Legal apprenticeship: any tips on trying to find a trainee solicitor job

Congrats to those who got the second interview! I got the second interview last year but obv didnt get offered the job:(.
From my experience of the interview, the best piece of advice I can give is to be yourself!However, I now realise that the top firms basically want you to convey that you have wanted to be a solicitor since you were born!!Any doubt about that and they will write you off straight away so make sure to seem enthusiastic and passionate about life as a solicitor-tough i know!
I know Irishlawgirl, that staying at home was the best option.Going to Oz wud only leave me in debt and coming home in a years time,Id be in the exact same position as I am now!
Does anyone know when a&l, fry n mops tell you whether you got an interview-this waiting game is so frustrating!
 
Kiki86 said:
Congrats to those who got the second interview! I got the second interview last year but obv didnt get offered the job:(.
From my experience of the interview, the best piece of advice I can give is to be yourself!However, I now realise that the top firms basically want you to convey that you have wanted to be a solicitor since you were born!!Any doubt about that and they will write you off straight away so make sure to seem enthusiastic and passionate about life as a solicitor-tough i know!
I know Irishlawgirl, that staying at home was the best option.Going to Oz wud only leave me in debt and coming home in a years time,Id be in the exact same position as I am now!
Does anyone know when a&l, fry n mops tell you whether you got an interview-this waiting game is so frustrating!
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thanks for the advice kiki..useful to know. i have utter respect for your decision not to go to oz...., im sure it was a tough one to make, but you made the right choice and dont worry, it will pay off at some stage.
re the other firms: from what i know...it will be early december before they start getting back to people. but i have had NO feedback (not even an acknowledgement of receipt of application form) from maples & calder..so kind of concerned about that...and yeh the waiting game totally sucks
 
In relation to Maples, no one has gotten anything back with regard to applications. Anyone I've spoken to is in the same boat, so that's not too bad...
 
God im loving this forum-its so comforting to see my exact thoughts being written down by lots of other people!I was considering emailing Maples and Calder today cos I was worried that they had not aknowledged my application but now I know that everyone is in the same boat!
To be honest I think that is quite rude-the least a law firm can do is sent an email, especially considering the time and effort put in to filling out those pesky application forms!

Has anyone seriously considered a career change and if so does anyone know what are the feasible options for a person with a degree and a masters?Just have become fed up with this whole thing and would seriously consider a different path if it meant that I could get started in the working world.This poor student lifestyle is not cool!
Thanks for your support LDGantly, it was a tough decision to make-I hate being the sensible one but after 4 years in college I feel like its time to get the ol' career on track!
 
I did the second round interviews in Cox's last year - again to reiterate what a previous post said - it's all about having wanted this since being near pre-natal!!

Slightly bitter here....

Re other firms, they should've sent some letters out by now. I know last year that i'd a letter from William Fry asking me for an interview before I'd gone for the AC second interview so perhaps that should be out soon.

I think about changing career every day! If this doesn't work out - as in decent app'ship after all my hard work (sweat and tears!!) I will seriously consider leaving Ireland for a while. My cv is so "law" focused that I would consider long and hard re next move.

oh the thoughts of having to start at the rockiest bottom again is not inviting... neither is looking for an app'ship ever again!!

Congrats to all those who got the 2nd round interview. Think AC would take on a max of 30 this year..at a push. They would interview around 100... I think i'm in pain with these odds!!

Just imagine the relief getting in there?!!!!
 
I suppose its understandable if most firms don't want to take on candidates that don't show how much they want the position?

It is pretty annoying about not having heard anything from Maples, but as KiKi said it's much better when you know everyone else is in the same position, this being especially true when I got the rejection e-mail from McCanns!

No letter for me from A.Cox here after all that wait, dunno if that means anything or if the post is just slow - especially annoying that I live a 10 minute walk from the offices!
 
Kiki86 said:
God im loving this forum-its so comforting to see my exact thoughts being written down by lots of other people!I was considering emailing Maples and Calder today cos I was worried that they had not aknowledged my application but now I know that everyone is in the same boat!
To be honest I think that is quite rude-the least a law firm can do is sent an email, especially considering the time and effort put in to filling out those pesky application forms!

