In this blog, Abbie, a Law student at Queen Mary and LEAP mentee, explores how she secured a placement year with fashion company Chanel.

Journey to a Placement Year with Chanel

Having not applied to vacation schemes this application cycle, I decided to consider placement year opportunities offered by my university. There were a range of placements available, so I narrowed these down on types of practice and areas of law. I wanted to experience an in-house legal team and have a lot of responsibility, which led me to applying to Chanel. 

Information Session

I was not able to attend the information session with Chanel, so I watched the recording and reviewed the slides provided. This gave me a strong overview of the legal departments within the company and the structure of the placement. 

To build on this, I reached out to both past and current interns on LinkedIn. I asked about their experiences, the type of work they had been involved in, and any advice they had for the application process. These conversations were particularly valuable, as they gave me a clearer and more practical understanding of the role beyond the information session. 

To stay organised, I compiled my key learnings from the session, slides, and conversations into a single document. This became a useful resource when preparing my application, as it allowed me to refer to specific insights and demonstrate a deeper level of engagement with the company.

Application Form

The application consisted of a CV and short written answers. 

I felt my CV was strong as I tailored my bullet points to clearly reflect the skills the role required. Rather than listing responsibilities, I focused on using specific examples to evidence skills such as attention to detail, communication, and organisation.

For the written answers, I applied structured techniques I had learned through LEAP. For situational questions, I used the STAR method to ensure my answers were clear and focused. For motivation questions, I used the “three-reason” approach, identifying three distinct motivations and then developing each with explanations and examples. I also made sure to reference the steps I had taken to engage with Chanel, such as speaking to interns, to show genuine interest. 

Once I had drafted my answers, I booked a meeting with a university careers adviser to review them. After implementing their feedback, I asked a trusted peer to read through my application. Getting a fresh perspective is particularly useful to improve clarity and helps identify any final grammatical or structural issues. 

Assessment Day

The assessment day consisted of a group presentation, a case study, and an interview. I felt relatively confident about the group presentation because of my previous experience with teamwork and public speaking, so I focused my preparation on the other two elements. 

Through LEAP, I practised case studies, which helped me develop a structured approach to analysing information under time pressure. I also completed mock interviews with my mentor and a university careers adviser, which were valuable in refining both the content and delivery of my answers. 

In preparation, I ensured I knew my application answers well so I could expand upon them naturally during the interview. I also prepared a SWOT analysis of the company and developed my understanding of the department I was interviewing with, including the type of work they do and the key legal areas involved. This allowed me to approach both the case study and the interview with more depth and confidence. 

On the day itself, I focused on getting the fundamentals right: being punctual, listening carefully to instructions, managing my time well, and maintaining a positive and enthusiastic attitude. While these may seem small, I believe they make a significant difference.

During breaks, I made an effort to engage with staff and interns, which helped me build rapport and feel more at ease before the interview. 

Support from LEAP

LEAP played a key role in supporting me throughout the application process. The guidance on structuring written answers was particularly valuable, as it helped me present my experiences and motivations in a clear way.

The case study preparation gave me the opportunity to attempt tasks independently before receiving detailed feedback from my mentor. What I found most beneficial was distinguishing between identifying legal issues and explaining their commercial impact. This helped me to understand the “why” behind certain suggestions or approaches taken. Ultimately, this helped me develop a more analytical and commercially aware approach.

Finally, the interview preparation sessions gave me the opportunity to practise a wide range of questions and refine my delivery. I appreciated the honest and constructive feedback from my mentor. Specific suggestions, such as completing a detailed SWOT analysis, helped to focus my preparation and improve the quality of my answers. 

Overall, LEAP enabled me to approach each stage of the process more strategically and with greater confidence, which played a significant role in helping me to secure the placement year.