Case Study: Akin (Access Akin) – From Non‑Target to Offer on £0 Content

hassan2990
Oct 6, 2025
2 min read

Updated: Oct 7, 2025

At a Glance

Prep time ≤ 7 days using only free ECS tutorials; £0 spend
Frameworks: STAR‑3™, PEAL‑3™, PEAL‑X™
Screens cleared: strengths‑based call → programme offer

Before

Queen Mary student with motivation but little structure; no paid coaching; aiming to stand out for a US‑firm social‑mobility programme.

After

Access Akin (London, 28 Jul–1 Aug 2025) confirmed; concise, evidence‑rich answers; firm‑specific “Why Akin” built with PEAL‑X™.

Problem

Akin’s London office runs a rigorous strengths‑based process for Access Akin, rewarding crisp motivation, concrete evidence and commercial awareness. Coming from a non‑target background, Matei needed to turn raw enthusiasm into a recruiter‑grade narrative without paid support. His answers lacked structure; firm knowledge was broad and not anchored in facts; timing drifted beyond 90 seconds. To convert, he had to systemise competency stories, anchor motivations in verifiable evidence, and link his profile to Akin London strengths (restructuring, private credit, projects/energy, investment management, arbitration) in four tight sentences. He followed ECS’s free playbooks end‑to‑end and executed inside one week.

Solution

Drafted 10 STAR‑3™ competency stories (90s each) → pass‑ready timing & clear results.
Built PEAL‑3™ “Why Law / Why Commercial” (4 lines) → motivation marked “concise & specific.”
Applied PEAL‑X™ firm‑fact rule (Akin London practices, programmes, initiatives) → “Why Akin” rated distinctive.
Rehearsed strengths‑based call (3 loops) → filler words −60%, confidence +4 → 9/10.

Result

Matei passed the strengths‑based call and received an Access Akin offer for the 2025 London cohort, achieved entirely on free ECS content. The interviewer praised the precision of his competency stories and the factual density of his “Why Akin” answer. For a non‑target candidate with no paid coaching, this outcome validates the execution power of STAR‑3™, PEAL‑3™ and PEAL‑X™ when followed exactly.

ROI

Metric	Result
Investment	£0 (free ECS tutorials)
Outcome	Access Akin London place (1‑week programme)
Pay‑back period	Immediate skills & network access
Pathway	US‑firm training‑contract track potential

Testimonial: “Absolutely world‑class. Free content got me a programme at an elite US law firm. STAR‑3™ and PEAL‑X™ were game‑changers.” — Matei Tasnádi, Queen Mary University of London