From Campus to Cubicle: Miss Piggy's Journey 🐽

[legalgrinch]

that's true. Can I ask, if a firm doesn't offer you to qualify in an area you are interested in, what happens after that? Like what are my options if, say I really want to qualify in IP, but the firm doesn't need anymore NQs in IP? Hypothetically speaking.

Hmm that is an interesting question of debate.

It’s actually quite hard for the NQ market at the moment, I know couple trainees who are now NQs - they had to pitch hard and have an interview for their spots in their desired areas! If you don’t get your desired seat, you normally select your second or third choice in which you want to qualify in!

If you really want to do IP - you’ll probably have to apply to another firm for their NQ position! But of course I’m no expert .. I have not reached that level yet 🤣

 

[legalgrinch]

@lawwarrior Miss gorl does manifestation work if I want to attract a certain someone into my life? 👀I need a step-by-step guide!

Don’t know about that 🤣🤣🤣

You can try!!! ✨✨

 

[Miss Chocolate]

Don’t know about that 🤣🤣🤣

You can try!!! ✨✨

I received the reply!! Pinned it in my inbox 😍💓💞

 

[Miss Chocolate]

Hmm that is an interesting question of debate.

It’s actually quite hard for the NQ market at the moment, I know couple trainees who are now NQs - they had to pitch hard and have an interview for their spots in their desired areas! If you don’t get your desired seat, you normally select your second or third choice in which you want to qualify in!

If you really want to do IP - you’ll probably have to apply to another firm for their NQ position! But of course I’m no expert .. I have not reached that level yet 🤣

Yeah I will look into this because I feel like qualifying into an area is a huge commitment and I want to make sure the firm accommodates me and if they don't, I want to make sure I am not screwed -- as in haven't wasted two years of training for nothing.

 

[legalgrinch]

I received the reply!! Pinned it in my inbox 😍💓💞

I received the reply!! Pinned it in my inbox 😍💓💞

Oh wow it worked?? 😅😅🥳

 

[Miss Chocolate]

Haven't heard back from PwC since the video interview. I kind of screwed it up by being distracted (my flatmate was having an argument with his gf and it was distracting because I am nosey) and giving some shitty answers. Having said that, I have done a video interview before where I have literally laughed because I ran out of time and it was awkward and I still got it -- was only for the open day though...so.... but I reached out to someone from the PwC team I want to join and they have been so lovely and the job role sounds interesting so I hope they invite me to the assessment center AT LEAST!

KPMG have invited me to the second online assessment (Delivering outcomes) so I have booked a library study group room for tomorrow morning before work to record that since the walls in our flat are too thin and I am not going to risk that again.

Anyway, going to do the HSF online test now. Next week I have an assessment day for the summer voluntary role overseas so it should all be pretty interesting? Retail work is hard though I am learning 😭 only working until mid Jan to save up for summer overseas role so I can comfortably do stuff without worrying about money. The assistant manager is the most annoying person on the planet whereas I work wonderfully with the manager (she's super nice and charismatic) and the other girl (she knows how to teach without being annoyed with you). Like my manager laughs if I mess up and it creates a comfortable learning environment for me, whereas the assistant woman herself is always so stressed/flustered, she makes me tense up ughhhh

 

[Miss Chocolate]

Oh wow it worked?? 😅😅🥳

Yeah 😂😂 woke up to it and my heart ❣️ skipped ⏩ a 🅰️beat 🎸

 

[mfuturetrainee]

Haven't heard back from PwC since the video interview. I kind of screwed it up by being distracted (my flatmate was having an argument with his gf and it was distracting because I am nosey) and giving some shitty answers. Having said that, I have done a video interview before where I have literally laughed because I ran out of time and it was awkward and I still got it -- was only for the open day though...so.... but I reached out to someone from the PwC team I want to join and they have been so lovely and the job role sounds interesting so I hope they invite me to the assessment center AT LEAST!

KPMG have invited me to the second online assessment (Delivering outcomes) so I have booked a library study group room for tomorrow morning before work to record that since the walls in our flat are too thin and I am not going to risk that again.

Anyway, going to do the HSF online test now. Next week I have an assessment day for the summer voluntary role overseas so it should all be pretty interesting? Retail work is hard though I am learning 😭 only working until mid Jan to save up for summer overseas role so I can comfortably do stuff without worrying about money. The assistant manager is the most annoying person on the planet whereas I work wonderfully with the manager (she's super nice and charismatic) and the other girl (she knows how to teach without being annoyed with you). Like my manager laughs if I mess up and it creates a comfortable learning environment for me, whereas the assistant woman herself is always so stressed/flustered, she makes me tense up ughhhh

if it makes u feel better i was once doing a vi, I was so unprepared, literally half way an answer I jus stopped and said these answers r so shit u can reject me I understand

 

[Miss Chocolate]

if it makes u feel better i was once doing a vi, I was so unprepared, literally half way an answer I jus stopped and said these answers r so shit u can reject me I understand

Do you mind me asking what the outcome of that VI was? TBF that kind of sounds iconic? Like they should give you the job for the self-awareness alone!!

