So many firms, so little time

Dear Oracle

I am currently researching which firms to apply to for a training contract. How many applications is it sensible to make? Obviously I want to make good applications and focus on those firms which best match my interests, but there are so many firms it is hard to whittle down the list!

The Oracle replies

The trick is to come up with your own criteria and then target the firms that fit. Is office size and geographical location important to you? What about type - would you prefer to work at a magic circle, City, provincial or high-street firm? Which area of law do you intend to specialise in? Once you have an idea of what's most important to you, try the LawCareers.Net training contract and vacation scheme search engine, which shortlists firms according to size, region, partners, start date and practice.

Opinion varies as to how many applications you should make, but you should certainly do no more than 20. We think that around 10, properly researched applications are about right; remember that to stand a chance of success you'll need to have spent plenty of time getting to know each firm (find out more about researching law firms in, "A how-to guide to researching firms"), writing your application and checking it for errors. It follows then that the fewer applications you make, the more time you can spend perfecting each one. The choice, however, is yours…

Good luck!