Work experience
To secure a training contract/pupillage, you need relevant work experience.
sure to make the best possible impression. Katie Makey, human resources manager at Shearman & Sterling, says: “Being a trainee is not all glamour, so when we see candidates who have done comprehensive stints in comparable law firms, we hope that they have seen the true picture of trainee life – if they are still keen on applying to us, then we are reassured that they have carefully considered the career and are committed.” With any luck, your positive impression will lead to the offer of a training contract or pupillage. Fiona Medlock, former graduate recruitment manager at Mills & Reeve, says: “Many firms use their placements as part of their training contract recruitment process. It is an opportunity for you to see first-hand if a firm is the type of place you can envisage yourself starting your career, while the firm has the opportunity to assess whether you have the potential they are looking for.” But can we suggest that you don’t follow the lead of one work placement student at an international firm who “constantly posted his experiences with us on the satirical RollOnFriday website. Sadly, his efforts to remain nameless failed!” Equally, we think it may not be sensible to resort to violence, as one placement student did on a night out with a Newcastle firm: “The candidate picked a fight with one of our trainees on a social night during a work placement. We didn’t take his application any further and he didn’t ask for any feedback!” Work placement: case study Adam Blin, formerly of Linklaters and now at Lazard, remembers his work placement at Linklaters well: “The tasks you get involved in as a vacation scheme student are very similar to what you would undertake as a trainee. You’ll get involved in a wide range of work, with the support of a principal and a trainee buddy, which really helps you to understand the role of a trainee within the firm. You are given the opportunity to learn a lot about
A fantastic academic record is not enough to satisfy recruiters in the legal profession. They also want to know that you can represent the firm to clients and work well with colleagues. Equally, recruiters want to see that you have made an informed decision about becoming a solicitor or barrister. An ideal start to your career is to get a place on a work placement scheme/mini-pupillage. These placements are the perfect foot in the door of a firm/chambers, as they assess how you fare in a legal environment and you get to see them in action, too – first- hand experience is the best way to decide if somewhere is the right fit. However, there are other ways of gaining legal work experience as well – read on to find out more.
How do I get involved? Formal schemes
During formal work placements (also called vacation schemes) and mini-pupillages, firms and chambers will make every effort to ensure that you get a wide range of experience and a real taste of life as one of their own. Vacation schemes normally offer a chance to get involved with real legal work, meet trainees, associates and partners, and enjoy an array of social events, while a mini-pupillage will give you the chance to attend court and conferences with members of chambers, see barristers at their day-to-day work and understand how the particular set operates. You will also be paid during the placement. When you attend a work placement scheme or mini-pupillage, you’re effectively becoming a trainee solicitor or pupil barrister for two weeks. During assessed mini-pupillages, you may be asked to prepare a piece of written work. Generally, you should see the two to three weeks as a time to get a sense of the work, the people and the culture, while being
56
THE LAWCAREERS.NET HANDBOOK
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online