CityLawLIVE Big Discussion: Part 1

I recently attended the inaugural CityLawLIVE student conference in London (which my colleague Isla Grant has also blogged about). It was a very interesting and motivating event for those looking to find out more about a legal career in the City. However, the final session of the day, the Big Discussion, addressed some important issues that are relevant to all students looking for a training contract and not just those targeting City firms. The Big Discussion looked at the nitty gritty of training contract application forms, what a firm expects of you, interview tips and how to make yourself stand out. I will highlight some of the key points that were covered in this and a follow-up blog post.

The representatives on the Big Discussion Panel were:

• Justine Thompson, graduate recruitment & development manager, Baker & McKenzie
• John Stephenson, trainee, Ashurst
• Gemma Baker, head of careers service, Kaplan Law School
• Amy Elderfield, business manager, Apply4Law and AllHires
• Matthew Broadbent, publisher, LawCareers.Net

How many applications should I make?

The key message here is quality not quantity. John recommended spending three days on each application. With excellent academic grades and extracurricular activities being key requirements, this leaves little time to do masses of applications; rather, you should concentrate on making a handful of fully researched and focused applications. Justine suggested you draw up a shortlist of firms (the list should actually be short - in the region of 5-10 firms) that you are interested in and that match your academics and career aspirations. You should be thinking about your future career as a lawyer, and which firm and training contract would be good for you.

Amy cautioned against attempting to fit pre-prepared, standard answers into a firm application form. You must tailor your response based on your research into that firm and you should take the time to make your application stand out. Gemma suggested that if you were to send off 40 applications, then you should not be surprised to get 40 rejections! You will need to dedicate a lot of time to filling in an application form, but dedication is exactly the sort of quality firms will be looking for.

When you say 'research firms', what should I be looking at?

You need to consider what type of firm you want to work for and what you want from a firm. Think about the size of the firm, its culture, where it is based, the type of work it does, whether it offers international secondments and so on. Look at the firm's brochure, website and other literature to get a feel for things. Each firm will represent itself in a different way; for example, Gemma suggested that a firm may seek to emphasize its human side, its international outlook, its big-hitting clients or its pro bono opportunities. You need to focus on how you might fit into this particular firm. The really important thing is to meet people from the firm to get an idea of what it is really like. There are many opportunities to do so, such as at law fairs, open evenings, and firm presentations and workshops. As Justine said, meeting people from the firm offers a different perspective to the one presented by the firm's website and brochure and gives you first-hand insight into the culture and working environment of the firm. Finally, Gemma offered a sage piece of advice: only apply to a firm that you actually want to work at!

Why are online application forms the most common method of application?

Using an online application system allows a firm to collect the same data from all candidates and to make decisions that are fair and consistent. It means that all candidates are on a level playing field. Online application systems also offer benefits for candidates as they make correspondence between the firm and candidate a lot easier and quicker, and the application is stored for the candidate to refer to at a later date.

Justine mentioned that some firms, including Baker & McKenzie, also ask for a cover letter as part of the application form. This allows the firm to assess the way in which you present important information, such as why you want to be a lawyer, why you want to work at that firm and what makes you interesting.

Amy advised against assuming that a CV and covering letter is an easier means of application. In fact, it makes it easier to send in a bad, unfocused and untargeted application.

Training contract applications open early and can be open for a big window of time. When is the best time to apply?

First of all, you need to find out if the firm recruits on a rolling basis (ie, they continually assess applications rather than waiting until after the application deadline). Firms receive hundreds of applications so many will start assessing applications before the deadline.

All panel members warned against submitting your application in a rush on deadline day. Gemma pointed out that last-minute applications tend to be rushed and riddled with spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. She recommended paying extra attention to the spelling of the firm name (eg, the correct firm name is 'Slaughter and May' not 'Slaughter & May'). Although most candidates believe that they would never get the firm name wrong, it is in fact a really easy mistake to make and one that will put you firmly in the reject pile.

Amy said that you should not be put off applying because you think you might have more to add to an application at a later date (eg, adding a work placement to your work experience). Apply4Law forms allow the candidate to go back in and add supplementary information up until the deadline date and this will be flagged up to the firm.

My follow-up post will look at how to display work experience on an application form, what skills firms are looking for, how to make your application stand out, and dos and don'ts at interview.

If you are interested in listening to the whole of the Big Discussion and other sessions of the CityLawLIVE conference please visit the LawCareers.Net YouTube channel where you can also see video interviews from the event.

For further information about CityLawLIVE see www.CityLawLIVE.com.