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Bird & Bird Summer Vacation Scheme - November 2024

What was the full recruitment process?         

1. Application

2. Psychometric test: Watson Glaser test

3. Phone interview

4. Assessment centre

5. Training contract offer

Which aspect does this report cover?

Vacation scheme assessment centre

Where did the assessment centre take place?            

The firm's London office

What did the assessment centre involve?      

Full day (10am-4pm) assessment centre.

1. Introduction to the AC: unassessed introduction to the day with the Early Careers team to get to know everyone and answer any questions (~30 minutes)

2. Trainee Q&A: unassessed opportunity to ask a few trainees questions about anything except the AC. We were also taken on a quick tour of the office (~30 minutes). 

15 minute break

3. Group exercise:  work as a group to give a client advice based on a fictional investment opportunity  (~60 minutes with 3 senior associates and a member of the Early Careers team supervising)

Lunch (with some trainees coming to join and chat to us)

4. Written exercise: complete two written tasks based on two sets of documents (~60 minutes) 

5. Presentation preparation: quick research time to prepare for the interview (~15 minutes)

6. Interview: presentation discussion, competency and motivation questions (~60 minutes with 2 partners)

7. End of day de-brief: unassessed final chat with Early Careers team to inform us of the timeline for hearing back and answer any final questions (~15 minutes)

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 member of the Early Careers team (the ‘client’). 

We had 20 minutes to read through the pack of background information. We were given a brief on the client and their key criteria for investing, 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. 

Half-way through the discussion, they gave us an additional newspaper article and 10 extra minutes which actually made us change our minds on which investment to pitch. They wanted to see whether we could adapt quickly to new information.

There were 6 of us in the group, so it did feel difficult to ensure that you spoke enough in the limited time given. Make sure to speak up if you feel you have a valuable point to add. We found out at the end of the day that each group actually chose a different investment, proving that it does not matter which one you chose – it’s more about effectively demonstrating how and why you chose it as a team.

Written exercise 

The written exercise was split up into two tasks.

For the first task, I had to read through a large bundle of documents on a potential business investment and write an e-mail report that summarised all this information. The bundle of documents included news articles, statistics, government reports, and our client’s key investment criteria. I was given clear directions regarding what to include in the report (I based my sub-headings on these directions) and was told that this report would be sent directly to client.

The second task was considerably shorter than the first task, and I was told to spend less time on this. For the second task, I had to write an e-mail to a supervisor outlining what I would cover in a presentation about the advantages of a particular investment to a client. This was more of a high-level report, as there were only 2 documents I could refer to (an overview of the investment and a related news article). The information I needed was all in the bundle - no outside commercial awareness was required. It was testing my ability to summarise and compile information in a short amount of time.

The key takeaway from this exercise was timing. You are given a lot of information to get through in a very short amount of time. My key advice would be writing the report as you go through the documents, as you will not have enough time to work through it all again. Additionally, make sure you that you do not rush your second task. Leave enough time to move onto it, even if you feel that the first task isn’t perfect. 

Presentation preparation

After finishing the written tasks, I had 15 minutes to gather information on a topic relating to one of the firm’s core business values, using information from the tasks, the Bird & Bird website and the internet more generally. We were told that we would be asked about this at the beginning of our interview. This was not necessarily a formal ‘presentation’ per se, but more of a general discussion on the topic. We were not required to use visual aids or notes.

Interview

I then had an interview with two partners from difference practice areas. This was much more informal and conversational than I had expected. The interview included an informal presentation, as well as competency and motivation questions.

In the informal presentation, I had to discuss my findings from the research I carried out right before the interview, as well as Bird & Bird’s approach to this area more generally. I tried to tailor my answers to the firm’s interests and values. I feel that there is no one way to go about this part of the interview, and the partners were just looking to see that I could retain information and present it in an articulate and concise way. 

The next portion of the interview consisted of several competency and motivation questions. They made it very clear when we moved onto this section. A few questions I was asked included:

  • Why do you want to be a trainee solicitor?
  • Why did you apply to Bird & Bird?
  • What skills do you think are needed to be a successful trainee solicitor?
  • Tell me about a time you had to organise something.
  • Tell me about a time you did something outside of your comfort zone, and what this taught you.

I then had the opportunity to ask my interviewers questions about themselves.

What was the outcome?

The firm emailed me 3 weeks after the assessment centre to tell me I had been successful in securing a training contract.

Do you have any specific advice on how to prepare?

The written task is incredibly time pressured, so make sure that you do not get bogged down in the small details and focus on completing the tasks at hand. I had not done any writing under time pressure in preparation for the AC, but I definitely think this would have helped.

You can tell that the firm has a really strong emphasis on maintaining a supportive and collaborative environment. I tried to bring this approach to my interview by mentioning conversations with trainees I had during the day, noting how welcoming and friendly everyone had been (as well as the partners!) I also asked them questions about their own careers and motivations for working there. It really is a two-way interview at the end of the day, and they want to see that you are interested in their experiences at the firm too.


Bird & Bird Summer Vacation Scheme - February 2024

What was the full recruitment process?         