Has anyone seriously considered a career change and if so does anyone know what are the feasible options for a person with a degree and a masters?Just have become fed up with this whole thing and would seriously consider a different path if it meant that I could get started in the working world.This poor student lifestyle is not cool!
Thanks for your support LDGantly, it was a tough decision to make-I hate being the sensible one but after 4 years in college I feel like its time to get the ol' career on track!
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yeh..its brilliant to know that everybody else is in the same boat...about as much comfort as one can get in these stressful times!!
no to be honest kiki, i havent considered it at all...i've had my heart set on corp law for way too long, this is my first year applying and im stilll in uni doing post grad so ill be plugging away no matter what happens with interviews, for another few years anyway....i worked way too hard to give up...althogh i may not be saying that come end of january!!lol...just have to wait and see what happens
 
Hi guys, thanks a million for all your input to this forum, the information is invaluable.

Like all the rest of you, I got rejected by McCann Fitz even though I've gotten firsts in first and second year of college, and will hopefully do the same for my finals. Also, as part of my degree, I worked for 3 mths in MOP and 3 mths in WFry. So its a bit gutting to not even get called for interview.

Anyway, had a group interview with AC, it went okay really but the everyone else was so good as well. Everyone had something useful to say about everything. I see some of you have gotten responses from AC about second interview. I've heard nothing but hopefully something will come Monday. I'm from Donegal so it usually takes two days for postage.

I've heard nothing from Maples and Calder either and just got acknowledgments from everyone else.

I'll keep everyone posted on any developments for me, I hope you all continue to do the same. The waiting is just interminable! Good luck to all of you.
 
If people have firsts in both years and the experience mentioned then there is obviously something up with McCann. Wouldn't worry about it. If you got an internship with MOP and WF then that will get you interviews with both of them. Best of luck with it.

Has anyone considered what they are going to say in the interviews? One question the constantly ask is why a solicitor and why big firm. Any insightful answers to this question? e.g. keen interest in business, liked company law maybe??
 
hey all. I got an interview with McCann Fitz so they must be still recruiting, also got 2nd interview with Arthur Cox... but have never done an interview before so dont know what to expect. has anyone done an individual interview with A.cox before???!!

Also, I have no idea why I got interview with McCann and so many others didn't, Okay, academically speaking, I can see why I got a call-back as I got 600 points, have a first and came first in my year in my finals but that's not exactly groundbreaking stuff, there are people applying with 800 points, relevant work experience, masters and Fe1s all done and an interest in rugby and sailing to boot! I, on the other hand, don't have any Fe1s done and haven't done a masters yet so dunno what exactly they are looking for.
As for Arthur Cox, was so surprised to hear back from them because I was totally myself and didn't brownnose them at all, had a bit of craic in the interview, made **** of a few yuppy head muppets and didn't tone down my lovely 100 mph kerry accent :) everyone else in my group had a weird strangulated faux american/ south dublin accent and were brown-nosing their hearts out, talking about how "terribly haunting" the images in their favourite book were. blah blah felt like puking on some of them they were so affected. So thought I didn't stand a chance.
I am as confused as you all are about what they are looking for, but they seem to like it when people are themselves.


more importantly, tips for individual interviews anyone?
 
Many congratulations froggie21 to getting those interviews! Good Luck!

Did anyone get a letter today from A Cox saying they haven't been called for second interview?
 
Hey Theo, from what I can gather for the process last year-Those who are successful in getting to the 2nd round are sent their letters first. The PfO's will arrive on monday!Think its a lousey way to do it-everyone should be informed on the first day cos its not fair to let people hanging!
Then again this whole apprenticeship thing is unfair:(

Froggie-one tip is to make sure you keep that kerry accent and make it stronger if you can!!Padraig O Riordan who is one of the managing partners is from Cork and seems to have an affiliation for Cork/Kerry people so if he ends up interviewing you, you may be in luck!
A guy who is currently training in arthur Cox told me that realistically the interviewer wants to determine whether he would get on with you on a day to day basis. Therefore, being a know-all with opinions that are too strong are not likely to be offered the position. Just be yourself, dont appear too antagonistic!

Good Luck:)

I just have one question, has anyone looked into qualifying as a lawyer abroad..say in OZ, Canada or Cayman Islands?I know it seems like a long haul but itd be worth it!!Any info would be welcome!
 
