Written by Polina Krivosejeva
With the new application cycle right around the corner, we are excited to welcome part 1 of the It’s All Hearsay 7-part Application Series on how to make the most of the application process. Applying to law firms for training contracts and vacation schemes tends to be a very time-consuming and, at times, overwhelming process that requires candidates to be well-organised in their approach.
Part 1 of this series will focus on setting out the basics of the training contract application process and discuss steps you may want to take in advance of putting pen to paper.
In this blog post, we will cover:
- Training Contract vs Vacation Scheme
- Application process stages;
- What we mean by the application cycle and preparation tips;
- How to keep organised with your applications; and
- What factors to take into account when deciding on your application strategy.
Training Contract vs Vacation Scheme
Before discussing the specifics of the application cycle, lets consider briefly the difference between a vacation scheme and a training contract.
A legal vacation scheme is a one, two or three-week work experience placement with a law firm. It will take place in either the Spring, Summer or Winter. The purpose of a vacation scheme is two-faceted. For candidates, it provides a great opportunity to get an insight into what life as a solicitor is like, as well as, gain a feel for the culture of the firm. Employers use vacation schemes to assess candidates’ skills and observe how well they would fit in the firm. It’s a two-way street.
A training contract is a two-year placement that is undertaken by trainee solicitors and is the final step before qualification1. The purpose of a training contract is to allow an applicant to demonstrate to the firm and the Solicitor’s Regulation Authority (a regulator for the legal profession) that they have the requisite skills, capabilities and experience to be a successful lawyer.
Candidates should be aware that some law firms recruit training contract candidates exclusively from the pool of candidates who have completed a vacation scheme with the firm. Equally, there are firms that choose candidates both from their vacation scheme pool and from applicants for a direct training contract. It’s important that you check this on the firm’s website or clarify with the law firm’s Early Careers team. Whether you want to apply for a vacation scheme first or go through a direct training contract route will depend on your personal circumstances. For example, if you have limited legal work experience you should firstly consider applying for a vacation scheme before applying to direct training contracts.
Application Process Stages
Please note that this visual presents a general overview of the training contract application stages but the stages will vary depending on the law firm you are applying to. For example, not all firms will have psychometric testing as part of the process. Equally, some firms may not have a separate interview stage before the assessment centre.
What is the application cycle and what steps to take in advance of the new application cycle?
The application cycle runs roughly from September – July each year and you will usually apply two years in advance. You can apply to whatever firm you want (depending on the eligibility criteria), however, you can only apply to a firm once each cycle. This means that if you applied for a vacation scheme and were unsuccessful, you will not be able to apply to the same firm for a direct training contract in the same cycle.
In order to secure a vacation scheme or a training contract, the first step is a written application stage. Given the amount of research that you are required to do before you begin typing answers to the written application questions, it is important that you begin your preparation in advance of the cycle – ideally during the summer.
Steps you may want to take ahead of the application cycle:
- Check if you are eligible to apply
Do your grades match the requirements? If not, does the firm accept, or can you show, extenuating circumstances? Are you at the stage in your career/education that would make you eligible to apply?
- Identify the type of firms you are interested in applying to (boutique, regional, national, international, US-based or Magic Circle)
The types of firms you choose to focus your efforts on will largely depend on your unique criteria (more on this below). Narrowing down a pool of firms early on will alleviate other pressures associated with writing applications. There are some general pointers you can consider before you begin applying. For example, I personally learnt over time that I am very unlikely to thrive/enjoy working in a law firm that is unlikely to have a healthy work-life balance, therefore, I would not consider applying to Magic Circle and US-based firms. Some firms use psychometric tests before they even look at your written application. If you practised completing them and know that it’s not your cup of tea, consider if it’s worth applying in the first place.
- Collate as much information as possible about your target firms as early as possible
We have a great resource page on our website – firm research resource and comparison table – a tool you can use to bring your research into one place and update it/add new information as and when required. It will also help you compare your firms, spot patterns, and highlight discrepancies. It is best to start filling in this table before looking at the application questions as you will be able to easily bring forward your research, link to the firm and think out of the box.
- Prepare answers to common written application questions
At the very least, you will benefit from having general answers to the three key questions:
- Why law?
- Why you?
- Why this firm?
Note that there will be variations of the above questions and you will have to ensure that you answer a specific question asked but having pre-prepared, well-structured answers to the above questions will help you to adjust your answers as required, integrating your research of the firm you are applying to. Many law firms will have questions testing candidates’ commercial awareness, so it is worth choosing a couple of topics that interest you in the world of business and keeping an eye on the recent developments.
- Sign up for online/in-person workshops (especially if hosted by law firms that you intend to apply to), law fairs and other events held by law firms
It is a great strategy to make your face/name known to the law firms you intend to apply to ahead of the cycle. If you use a proactive approach during such events, this will increase the chance for the graduate recruiter to recognise your name when you submit your application. For example, have a look at the firm’s website to see if the firm offers unique training opportunities for its lawyers and ask the law firm’s Early Career team about it. Start following your target firms on social media and see if they post something that could lead to insightful discussion. For example, Simmons & Simmons recently shared on LinkedIn their initiative of “sending trainees on the streets to experience what it’s like to be a Big Issue vendor” – I’d love to learn more.
