Entries Tagged as 'coaching'

 

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Interactive Judicial & Silk Appointment Workshops

**** Feedback from my Faculty of Advocates Workshop Vice-Dean to Tim Collins  ****

How to approach making a judicial or Silk application and how to stand out from the crowd at your selection day or interview.

In a two hour interactive workshop I will discuss and answer any questions candidates may have on:

Why competency based recruitment?

How do the qualifying tests work?

How do you select and support your referees?

How to develop compelling application forms?

How you can prepare to succeed at interviews?

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Mock Judicial Appointments Qualifying Tests

“… room for improvement but phenomenally helpful is reading text quickly etc . Really really useful . Thanks for putting it together” 

Over recent years I have been asked repeatedly whether there are any old JAC tests that candidates could try. The JAC used to publish qualifying test reports and include their questions and answers but haven’t done so since that moved to the more generic situational questioning and critical reasoning tests. So unfortunatlely, they no longer make their tests available.

My blog on Qualifying Tests – gives you an overview of how they work.

I have been talking to a number of judges and practitioners about developing some mock crime, civil and family tests. However, the JAC announced at the end of 2016 that they would be testing new non-jurisdictional qualifying tests.

As a result and having collaborated with others I have developed one situational judgement and one critical reasoning test.

“Thank you. Did the test – wow very taxing – got xIt has helped greatly to see it in the flesh as it were and what to expect and what time of day not to take it!!  Timing is key as well – a brilliant revision tool. Thanks”

Situational Judgement

16 questions  in 15 minutes set by a judge to test candidates’ judgement and decision making based on real situations and experience.

Critical Reasoning

23 questions to be answered in 30 minutes based on a judicial speech – this includes time for reading a PDF text.

Your Feedback Report

Following the test you will be e-mailed your test report, score, the questions and answers.

Candidate  Options

NB These tests are on line, so make sure you have a good internet connection, sufficient time and are able to open a PDF document. Please follow the instructions and keep an eye on your time. You must download the speech before commencing the critical reasoning or combined test! Don’t pay for any test until you are ready to take it – they are on-line tests. Payments can only be accepted via PayPal (this is the only payment that works for this).

If you don’t see the PayPal link you may need to look at your pop up settings and/or make sure your PayPal e-mail address is the same as the one you are using for the test.  Perhaps you may need to try another device or browser – technology!

  1. 1.   Situational Judgement Mock Test 15 minutes – £19.50 +VAT –  SJ test link
  2. 2.   Critical Reasoning Mock Test 30 minutes – £19.50 +VAT – CR test link
  3. 3.    (1 + 2) Situational Judgement & Critical Reasoning Joint Mock Test 45 minutes – £29.50 +VAT – SJ & CR combined test link.

Your results and the correct answers will be automatically e-mailed to you once you have completed a test.

Opportunities (problems)

If you have failed to follow the test instructions and not downloaded the speech for the critical reasoning test, it can be found here!

I have set these tests so that you can take them a second time in case you experience wireless or technical issues.

I’m keen to add further situational judgement questions, but know that will not be easy, especially if they are non-jurisdictional and importantly respect the confidentiality of actual JAC tests.

Any feedback would be most welcome and I hope these may help candidates prepare for any future JAC tests.

“This evening I did the tests that you recently posted on your website which were very helpful.”

Narrative Tests

It is not possible to set these as mock tests as they require marking individually but I am willing to share some tips and advice – please just e-mail me or text me your e-mail address: tim@asktim.org 0796 999 7335

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Judicial Appointments – Qualifying Tests

I try and update this blog when new information becomes available but the JAC are consistently inconsistent! I have updated this in February 2021 and it is simply an attempt to explain how the JAC qualifying tests work, what to expect, some advice and links that may help candidates.

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Tim’s Top 10 Tips for Marketing on a Budget

In September,  I was invited to be on a panel for a PM Forum  event in London where we shared some ideas on marketing on a budget.  It was geared to professional services: lawyers, accountants, architects but most of the ideas can be applied across industries and sectors.  Subsequently, I was asked to write an extended article and that was recently published-  “Punching Above Your Weight – Uncommon Sense”.

I’d welcome your feedback and thoughts:

“We cannot solve problems by using the same kind of thinking that created them”            Einstein

  1. 1. Market Internally – as a co-professional and peer.

 

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Mentoring – Is it Me?

I’ve found myself drawn into mentoring individuals from different sectors with a very diverse spectrum of issues. It started when a couple of people suggested that I should get involved with Entrepreneurial Spark  It has exploded since then – and I’m loving it!

I’ve tried to find a definition for mentoring that I like or describes what I try to do but they all seem a bit too grand for me. I don’t have a set list of questions or a programme – all I do is make time to listen and then share examples and stories from my experience to encourage people to take a positive step.

You can read below some reactions to my approach – 

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Blog, Staple Stories

Keep the Customer Satisfied

Back in 1996 we were travelling in New Zealand and hired a car to tour around the islands for about a month. The car had a cassette player and we decide to find a record store in Auckland and treat ourselves to a tape.  On impulse we bought Cheryl Crow’s “If it Makes You Happy” but we knew we needed more than one song!

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Another Fine Competition – Deputy District Judge Crime 2016 – Magistrates’ Court

 

*****UPDATE 22 August 2016*****

Congratulations to all who made it through the online scenario. Now you need to provide evidence of your competencies by noon on Monday 5 September:

Help?

I’m frequently asked how I work with candidates; I work based on the needs of each individual candidate:application forms and interviews.

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Circuit Judge Competition 2023 – The Essentials

“I got it!!!”  – Circuit Judge

***** UPDATE  11 July 2023*****

Thia year’s competition launches next week on Tuesday 18 July 2023 – deadline for applications is 13:00 on Tuesday 8 August 2023 – there are currently 52 vacancies (40 in crime, 7 in family and 5 in civil).  Successful candidates will be informed in June 2023!!

“Your input has been invaluable” – Resident Judge Candidate

It looks very similar to previous CJ competitions and in many ways, this is one of the most straight forward competitions that the JAC run. It has evolved over the years and now successful candidates know what they have to do: demonstrate their evidence of the competencies. You have two panels you need to convince – the short-listing panel and the selection day panel. There is some very helpful feedback, sound guidance and clear advice from the JAC on their website. There are expected to be 80 vacancies, but as with other competitions, the number may vary as the competition progresses. 

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