There are 10 common mistakes made by applicants which are sure to turn a prospective employer off. Eliminate these mistakes and your chances of landing that training contract will be greatly increased.
1. Lack of consideration – some candidates do not spend enough time considering which area of law suits them best and into which type of law firm they will best fit. A lack of this sort of research and decision-making can often be very apparent to recruiters when reviewing applications.
2. Not getting to know the firm – when applicants find themselves making several applications it can be tempting to try to write a one-size-fits-all application to send to every firm. This means that the applicant does not fully research the firm they are applying to. This can stand out a mile amongst a batch of other applications from applicants who have done their research on the firm. At the very least, applicants should have a good read of the firm’s website and the recent press relating to the firm and be sure to make the application show that this research has been done.
3. Showing the love – many applicants fail to convey why they feel the firm is the best firm for them. Again, this is about avoiding the scattergun, one-size-fits-all approach to applications. Firms like to read that applicants have carefully considered why they are applying to this firm and why they consider it to be the firm for them. Firms (and their recruiters) have egos too but don’t go overboard as they will probably pick up on you being false.
4. Showing interest in the law – firms like to see that this application isn’t your first sign of having an interest in the law. Some form of law related work experience, vacation schemes, work shadowing, field trips, etc would usually be seen on successful applications.
5. Dishonesty/truth bending – being dishonest on an application is never advisable. Apart from being wrong, recruiters can often pick up on half truths and it becomes very easy to contradict yourself and forget what answers you have given.
6. Poor language and spelling – given that applicants will be required to have an eye for detail in their work, it is inexcusable for an application to contain grammar and spelling mistakes. Not rushing applications, using spell and grammar check on word processors and proofreading several times over will help to avoid this. To recruiters, writing mistakes are (as Billy Connolly would say) about as welcome as a fart in a spacesuit!
7. Using inappropriate language – an applicant’s language should be natural, clear and concise. Trying to be too clever with your language, or using slang or colloquialisms, will usually stand out like a sore ‘primary digit on the hand’! You need to impress with the content a lot more than with the words used. Humour, whilst not a complete no-no, should be used with caution – this is something you can bring more into an interview situation than at the written application stage.
8. Inappropriate stationery – if the application is required to be submitted on paper rather than on-line it should be sent on a good quality, heavier weight, white or cream paper – no coloured paper to stand out unless you are a stand out candidate yourself (and even then its best avoided). Also, ensure the layouts of CV’s and covering letters are professional and do not include any decoration, frills, different colours/fonts, etc.
9. Cutting and pasting – there are various examples of applications out there, some of which are useful to read at the research stage. However, it is never recommended that you cut and paste any part of an application from another source. Not only may you be infringing copyright but it may be picked up by recruiters and will never read as well as your own well thought through answers.
10. Ducking the question – if you find yourself faced with a question that you do not want to answer because it might reveal a weakness in you, or because you maybe don’t have the experience, always be honest. Never try to fudge an answer so that it doesn’t really answer the question or give the information requested. Bear in mind that all weaknesses can be turned into strengths if you put some thought into them.
To find out the inside track about what firms are looking for in their trainee solicitors click here.
