From Student to Solicitor

As a graduate, you only have to pick up any legal publication to notice that training contracts are hard to come by and that competition is stronger than ever. As firms look to reduce their costs, many have reduced training contract numbers and considered sending trainee level work to offshore jurisdictions which is just set to make matters worse for law graduates. These are just a couple of reasons why Accutrainee was created.

So who are Accutrainee?

We offer a new, flexible, efficient way for firms and in-house legal teams to source their trainee solicitor needs. Accutrainee is an SRA authorised training establishment which employs trainee solicitors under an SRA approved training contract. We then send trainees on secondments to law firms and in-house legal departments in accordance with their specific requirements and needs. We take all the responsibility for trainees to ensure SRA training regulations are met or exceeded at all times. A trainee will only be employed when a full training contract has been secured for them so there is no risk of a trainee being left “part-qualified”.

What are the benefits of being an Accutrainee?

The first benefit is the most obvious one, entry into the legal profession as a qualified solicitor. Accutrainee provides an alternative route to qualification; in some cases, we give those law firms and in house legal teams who haven’t previously been able to take on a trainee an opportunity to do so. We look at candidates as a whole and take into account all of an applicant’s qualities and attributes and set no restrictions on who can apply. Although, do not be fooled into thinking that this could be an easier route in to the profession as we still have a very rigorous selection process and will only recruit exceptional candidates.

The Accutrainee training contract could give you the opportunity to work at one or more organisations. This will give you better insight in determining the type and culture of organisation which best suits you. We work closely with you and our clients to get the match right so before you sign up to a Training Contract, you will know exactly what you’re getting yourself into! You will have greater opportunity to demonstrate your skills to prospective employers compared to the traditional one or two day interview process as secondments could last anything between 3-24 months.

Accutrainee takes training and development very seriously. During your training contract you will receive continuous support and guidance from the Accutrainee team along with access to a dedicated trainee portfolio which will continuously be monitored against SRA training requirements.

And finally we should mention networking. Accutrainees are encouraged to build relationships with one another as they will go on to qualify into a wide range of different law firms and in-house legal departments, giving our trainees an opportunity to develop a network of contacts within a diverse range of organisations.

What type of candidates is Accutrainee looking for?

We search for graduates whom we believe will match our clients’ requirements, expectations and criteria. Above all, we are looking for exceptional candidates who can demonstrate a high standard of academic achievement at A-level (or equivalent) and degree level. We use the same stringent criteria used by many law firms and in-house legal teams in sourcing trainee solicitors. However, we will not be put off by some of the more typical rigid reasons why a candidate has been unsuccessful in the past. We work very hard to determine whether you have the right skills set, attitude and personality we are looking for.

The main point to remember is that Accutrainee offers a unique and alternative route to gaining a training contract with enhanced mentoring and guidance along the way. Possibly one of the reasons why we have just been nominated for one of the Lawcareers.net “Best Trainer” awards!

A new survey released by Jobvite, a company that provides applicant tracking software, shows that 92% of employers are using or planning to use social networks for recruiting this year.  This survey was taken by over 1,000 companies (source).  Whilst I think this figure would not be as high for legal recruiters (as I’m not sure that all solicitors quite understand the importance of social media), it is clear that social media is becoming more and more important in the search for that elusive training contract.

Here are my top ten tips on how to use social media to complement your training contract search:

1.  Make your profile “employer-friendly”.  

Check your profiles on all social media site and make sure that you are happy with the content.  If there is something there that you would not want an employer to see, delete it!  If you really don’t want to remove the content, you can make your profile private to prevent future employers from seeing it.  The downside of this is that you can’t use social media to promote yourself and it makes it clear to potential employers that you have something to hide.

Whilst on the subject, double-check the photos that you are tagged in or have shared on your social media profiles.  Remove any that show you in a bad light (such as drunken party photos).

2.  Your profile picture.

Choose a professional photo, preferably of you in a smart outfit or suit.  Ideally, it will be a headshot where you are smiling and standing in front of a plain background.

3.  Show your expertise.

Use your social media to show your knowledge of the law and the area that you want to specialise in.  There are a few ways of doing this:

(a)  Via blog posts;

(b)  Answering questions as an expert on LinkedIn;

(c)  In groups and conversations; and

(d) Using YouTube videos

4.  Interact with relevant people.

In every social media site, there are ways of finding and interacting with relevant people, such as law firms, qualified solicitors/barristers, lecturers and legal bloggers.  In twitter, I would add these people to a list so that you can find them quickly and easily when you want to read their updates and join conversations.  Join conversations, share information that interests you and don’t be afraid to ask questions!  It shows your passion for the law.  Networking is key to a successful law career.

5.  Research.

You can use social media to help you research law firms in readiness for applications and interviews.  On LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, you are able to follow/like solicitors and read their updates, giving you the most up-to-date information about the firm.

6.  Display your CV.

You can use LinkedIn to display your CV to potential employers.  I would include a link to your LinkedIn CV on your other profiles to help draw traffic to it.  You could also get creative and produce a video CV on YouTube and/or an infographic of your CV and experience.  This will help you to stand out from the crowd.

7.  Join Groups.

On LinkedIn and Facebook, you can find relevant groups for solicitors.  This will help you to get involved in discussions, show your expertise and raise your profile.

