We caught up with Bright Network member Will, who recently attended a Herbert Smith Freehills Open Day. Find out how the application process went and read Will's top tips for others thinking of applying.
Why did you choose this firm and this role?
I was drawn to Herbert Smith Freehills due to it being a leader in dispute resolution - this is the practice that particularly interests me in law. In addition to this, when I researched the different law firms I found that Herbert Smith Freehills appeared to have one of the best reputations for having a friendly and welcoming environment.
What was the toughest part of the application process? And your favourite part?
I think the toughest part of the application process was the online reasoning test. This is because it is very much dependent on your mind-set that day to how you fair. However, the Herbert Smith Freehills test was slightly different which I liked. Instead of the standard questions, such as what makes you a good applicant, they threw in a few more interesting ones. One, for example, was if I could talk about something I was proud of. This really makes you think beyond just a job application which was a little bit challenging but great at the same time.
Were you surprised by anything in the process?
There wasn’t really anything that surprised me. Instead Herbert Smith Freehills were great at settling us in and calming any nerves that we had. It was great that they included a negotiation task within the process, as well as a dispute resolution task. This gave us a little bit of an insight into what the firm does throughout a working week.
What three top tips would you give your fellow Bright Network members?
- Throughout the application process always refer back to why you would be good for the company. It's important to sell yourself and demonstrate what you would bring to the firm.
- I would recommend being concise in all your answers. If you are clear and able to make yourself stand out, you are more likely to stick in the assessor’s minds.
- Definitely think about what you could bring to the firm that is a little bit different to everyone else. It may only be small but even that can make all the difference.