  1. Initial application
  2. Psychometric test: Watson Glaser Test (the firm provided a practice test as well)
  3. Video interview
  4. Assessment Centre (virtual)
  5. Vacation Scheme (including group exercise which is used as an assessment for a training contract)
  6. Training contract

Which aspect does this report cover?

Vacation scheme assessment centre.

Where did the assessment centre take place?            

Online/virtual via TopScore

What did the assessment centre involve?      

The assessment centre lasted from 13:15-17:15. There was also an option for a morning time slot of the same length. Additionally, the order of the AC changed for each candidate to account for interviewers. My assessment centre was structured as follows:

1. Introduction to the AC: unassessed introduction from the really friendly graduate recruitment team to go over the day and answer any clarifying questions (~15 minutes via Microsoft Teams).

2. Trainee Q&A: unassessed opportunity to ask some trainees questions about anything except the AC (~50 minutes via Microsoft Teams)

10 minute break 

3. Written assessment (55 minutes)

4. Presentation preparation (15 minutes)

10 minute break

5. Interview: presentation, interview, and asking questions (~60 minutes with 2 partners)  

6. Final session: unassessed final information session to inform us of the timeline for hearing back, answer any final questions etc. (~15 minutes via Microsoft Teams).

Written exercise and presentation preparation

There were two tasks for the written exercise. 

For the first task, I was given an email from a fictional supervisor outlining a task, as well as some supporting documentation to consider. The documentation included an overview of a fictional client’s business (with information including size, employees, revenue, profits, where it operates etc.); a brief about the implications of a new technological development, including its relevance to the client; and information from Parliament regarding legislation and public opinion relating to the technology. I had to write a brief that would be sent directly to the client and was given directions on what to include in this. 

I was told that task 2 should take less time than task 1. For this, I was given an email containing information about a green investment that a fictional client was considering. This included a simple overview of the investment (no technical knowledge was required to understand it), plus we were also given a related news article. I then had to write an email to the supervisor indicating what I would cover in a presentation to the client about that investment. 

Presentation preparation

Next, I had 15 minutes to prepare a presentation on this topic using the background information, plus the Bird & Bird website and the internet more generally. The brief for the presentation was very broad and open ended. It was described as an early stage/initial talk about the investment with partners. We were told to consider the opportunities and risks for the client but also more broadly give information to the partners about the project (e.g. how it was going to be executed). I was also told that I could be asked about anything generally related to climate change/sustainability, so I kept this in mind too. Note that I didn’t use visual aids and we weren’t explicitly told to.

Interview 

The interview was with 2 partners from 2 different departments. They opened by introducing themselves and explaining the structure of the interview. They emphasised that they did not have access to any information about me, nor had they seen any other parts of my application, so I would purely be assessed by them on my performance in the interview. 

Presentation and discussion

The first 10 minutes was a role-play meeting scenario. The partners took on the role of my supervisor, and I played the role of a brand new trainee. Based on Task 2 of the written exercise, I had to present to the partners an initial overview of the green investment opportunity for the fictional client, looking at the potential opportunities/benefits and risks. We then had a general discussion about opportunities for Bird & Bird in this sector. I felt that I could lead the discussion in any relevant direction and the partners asked questions/took direction based on the information I provided. 

Motivation and scenario-based questions

The next 40 minutes consisted of motivation and situational questions. The interviewers made it clear when we moved to this section of the interview. They stated they had 10 questions they needed answers to, but I should not worry about timing. They also mentioned that they might not ask all 10 questions and might add in others should I answer multiple without intending to or bring up a topic that they want to explore more.

The questions I was asked included:

  1. Why do you want to become a solicitor/trainee solicitor?
  2. Why do you want to do this at Bird & Bird?
  3. What skills do you think are needed as a trainee solicitor?
  4. Tell me about a time you took initiative.
  5. Tell me about a time you had to organise something.
  6. (Something to the effect of) Tell me about a time you did something out of your comfort zone. How did that make you feel after doing it?

Questions for the interviewers

I then had 10 minutes to ask the interviewers questions. I asked: what originally attracted you to Bird & Bird and what makes you want to stay?; have you faced any challenges/setbacks (personal or professional) and if so, how did you feel supported by people at TwoBirds?; where do you think there’s opportunity for improvement or growth within Bird & Bird?; and how could (future) trainees help with that improvement/growth?

What was the outcome?

The firm emailed me 9 days after the assessment centre to offer me a place on the vacation scheme.

Do you have any specific advice on how to prepare? 

While not having my individual feedback, advice that I would give includes the following.

  • For the written exercise, it is a time crunch. They essentially tell you to focus most of your time on task 1, but even with that, it’s hard to get all the reading and tasks done so really practising writing about something new (think about Bird & Bird’s sectors for the best areas to practise writing about) under time pressure would definitely help. 
  • Bird & Bird has an employment hub called The Nest with lots of tips and a list of the key competencies the firm looks for. Throughout the process, I’ve found that they do really test for these and so having answers to mould to each of them really helps. 
  • Bird & Bird is really about cultivating a supportive, collaborative work environment, so try and embody that attitude in your answers. You can really feel it through everyone at the firm, including grad recruitment and even the partners that interviewed me! I’ve never encountered a friendlier firm!