This added depth to my responses, demonstrating genuine interest and commercial awareness. 

Charles Russell Speechlys vacation scheme – February 2024

Recruitment process

1. Application

2. Pre-recorded video interview

3. Assessment centre (which takes place during the vacation scheme)

Video interview format

This was the second stage of the application process, which involved recording video answers to pre-determined interview questions via a platform called Shortlister. 

I was asked five questions covering competencies, motivations and commercial awareness. For each question, I had 30 seconds to prepare an answer and 90 seconds to deliver the answer. 

Question 1: What makes Charles Russell Speechlys unique from a client’s perspective?

Question 2: Tell us about a commercial trend or news story and how it is relevant to Charles Russell Speechlys?

Question 3: Tell us about a time when you developed a solution to a problem that was particularly creative?

Question 4: Tell us about a time when you had to integrate into a new team; how did you go about this? 

Question 5: Tell us about three unique traits you possess that would make you a good addition to Charles Russell Speechlys.

What was the outcome?   

Unsure at this time.

Do you have any specific advice on how to prepare? 

This interview wasn't overly challenging, but because it's conducted via video, I suggest preparing a document listing potential competency questions along with brief notes under each structured in the STAR format. This way, you can easily reference it during the short 30-second preparation time before answering.

Vacation scheme pre-recorded video interview - January 2023

Recruitment process

1. Application

2. Pre-recorded video interview

3. Online written assessment

4. Assessment centre

5. Vacation scheme

Video interview format

This was the second stage of the application process, which involved recording video answers to pre-determined interview questions via a platform called Shortlister. 

I was asked five questions covering competencies, motivations and commercial awareness. For each question, I had 30 seconds to prepare an answer and 90 seconds to deliver the answer. I had to complete the interview in one sitting, and there were no gaps between questions. 

Questions

Question 1: What makes Charles Russell Speechlys unique from a client’s perspective?

Question 2: Tell us about a commercial trend and how it is relevant to Charles Russell Speechlys?

Question 3: Tell us about a time when you developed a solution to a problem that was particularly creative?

Question 4: Tell us about a time when you encountered a problem or something didn’t go to plan, and how you reacted?

Question 5: Tell us about three traits you possess that would make you a good addition to Charles Russell Speechlys.