Should I accept a Training Contract at a high street firm even if deep down, that is not what I have ever wanted?

[rich.veggieburger_]

Hello all,

I've been facing a dilemma and would be grateful for some advice.

Background:

I currently work at a high street firm as a paralegal whilst studying for the SQE. My firm has offered me a Training Contract, and I'm unsure whether I should accept it.

Pros

• Job stability - This would be the biggest reason to accept the TC. The job market is terrible right now and it's worrying to read about rising unemployment, especially among young graduates.
• Culture - The firm is really nice. Everyone is really friendly and employees are treated well.
• Low stress and good work/life balance - I don't take work home with me, I don't think about my work at home nor is there an expectation to work beyond my contracted hours.
• Decent quality of work - There are some interesting matters and there is one department in particular that I would be eager to have a seat in.

Cons

• Low salary - Perhaps one of the biggest turnoffs is how low the salary is. One of the main reasons I chose to purse a legal career was due to the prospects of high earnings. I am also worried about how accepting this TC could affect my long-term salary progression. Of course, money is not everything but I would like to afford the finer things in life and this job won't allow that.
• Seat choice - I am really only interested in three of the seven seats offered. My interests ultimately lie within corporate/commercial law, and I think that if I trained in a big city firm, I would be able to focus on this area. My current firm offers a corporate seat, but also offers seats in personal law, which don't interest me.
• Less busy - This obviously varies by department, but in mine I am often extremely bored and left with nothing to do despite asking. I am not sure if this could be due to me being quite junior, or also because the department already has enough staff and simply do not need me.
• Location - London is closer to me and more convenient to get to than my current firm, which is a pain to commute to.
• Settling for less (than I actually want) - Of course, this firm is a lovely place for the right person. I think it would be ideal for someone who is looking to settle down soon and wants a good work/life balance, especially great if you have a family. However, I have decided that I would rather grind hard in my 20s and 30s while I have few responsibilities, than live the slow life. The fact of the matter is I have never wanted to work at a small firm and worry that I will regret settling for something that I never wanted.
• Type of work - I would really like to work on the mega deals that we see in the large city firms. In particular, I would like to do large-scale international work, which my firm obviously does not offer.

Other considerations

• My family and friends think I'm crazy for wanting to reject the TC. This makes me worry that I would be making the wrong decision by turning down the TC, although deep down, I don't feel like it would be right to accept it.
• I am not a big risk taker in all honesty. I have always played it safe, but rejecting this TC and potentially facing indefinite unemployment would obviously be extremely risky.
• I have saved up money for my SQE exams and an Emergency Fund to get me through at least six months of unemployment.
• I am hopeful that I will be able to secure a TC at a top city law firm, although at times I feel put off by the competition.
• I am aware that I could train at my current firm, and then try to move to London later on in my career. However, I think it would be much harder to move up and I am worried that the quality of training would not be so good at my current firm. As mentioned, I am willing to work hard now whilst I'm young rather than when I'm older.

You can probably tell that I am reluctant to accept this offer, but what would you do?

TL;DR: High street TC offer vs. ambition for City corporate. Low pay + wrong seats vs. risk of having no TC at all. What would you do?