8.  Show your personality.

Law firms like to know that potential trainees have a life outside of the office.  This has a two-fold impact: (a) it helps you to retain a good work-life balance so that you don’t get stressed, and (b) it helps you to interact with clients.  Show off your hobbies (with the exception of anything offensive, or heavy partying!).  In particular, highlight any team-working activities and charity work.

9.  Job Searches.

On LinkedIn, there is a designated job search facility that you can follow and keep an eye on for relevant positions.  In twitter, you can follow certain hashtags to keep an eye out for opportunities.  Most social media sites have their own version of this that you can use.

10.  Bring it all together!

Make sure that all of your profiles are consistent to help you establish your brand.  You should think of yourself like a salesperson and you are the product!  Does your message stay the same throughout all of the sites?  Include links to all of your profiles on your email signature.  I see emails from job seekers almost daily and I can tell you that most don’t do this!  I would also include links to your profiles on your website and business cards.

One final note

I am not sure that law firms quite understand the importance of social media yet, although it has improved over the past few years.  As such, I would not rely solely on social media to find a training contract.  Use it to supplement your applications and to help raise your profile in the right circles.

What other tips do you have for using social media to help with your training contract search?  Please share in the comments section below!

As I have said in previous posts, it is highly likely that your next job opportunity will arise either from your friends or from business contacts, so networking (i.e. building personal relationships) is so important for your job hunt.  For a lot of junior solicitors (and older ones for that matter), networking can be daunting and a bit scary.  I can assure you that it is something that gets easier with practice and, if you follow the tips below, can be so effective in helping you to find your next job or your training contract.

So, to get the most out of your networking meetings, I would suggest the following: -

1.  Tailor which events you go to.  It may not be prudent to focus on traditional “networking” events, like BNI, for your job hunt.  Whilst there is likely to be at least one solicitor there, they will be focused on increasing their client base and are unlikely to want to talk to other solicitors, about job hunting or anything else!  Instead, I would aim for events where most of the attendees will be solicitors, such as lectures run by your local law school or accountancy firm, or social events run by your local Junior Lawyers Division group.  At these sort of events, the attending solicitors will be more relaxed and more focused on socialising, so, in turn, will be more open to discussing job opportunities and how they will be able to help you.

2.  Dress to impress.  No matter what type of event you go to, ALWAYS dress smart and focus on your appearance.  Make an effort to wear a suit or business dress.  Men – polish your shoes and have a shave.  Women – keep jewellery simple and don’t overdo the make-up! When you first arrive, visit the bathroom to make sure that you still look smart after travelling.

3.  Get there early.  If there is a schedule to stick to, you may find that you don’t have enough time to talk to everyone that you would have liked to.  Being punctual also makes a good impression and leaves you free to chat with the other early arrivals.  This is particularly helpful if you are nervous, as it will settle your nerves to break the ice in a more casual manner.  I have often found that my most effective networking and best business relationships have developed from contacts that I have spoken to before the networking officially started.

4.  Listen 80% and talk 20%.  Networking should always be interactive, but in general, others would rather talk than listen.  Therefore, initially at least, give them your full attention.  Listening builds trust and says “I care about you”.  Take care to listen carefully to everything they say and ask questions that demonstrate that you have heard them.

5.  If you get point 4 right, most people will, at some point, inevitably ask you about yourself and what you do.  When that happens, take twenty seconds (not twenty minutes) to reply.  Be focused and tell them exactly what you do and what help you are looking for.  For example: “I am currently finishing my Legal Practice Course and am hoping to specialise in employment law when I qualify.  I’m here today to expand my network and meet other solicitors in the area.  Ideally, I am looking for contacts who can help me to find opportunities to obtain a training contract and offer me advice”.

6.  In general, when asking for help, it is better to be indirect than direct.  For example, most people will clam up if you ask them “can you give me the names of some of your friends?” but will be more open to respond to “who else do you think I should be talking to?”/”do you have any advice for me?”/”are there any local groups that you think I should get in touch with?”/”what would you do if you were me?”.  These questions are far less threatening and will often elicit a response that gives you a name or contact details for someone who can help.  It is important at this stage to ask for information only -  don’t ask them directly for a job!  This will come across as pushy and will make them less likely to want to help.  When someone does help, offer them something in return if you can – e.g. the name of another contact that may help them, or advice on a project they have discussed with you.

7.  Be optimistic and upbeat.  If you are having fun, they will have fun.  And if they’re having fun talking to you, they will be more likely to want to help you.

7.  The follow-up.  Ask for a business card from every person that you interact with so that you have their contact details.  After the event, ALWAYS contact everyone that you made a connection with, either by email or phone.  Thank them for their time, tell them what you are going to do/have done with their advice and let them know that you enjoyed interacting with them.  If you have followed my previous advice in my LinkedIn post, you should have an active profile there by now.  If so, add the new contacts that you have made on there.  The most important thing is that you keep interacting with them regularly, so that if they ever do hear of any job opportunities in their firm or in a contact’s firm, they will think of you!

Have any of you ever been offered a job as a result of someone that you know?  Or have you had a particularly positive networking experience that you would like to share.  If so, please comment below.