 

[legalgrinch]

if it makes u feel better i was once doing a vi, I was so unprepared, literally half way an answer I jus stopped and said these answers r so shit u can reject me I understand

Wow! I do not have your level of confidence in doing that! For my first VI (it was for Weil) I literally just closed the laptop..

Funny enough, GR emailed me about it, and kindly told me to re-submit my answers 🤩

 

[mfuturetrainee]

I asked to withdraw my app literally the day after 🥲 I think I was jus so exhausted and ive recently been rejected after reaching a 2nd vi stage that I was jus so drained by the time I was answering! defo not professional but honestly in that moment it just slipped out I was so done w myself (also this was a vi at the end of a sjt, it wasnt a 2nd stage!!)

Wow! I do not have your level of confidence in doing that! For my first VI (it was for Weil) I literally just closed the laptop..

Funny enough, GR emailed me about it, and kindly told me to re-submit my answers 🤩

Do you mind me asking what the outcome of that VI was? TBF that kind of sounds iconic? Like they should give you the job for the self-awareness alone!!

 

[legalgrinch]

I asked to withdraw my app literally the day after 🥲 I think I was jus so exhausted and ive recently been rejected after reaching a 2nd vi stage that I was jus so drained by the time I was answering! defo not professional but honestly in that moment it just slipped out I was so done w myself (also this was a vi at the end of a sjt, it wasnt a 2nd stage!!)

Ahhh no! Was this A&O out of interest? 🤣

I never bothered to apply to them because of the VI! I’m avoiding all firms with VI’s this cycle.. not sure if that is a bad move

 

[Miss Chocolate]

I am actually gonna cry. I don't care, I give up. It's just so annoying that uni doesn't have room bookings easily available and I can't be bothered to go home and do them because I know I will get anxious about not being able to focus.

 

[Miss Chocolate]

Just got an email -- the HSF online mark matches their benchmark. Now I just hope the written application doesn't let me down.

 

[legalgrinch]

Just got an email -- the HSF online mark matches their benchmark. Now I just hope the written application doesn't let me down.

👏👏👏✨

 

[Jessica Booker]

that's true. Can I ask, if a firm doesn't offer you to qualify in an area you are interested in, what happens after that? Like what are my options if, say I really want to qualify in IP, but the firm doesn't need anymore NQs in IP? Hypothetically speaking.

You’d generally be applying to other firms who have IP NQ roles.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Yeah I will look into this because I feel like qualifying into an area is a huge commitment and I want to make sure the firm accommodates me and if they don't, I want to make sure I am not screwed -- as in haven't wasted two years of training for nothing.

It’s pretty impossible to get a firm to accommodate you.

They are unlikely to know whether there will be NQ roles so far in advance (the trainees recruited this year won’t qualify until 2028), and even if there was a certainty, they don’t know which trainees will be interested in qualifying there.

So many trainees change their mind during their TC anyway, that I wouldn’t worry about this until you are in your second year of your TC.

 

[legalgrinch]

It’s pretty impossible to get a firm to accommodate you.

They are unlikely to know whether there will be NQ roles so far in advance (the trainees recruited this year won’t qualify until 2028), and even if there was a certainty, they don’t know which trainees will be interested in qualifying there.

So many trainees change their mind during their TC anyway, that I wouldn’t worry about this until you are in your second year of your TC.

I heard it’s easier to qualify in Corporate than it is Litigation or Real Estate? Is this true?

Also, if I apply to a firm like Bates Wells, CRS or BDB Pitmans - can I easily move to a firm like Ashurst or HSF?

 

[Jessica Booker]

I heard it’s easier to qualify in Corporate than it is Litigation or Real Estate? Is this true?

Also, if I apply to a firm like Bates Wells, CRS or BDB Pitmans - can I easily move to a firm like Ashurst or HSF?

No truth to that. The ease is going to come down to the number of opportunities, the quality of other trainees compared to you, and who else applies to the role. That will always vary from firm to firm and even each qualifying intake.

I would look to LinkedIn to see if solicitors from those firms are moving to the others. Searching by firm name, let’s say CRS, and then filtering by current employer (you could add both HSF and Ashursts) will show who has moved between those firms. Having just done that on LinkedIn there are a small number of associates who were at CRS now at HSF.

 

[Miss Chocolate]

It’s pretty impossible to get a firm to accommodate you.

They are unlikely to know whether there will be NQ roles so far in advance (the trainees recruited this year won’t qualify until 2028), and even if there was a certainty, they don’t know which trainees will be interested in qualifying there.

So many trainees change their mind during their TC anyway, that I wouldn’t worry about this until you are in your second year of your TC.

Thank you so much! I know this may be a stupid assumption to have made but I thought that you simply had to qualify with the same firm you did your TC with. I am still unsure if that's the case or just a norm. Also, could I ask how difficult it is to leave a firm after the two years are over and look for other firms to take you in and let you qualify into a specific team? It's probably too soon to worry about this and I need to get a TC first lol but I am just worried about ending up in a situation where I am qualifying into a seat I don't want. So as long as I end up completing my two years as a trainee, I am good to seek out other NQ positions with different firms? Would they need me to have previous experience either as a paralegal or as one of my TC seats within that area? Thanks