In House Training Contract

[p2bv]

Hey, guys.

I’ve just found out I’ve got an assessment centre at Deloitte Legal next week, and if I got an offer it would mean training in-house with them. From my understanding it’s not traditional “in-house” as you do work for some of their clients.


The problem is I’m worried that if I get the Deloitte Training Contract, I might pigeonhole myself too soon, and be stuck in house. If I get and accept the Deloitte role, how much harder would be to move post qualification. I’m not too fussed about magic circle/US firms I think I would be aiming more for national firms etc. Is that realistic if I train in-house?


Just trying to work out how sensible it is to hold out for firm-based TCs when we’re only in November, and whether Deloitte would narrow my options long-term.

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

Hey, guys.

I’ve just found out I’ve got an assessment centre at Deloitte Legal next week, and if I got an offer it would mean training in-house with them. From my understanding it’s not traditional “in-house” as you do work for some of their clients.


The problem is I’m worried that if I get the Deloitte Training Contract, I might pigeonhole myself too soon, and be stuck in house. If I get and accept the Deloitte role, how much harder would be to move post qualification. I’m not too fussed about magic circle/US firms I think I would be aiming more for national firms etc. Is that realistic if I train in-house?


Just trying to work out how sensible it is to hold out for firm-based TCs when we’re only in November, and whether Deloitte would narrow my options long-term.

Hey!

First of all, congratulations on getting the assessment centre invite - that’s a big achievement! Deloitte Legal is a great option, and it is true that their training contract is a bit different from the traditional firm-based route (although getting exposure to client work is always great!).

In terms of long-term options, it’s absolutely possible to move to national firms after qualifying with an in-house or alternative route TC like Deloitte’s. You might find it a bit harder to move straight into a Magic Circle or US firm, as they often have very traditional recruitment routes and place a lot of emphasis on firm-based training experience - however, you never know! For strong international, national or regional firms, you skills and PQE will be transferable, especially if you focus on commercial areas and gain solid transactional experience.

It really comes down to weighing the opportunity that Deloitte presents against continuing to target firm-based TCs. Since it is only November, you still have time to explore other options, and completing a Deloitte TC wouldn’t permanently limit your future choices at all - it just gives you a different route into commercial legal practice (which is becoming more common in recent times!). I would have a think about what you find appealing about each option, and try to make your mind up on where you think you will fit best - both in terms of training, and your long-term career.

Best of luck with the assessment centre!