Any advice on how to do things differently in new year

[TCinpipeline]

Hi there - does anyone have any advice on how to do things differently in a new year on applying for TCs? Is it a matter of seeking new opportunities and thinking about what new legal experiences we can add to applications? After all, if we have not secured a TC we don't want to repeat the same experiences we have mentioned and want to show we are growing as a person to stand out. If one has got their studying for the LLB, GDL and LPC out the way, how can we take advantage of all the time we have now besides undertaking legal work experience opportunities which during Covid has been limited to say the least. Is it it a good idea to explore different legal working environments such as local authority, high street law firm and commercial law firm?

I have heard some law firms are offering TCs to qualify into one practice area. Law firms usually follow suite. Other than undergoing work experience in the areas we would like to practice into, how would one make themselves stand out when applying for a TC like this?

All the best for the new year!

 

[AvniD]

Would 100% recommend taking some time out to reflect on the experiences you do have- what were your learnings, successes, failures? How did you rebuild after a setback? When did you go out of your way to execute a task? When did you prioritise the needs of your team?

Doing this will help you demonstrate to a firm that you understand what it takes to be a solicitor in commercial law and that you embody the qualities, skills and values that their firm espouses.

You don't need legal work experience to demonstrate this, especially if you're applying for vacation schemes and not direct TCs. Reflect on your experiences of volunteering, working in a part-time job, helping out at your uni societies, challenging yourself at a hobby of your interest etc.

By reflecting and presenting your thought process in this manner, you will be able to present your existing experiences in a more considered, resounding way, which will help you make stronger applications even without adding 'new' experiences in the new year.

 

[Ahi88]

The advice on "how to do things differently" will be very personal to you as opposed to another person. For that very reason, you should take time to reflect on how your 2021 went and how you could do things differently. For example, you may have found that you applied to a lot of law firms last year so maybe this year you could spend more time targeting your applications to only a select few (i.e. 4 or 5 firms) to ensure you are allocating more time to make a tailored application.

Definitely take part in more open evenings that your target law firms are holding this year or any panel discussions to build your wider commercial awareness about trends in the legal market as well as gathering nuggets of information you can include in your applications from law firms you are interested in.

Acting on any feedback received last year if you were able to receive any through applications, friends or peers reviewing your applications etc. and starting to make an action plan on how you will address these areas will also be beneficial in your next round of applications as well as personal growth.

In terms of seeking new opportunities and new legal experiences, I think that this will always be positive not only for your applications but also for your own development. Working in different legal settings will help refine where your legal interests may be and allow you to understand how law firms operate as businesses. Having said this, seeking out non-legal work experiences will also be useful in developing your wider skill set and will enable you to bolster your overall skills profile and enable to you draw from diverse experiences in both your applications and interviews.

Being able to act on feedback, demonstrate resilience and be proactive in seeking improvement will stand you in good stead to produce sound examples in your applications and interviews as well as prepare you for a legal career.