The market for law training contracts is a highly competitive one. Each year there are considerably more people completing the legal practice course than there are training contracts on offer. Add to this the many people who did not manage to secure a training contracts in previous years and you can see how difficult it can be for many to find a position.
The good news, however, is there are numerous things that candidates can do to vastly improve their chances of securing a contract. The whole area of training contract applications is one of the least supported of professional endeavour for some reason. University and law school careers advisory services often offer very generic advice and are unable to offer one-to-one advice tailored to the particular individual.
So after spending tens of thousands of pounds on a legal education and sweating blood and tears to get the necessary grades, training contract applicants can fail because they do not know what is needed to successfully navigate the application process.
Often those who succeed are those who already have contacts within the legal profession who can help them or are lucky enough to have found someone who can give them the correct advice about what is needed for a successful application.
The core areas you need to master if you want to secure a law training contract are:
- Choosing where to apply to – correctly researching, considering and choosing where is best for you to apply for your training contract. See the Key Factors to Consider and Where To Do Your Training Contract sections.
- Understanding what an application needs to achieve – see the Training Contract Application Tips section for common application mistakes and what firms are looking for in their trainee solicitors.
- Training Contract CV’s – many firms will consider whether to interview a candidate or not based on their CV. They must be designed to present the pertinent details in the best possible way.
- Covering Letters for Training Contract Applications - applications by CV will need to be accompanied by a covering letter. A poor covering letter may result in a recruiter not even reading the attached CV.
- Training Contract Application Forms – many of the larger firms have developed their own application forms for candidates to complete. These are often difficult and time consuming to complete and again are the difference between success and failure. Knowing how to pitch these is the key to success.
- Training Contract Interviews – so you manage to make a successful application but that’s only the start of it. Now you have to successfully navigate the trainee solicitor interview process. These can consist of anything from day long assessment centres to short one on one meetings. Knowing how to prepare for interviews has never been more important than it is today. This section includes common interview questions you must be able to answer.