- Think about applying for a mentorship scheme
Mentorship schemes are much more than your mentor checking your application before you hit ‘submit’. More often than not, mentorship schemes offer varied support such as skills-building workshops and host events in partnership with law firms. Those events tend to have a limit on the number of people attending, which gives attendees an opportunity to ask more questions than you would have by attending events with hundreds of participants. Sometimes you will be mentored alongside other mentees, who are going through the same process and will know the pain. Fellow mentees will almost certainly encourage you not to give up when you face challenges and cheer your progress and success.
- Sign up for your target firms’ newsletters
This is very helpful in that you get the firm’s updates straight into your inbox: things like recent deals the firm advised on or updates on the firm’s business strategy. You can then use this information in both written applications and during an interview, raising it as a point of discussion.
Keeping organised
Once you have completed your preliminary preparations, there are things that you can keep doing after you begin writing applications.
- Update your CV, if some time has passed since you last refreshed it
Some firms will ask you to attach your CV to the application. Others will have a work experience section for you to fill in. If the latter applies, you will be using your CV as a main point of reference. However, if you don’t have a CV at all, you may want to make one ahead of the application cycle.
Our Resources team are in the final stages of compiling a brand new extensive CV guide that will cover everything you need to write a top-notch CV, whether you already have a CV and just want to revamp it or you do not have a CV. The guide will be split into three-parts.
KEEP AN EYE ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA WHERE WE WILL ANNOUNCE ITS LAUNCH – IT’S A GEM!
- Start preparing answers to common interview questions
It’s important to note that there are thousands of questions/variations of questions that you can get asked during an in-person/video interview and it is not only impossible to prepare answers for each possible question, it is also absolutely unnecessary. You do not want to sound scripted. Instead, you want to have a naturally flowing conversation with the interviewer. However, noting down experiences that would showcase core skills sought by most law firms (think teamwork, people skills, attention to detail, and keeping organised) will ensure that you will have a solid point of reference when asked.
As a side note, it is worth mentioning that things can go off the plan and that’s okay. For example, you may have set a goal to apply to 10 firms this cycle and mid-way through the cycle you may suddenly realise that you have only submitted 4 applications. Life happens and most candidates juggle multiple important responsibilities outside of applications. Give yourself credit for your progress, take a step back and take time to readjust your strategy.
The worst thing you can do is to keep beating yourself up for not adhering to your original plan.
Similarly, it’s important that you have an allocated time in your weekly diary for self-care: whether it’s taking a full day off watching Netflix, spending a couple of hours on your favourite hobby, regularly going to the gym or spending time with your loved ones. Looking after yourself will make you feel better, and the better you feel, the better you will be in all areas of your life, including tackling applications.
What factors to take into account when deciding on your application strategy
All of the firms you apply to should link in some way or you should be able to really pinpoint at least three very specific reasons as to why you want to get a training contact at the firm you are applying to.
To be able to prove your passion for a specific firm you should identify your unique key drivers for applying to a particular firm. Some examples are:
- Office Locations;
- Type of work (international, national or regional focus);
- Practice areas – you should have a broad understanding of which areas you might like to work in to narrow down the firms;
- Expertise in a particular area of practice and/or sector: this may be a particularly important point to consider for applicants with prior experience working in the sector or for career changers. For example, you may have studied Chemistry at an undergrad level and the firm may have particular expertise in Life Sciences and Pharmaceuticals;
- Secondment opportunities (client vs international);
- Work-life balance;
- Clients (businesses vs private individuals);
Knowing your personal drivers backed by personal examples will make applying easier as you won’t need to tailor each application as much as if they are all completely different.
For example, if you are focusing on firms that have a strong Real Estate practice then the writing of each answer will include similar information and links (e.g. type of transactions you will be using to support your answer and your motivations for being attracted to this area of practice). Whereas if you are applying to firms that are known for substantially different areas of expertise you have limited insight into or lack a personal link that explains your attraction then you could get caught out in not understanding the firm’s strategy, core values and vision.
As hard as it can sometimes be to think this way, applying to a firm is indeed a two-way street. You need to like the firm as much as the firm needs to like you!
Think about how your skills and experiences can match the firm’s core values and skillset they are looking for.
It is important to choose a firm that you can see yourself thriving within because two years is a long period of time to be training and in an environment that you aren’t comfortable in.
We hope that part 1 of the series provided a comprehensive overview of the application cycle and what steps you can take both in advance of and during the application cycle to maximise your chances of getting a training contract and/or vacation scheme offer(s). In the next part of the series, we will focus on work experience. Stay tuned!
- It is important to note that from September 2021 an alternative qualification route has become available. Through this route, a candidate must have a degree and then pass the SQE 1&2. Along the way, candidates need to complete two years’ Qualifying Work Experience. For more information please visit the SRA website. ↩︎
it's all hearsay 