Fwd: On Herbert Smith Freehills Application
Sulakshan Sampath
From: "Priyanka Madan" <priyank...@gmail.com>
Date: 23 Jun 2015 16:03
Subject: On Herbert Smith Freehills Application
To: <sulak...@gmail.com>
Cc:
Hi!
This email is for those of you who want to apply to Herbert Smith Freehills for their summer internship programme. I believe Divyanshu has already shared his approach to the application process with you. Apologies for the length of this email, and a lot of it may overlap with Divyanshu's mail, but do go through this if you have the time. Everyone approaches these applications in a different manner, and there is no one right way to go about it. But here are the general guidelines that I think should be of help:
ON FILLING OUT THE ONLINE FORM:
1. Be patient with the form- the first few pages of the form are pretty tiresome, but must be filled carefully. You need to fill out all your grades, so have a transcript or list handy. Additionally, you need to give a mark equivalent. In my year, we used the lower mark in the mark range for the corresponding grade. So if you have an A, your mark is a 60, 65 for and A+ and 70 for an O. It doesn't really matter what method you use, but be consistent throughout the batch. You have the option to explain the grading system of college in a box at the end of the page.
2. Please don't lie- they don't ask you to attach your transcript or anything, and expect you to fill out the form honestly. They won't check your grades, but if you get selected for the interview, there is a chance that you may be asked to present your transcript. So please, please be completely honest about your grades. They don’t matter too much anyway.
THE ESSAY:
1. At least in our year, there was just one subjective essay component in the application. This means that you have only this space to uniquely express yourself. Please read the essay question carefully, and make sure you address all components of the same.
2. You can adopt any style of writing for the essay, but it needs to be clear and concise. You should try to give them as much relevant information about yourself in this section. This is the only space in the application where you can show how you stand out in comparison to others, so choose your merits carefully, and always tie them back to a quality that the firm will appreciate. They are looking for people who are academically sound, will work well in a team, can research well, and know how to handle high-pressure situations. Anything that forwards these qualities is a good accomplishment, and should be mentioned in the essay.
3. Get feedback: A lot of people just write the essay in half an hour, don’t proofread or get it checked, and still get shortlisted. If you are confident of your writing, then you should be okay. But I personally prefer getting my essay checked multiple times before submitting it. I got my essay draft checked by my parents, friends, and a lot of seniors who had been through the process. It’ll help you cut down on words and remove superfluous information. If you are not confident of your writing, or even if you simply want a second opinion, please get your essay checked by someone.
WORK EXPERIENCE:
I don’t know if you have this component in your application. We did. There is only one thing you need to keep in mind while filling this section out- always tie back your work ex to something that will be of use in a firm. You can put in all your litigation and policy and NGO internships- the more the better. But highlight them in such a way that the reader knows that the skillset you developed will be useful in a firm too.
MISCELLENEOUS TIPS:
1. Know a little bit about the firm when you are applying- it’ll help you formulate a better essay, and channel your achievements into something they are looking for. Know what they do, what their strengths are, and what they are looking for. You’ll have to spend about 20 minutes on their website for all this.
2. Try not to recycle the same writing for all firm applications. They all have their own questions to ask, so answer them individually. Additionally, the HR people who are checking your application are very good at their job, and have to go through a lot of applications. If you’re not keen and interested, they will know, and they won’t favour your application.
3. Don’t worry about grades too much- they really don’t care about your CGPA or class rank as much as Indian firms do. It is just one of the many things they look at.
4. Be humble in your writing- this is just a general tip, because I think it made a difference in my application. You can adopt any style of writing you are comfortable with. But the aim shouldn’t be to show how you are the best and super awesome and intimidatingly good. You should highlight your achievements, but also add a line about what they taught you, and how they contributed to your growth as a person. For example, I think there a big difference between saying, “I represented my university at XYZ competition, and won the competition”; and saying, “I was given the opportunity to represent my university at XYZ competition, and we placed first as a team. Through this experience, I learnt bla bla bla”. Again, it’s your choice at the end of the day.
5. On time management: I understand you don’t have too much time left to complete the HSF application. Worry not. Only the essay writing bit, and getting it checked takes time. The rest of it you can finish in half a day. Its just painful, is all.
I’ve nothing to do for the next two weeks, so I’ll be happy to help you with your applications. Feel free to send me your essay drafts, if you feel they need a fresh pair of eyes. Do get in touch if you have any other questions!
Good luck!
Pinka