Getting a headstart in Herts: the law fair season begins!

Earlier this month saw me starting the law fair season ahead of schedule and heading out of London to the University of Hertfordshire. Their law students are lucky enough to enjoy not one, but two events specifically targeted to provide information on life as a solicitor or barrister, and other alternatives in the profession. It was satisfying to see a large number of students attending the evening and enthusiastically talking to firm representatives. We’re keen advocates of proactive networking in these situations; insightful and thoughtful conversations with recruiters is an excellent way to develop a better understanding of their firms, as well as creating a positive first impression before sending an application. We also offered students the chance to expand their knowledge of firms not in attendance and pick up copies of The Training Contract & Pupillage Handbook 2014. The countdown to training contract application deadlines has truly begun (we’ve noticed a rise in the number of application-related tweets and Instagram posts, even in the midst of exam season) and the Handbook is an essential starting place for your research.

Throughout the evening, a number of Q&A panels and presentations took place. Representing LawCareers.Net, I was joined by solicitors, a barrister and a mediation expert; the entire panel had plenty of advice and encouragement for attendees hoping to secure jobs in the legal profession. Thomas Nolan, a trainee solicitor at Luton-based Machins Solicitors LLP, told attendees about the variety in his day-to-day life at the firm, as well as his past experience as a paralegal. Nolan emphasised how much he valued being part of a smaller team (compared with large trainee intakes at large City firms) and how, consequently, a large proportion of his role was client facing. Having completed only five training contract applications, he encouraged students to allow enough time for each form and not to fire off generic applications to just anyone. Perfect spelling, grammar and attention to detail were mentioned by all panellists; Robert Males, chief executive at Underwoods Solicitors, urged students to ask a number of people to proof their applications before even thinking about submitting them.

Commenting on preparation for interviews, Richard Nall-Cain (a barrister at St Albans Chambers) highlighted the importance of dressing appropriately. Observing our audience, he commented that there was only one attendee whom he would consider suitable for a job interview at that moment. Appearing as a common query to our Oracle, we’ve previously provided advice on the best approach to dressing for interviews.

Several questions from the audience focused on careers in mediation - due both to the university’s excellent mediation centre, where many students study for an additional module and the presence of fellow panellist, John Gunner. Gunner is a director of InterMediation and a civil and commercial mediator, who is internationally qualified and recognised as an EU cross-border mediator. While he reminded the audience that the world of mediation does not offer any entry-level routes into the world of law, he agreed that gaining extra qualifications, such as a certificate in mediation, can provide a valuable opportunity to differentiate your application from hundreds of others. Considering his own CV, Gunner explained that he had deliberately taken training that meant only seven other people in the world offer the same set of qualifications as him. Persistence in research and perfection in applications were the key themes of the panel’s guidance - I hope those in attendance took note and achieve success in their training contract search.