From Student to Solicitor

If you have been reading my blog from the beginning, you should by now have some idea of the type of training contract you want to have from this previous post.  This will give you a good basis to get started and you should definitely give some thought to the questions in that post before moving on to these next steps:

Where Are You Applying?

It is time to make a list of all of the law firms that you would like to apply to based on your answers to the questions in my previous post (above).  To do this, I would start with the following: -

1.  Yellow Pages & Google: Start by looking up local solicitors in your area and the surrounding counties.  Make a long list and look through their websites to see which ones suit your requirements and you would like to work for.

2.  Local papers: See which firms are advertising there from your area.

3.  Law Society:  The Law Society’s website has a solicitor’s directory here.  You can search by geographical area or type of law practised.

4.  Law Careers Net: This website is fantastic as it has a search form of firms offering training contracts and you can search by geographical area, number of partners, number of staff, start date, type of practice or work undertaken.

By now, you should have a pretty good list of law firms that you would like to apply to. So, where do you keep this list?

Create A Spreadsheet

Pull up an excel spreadsheet and start to fill it with all of the details that you have compiled above.  I would suggest the following columns:

First, fill in the first six columns with as many firms as you can find before you start.  This allows you to keep track of your applications and have all of the details that you need to hand when you make your applications.  As you apply and get replies, you can fill in the other columns. I would fill in the final column whatever happens – i.e. if it is a negative response, write and thank them for considering you and asking them for feedback if they have the time; if it is a positive response, schedule a date for the interview; and if you get no response, then give them a call after 2-4 weeks of the deadline passing to ask whether they have yet considered your application.

Create An Arch-Level Folder

Start a folder with a separate plastic wallet for every firm on your list.  In each wallet, you can keep a copy of your research, application and any responses/correspondence between you and the firm.  The benefits of this are as follows: -

• All of the information that you need is to hand when you need it;
• You can review your applications if you get a negative response to see how you could improve it for future applications; and
• If you get an interview, all of the documents are ready for you to look through to prepare you for your interview.  This is important, as most interview questions are partially based on your application and CV.

I would get some dividers and separate the wallets into sections: Not Yet Applied, Application Sent, Rejection & Interview.  That way, you can see at a glance what stage every application is at.

These steps may seem a bit over-the-top to those of you who are not as OCD as me – but I promise you that you will be so grateful that you did them a few months into your search for a training contract.  It helps you to constantly review how you are getting on and allows you to make improvements if things are not going so well.  If you are like me and end up having to make between 50-80 applications, you need to have an organisational system set up at the beginning to help keep track and to avoid making mistakes.

Now you are ready to draft your CV and covering letters/applications.  These will be covered in my blog next week!

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