What to expect
Whether you're attending your assessment centre virtually, or in person, you'll be engaging with a variety of Taylor Wessing talent, ranging from the Early Talent team, to Lawyers and Partners. It's important to make a good first impression, so ensure to be polite and friendly, and show your enthusiasm for the firm. This may seem difficult to do if you're feeling a little nervous, but members of the firm only want to see the best in you throughout the day, so try to be yourself and let your personality shine through.
There will be other candidates with you throughout the assessment centre, so try to engage with them during the welcome session which will ease your nerves and provide a familiar face if you're successful to the same vacation scheme. After your welcome session, you'll then complete an interview and commercial exercise, with a break in between.
The interview
The competency interview provides you with a chance to not only highlight your experience, skillset and motivations for applying to Taylor Wessing, it also gives you the opportunity to show your personality. For this, it's important to be personable, yet professional, so try to relax into the interview, and be yourself. It's important to prepare for your interview, so research some common competency themes, such as communication, organisation and teamworking, and create a competency bank of answers based on your experiences that cover these themes well. The STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) is a great way to structure your answers to situational based questions to ensure that your answers are clear and structured, and cover all the points you need to make. Lastly, make sure to thoroughly research Taylor Wessing before attending your assessment centre. The interviewers will want to know why Taylor Wessing is the firm you want to work for, so ensure to provide examples of how the firm resonates with you. It's also important to understand the role of a trainee solicitor at Taylor Wessing, and what skills are required so that you can relate your interview answers back to this, and highlight those skills. Remember, you don't need direct legal experience, whether you've worked as a paralegal or in customer service, you'll have gained transferable skills that you can evidence in your interview.
The commercial exercise
In the commercial exercise, you'll be presented with a case study about a potential client for Taylor Wessing, including their issues and relevant market conditions. You'll have time to prepare an answer to the exercise before assessors join to ask questions based on the exercise. You won't be able to research specifics for this exercise, so you will instead need to use your commercial awareness, and knowledge of Taylor Wessing to excel in this assessment. Therefore, it's important to fully research the work that Taylor Wessing undertakes, and the areas the firm operates in before your assessment centre.
Ensure that you structure your findings clearly and logically, and present them to the assessors articulately, remaining professional and personable throughout. Be aware that any prompts from the assessors are not used to catch you out, but to help you think commercially with your answers. Try to remain calm and don’t be afraid to pause before you answer their questions. Taking a sip of water or asking the assessors for a few moments to collect your thoughts is not a problem and shows integrity in your answers.
Tips from a future Trainee – Nathan Guerreiro
"Feeling nervous or apprehensive is natural; remember that everyone else likely feels similar emotions."
"Approach situations positively and be someone you'd want to meet at an assessment centre."
"Research Taylor Wessing’s clients and industry trends to be well-prepared."
To conclude
Succeeding at an assessment centre requires thorough preparation and the right mindset. By remaining professional with everyone you encounter, maintaining a robust level of commercial awareness and presenting your personality effectively during interviews, you will establish yourself as a well-rounded candidate. Approach each task confidently and with integrity, and you will be on your way to securing a vacation scheme. Best of luck!