Kiki86 said:
Hey Theo, from what I can gather for the process last year-Those who are successful in getting to the 2nd round are sent their letters first. The PfO's will arrive on monday!Think its a lousey way to do it-everyone should be informed on the first day cos its not fair to let people hanging!
Then again this whole apprenticeship thing is unfair:(
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I hope this isn't true! Have to wait til Monday to find out for definite, which is obviously annoying - the one thing keeping my hopes up is that for the group interview letters one of the lads who lives near as well got his letter a day later than me. Thought the group interview went really well so fingers crossed, maybe it's just down to my application
 
hear hear, and what's more, if that's the only type of ppl you'll find in these firms I don't want a part of them.
 
Hi,

I've just found this thread and I'm in the middle of the application process too.

The whole process is an awful pain in the This post will be deleted if not edited to remove bad language! Luckily, I did a couple of internships in the summer and got a couple of offers, but I'm sending around other application forms at the moment. Got a PFO from McCann's, but got second interview with AC, which I'm happy with.

I've seen Maples and Calder mentioned a few times on this thread. People, if you get an offer from any other firm in Ireland, do NOT join M&C (this sounds like a bitter rant from someone who interned there and didn't get the offer, but it's not). I'd be happy to explain why to anyone via Private Message, but don't want to get too specific on a public forum. By the way, I've heard a rumour that they pay trainees top Dublin salaries, and they mentioned at their Open Evening that they pay the most - this is not true. It's actually less than the Big 5 salaries, with the exception of MOP, which is the smallest.

Best of luck to everyone with the applications, interviews etc - hopefully we'll all get traineeships and then we can go back to drinking our way through our final year of college :)
 
lionel_hutz said:
Hi,

I've just found this thread and I'm in the middle of the application process too.

The whole process is an awful pain in the This post will be deleted if not edited to remove bad language! Luckily, I did a couple of internships in the summer and got a couple of offers, but I'm sending around other application forms at the moment. Got a PFO from McCann's, but got second interview with AC, which I'm happy with.

I've seen Maples and Calder mentioned a few times on this thread. People, if you get an offer from any other firm in Ireland, do NOT join M&C (this sounds like a bitter rant from someone who interned there and didn't get the offer, but it's not). I'd be happy to explain why to anyone via Private Message, but don't want to get too specific on a public forum. By the way, I've heard a rumour that they pay trainees top Dublin salaries, and they mentioned at their Open Evening that they pay the most - this is not true. It's actually less than the Big 5 salaries, with the exception of MOP, which is the smallest.

Best of luck to everyone with the applications, interviews etc - hopefully we'll all get traineeships and then we can go back to drinking our way through our final year of college :)
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heya could you please pm with your thoughts on M&C as id really love to know about your experience there....it would be much appreciated....thanx
 
Just randomly googled solicitor apprenticeships and found this thread. Like everyone else I'm trying to find a traineeship. I'm in final BCL did an Erasmus Year, alright results some great some ok but the "regret blah blah" letters ave already started rolling in :(Anyhoo I went to my class advisor because I was completely discouraged by the whole thing and he recommended that I train how to be a solicitor in the UK. This is the website address http://www.college-of-law.co.uk/prospective-students/ , I'm considering it but if I got an apprenticeship here I'd stay.. Just thought it might be handy for anyone whos the same as me here.:)
 
Panic ever so slightly kicking in re 2nd round interviews with AC! Didn't do great (thought I did better in them last year and got to the 2nd round in there that time) but this time I was just surrounded by extremely good candidates, or perhaps very talkative ones - which at the time seemed like they were great, but afterwards, upon replaying and replaying it all in my head, I thought, there was one or two comments that would not have gone in their favour. I live in the city centre of Dublin... hmm delay delay delay!! Oh to get a pfo would not be good!! At this stage, packing in law is becoming an option. Only thing right now i'd miss is the money - the stress of all this though is fast becoming not worth it.

Going to look up now training in another country. It annoys me that this is an option after what can be described as bloody hard work to get my CV to where it is now, I guess some people have it easy and others.. have it like me! (Sounding like a martyr but some friends of mine were handed GREAT app'ships!) I'm fighting tooth and nail for everything!! If I do get to an interview i'm very liable to rant!! or pass out with the stress!!!
 
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