Legal apprenticeship: any tips on trying to find a trainee solicitor job
- Thread starter Gabrielle
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JessieJess
Guest
Although it's not a requirement to have your FE1s done when applying especially to the big firms, I think having passed your FE1s now is an advantage. Some firms specified that they only wanted people who had finished the FE1s to apply to them. Some firms were even looking for people to start in January 2009, so of course you must have had the FE1s taken by now! Thanks to this current economic climate, I don't think many firms are able to look very far into the future and offer traineeships past 2010, pushing it at 2011 (although I know MOP gave the option of a 2012 traineeship on their forms). I think it's a great advantage to be able to say to any firm, 'Yep FE1s are in the bag, I can start tomorrow if you want', rather than (in my case), 'Well, I'm in my final year now, so I got to finish that, then go sit the Fe1s, that's going to take a while, then I'll might <read: will take> a few months off and go travelling and relax before I come back to join you and leave my life at the door of this office'.
For those of you who have interviews lined up or those who were luckily enough to get Arthur Cox interviews, may I ask how many of ye have a degree? And unless you think this is too personal, why do you think YOU got chosen out of hundreds of CVs for the interview?
Personally, I know I have the potential to make a great solicitor and I feel that this comes across well on paper. I have good grades, have bucketloads of extra-cir activities, debating and moot experiences, proven great communication and teamwork skills yada yada yada BUT I'm only in my final year of a degree. And I believe when my CV is lined up against somebody who has the same level of experiences, similar interests etc but they have a degree or a LLM , I believe that any firm, big or small, will chose them. It would seem idiotic to do otherwise.
I don't know how much truth is in my belief, perhaps I'm just bitter after getting another PFO! Maybe I shouldn't be a solicitor after all...
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galwaygirl24
Guest
Re hearing back from A.Cox, I think we should all still be pretty optimistic. Untill I hear of someone actually receiving an offer Im not giving up hope! Whatever they did last year was last year and this year there is a new trainee committee also so perhaps practices have changed.
My interview was very informal also, more of a chat than an interview really I think. The panel were very friendly, but it is hard to judge how it went as I think really its a question of whether they think your personality and outlook will fit in with that of the firm. I think this is the reason that we were not grilled with questions about the economy or the legal world in general. I think that if you get called to the second interview they know you have the necessary academic strengths and skills, really, on a very basic level, I think they are asking themselves would I like to have this person on my team and to work with them on a daily basis.
Also, I think its a slightly better reflection on Arthur Cox if they do leave some time before making offers. At least it shows that they have considered everybody's merits properly instead of just making a quick decision immediately after you leave the interview room!
Finally, I live abroad which means my post takes a little bit of extra time to get here! So while most of you have heard from A&L by now, my PFO/invite to interview is still in the postal system somewhere! Fingers crossed when I get home this evening it will have arrived!
My interview was very informal also, more of a chat than an interview really I think. The panel were very friendly, but it is hard to judge how it went as I think really its a question of whether they think your personality and outlook will fit in with that of the firm. I think this is the reason that we were not grilled with questions about the economy or the legal world in general. I think that if you get called to the second interview they know you have the necessary academic strengths and skills, really, on a very basic level, I think they are asking themselves would I like to have this person on my team and to work with them on a daily basis.
Also, I think its a slightly better reflection on Arthur Cox if they do leave some time before making offers. At least it shows that they have considered everybody's merits properly instead of just making a quick decision immediately after you leave the interview room!
Finally, I live abroad which means my post takes a little bit of extra time to get here! So while most of you have heard from A&L by now, my PFO/invite to interview is still in the postal system somewhere! Fingers crossed when I get home this evening it will have arrived!
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galwaygirl24
Guest
Yes, I know someone who works for A.C ad I was reliably informed 
I got an email rejection from Hayes too yesterday and rejection from a&l and beauchamps.....................not much more rejection this girl can take
as for ppl waiting on arthur cox congrats to you all on getting so far and don't be fretting too much at least you have some hope
as for ppl waiting on arthur cox congrats to you all on getting so far and don't be fretting too much at least you have some hope
When did Beauchamps send out their letters. I haven't heard anything from them at all which is probably a bad sign in itself but if the letters have been out for days, i'd like to email them and find out what's going on!
best of luck to all waiting to hear back on 2nd interviews - try not to fret too much. if they want you, they will stalk you. at least that's what they did to people i know who got offered traineeships in AC
best of luck to all waiting to hear back on 2nd interviews - try not to fret too much. if they want you, they will stalk you. at least that's what they did to people i know who got offered traineeships in AC
Irishlawgirl
Registered User
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So pretty much all that's left to hear back from apart from the above-mentioned are MOP and WFry. I know last year I'd been called/got a letter from WFry for an interview by the time the second round interviews were on. I think b'hall will be empty in 2009!!!
I think we all have to look at this situation realistically.........all the small firms appear to be taking on virtually no one, and all the big firms must certainly be cutting their numbers that they take on to roughly 15-20 each if even. If you compare this year with last year only arthur cox have invited a similar number of applicants for interviews, the others without doubt are interviewing a much smaller number. Irishlawgirl is right Blackhall is going to be like a ghost town for 2009/2010!!
Got a phonecall today that I got an interview with Maples and Calder
Got a phonecall today that I got an interview with Maples and Calder
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lawgrad
Guest
Got the phone call from Maples as well this morning, MOP and William Fry are certainly taking their time. I got the rejection from A&L as well, really don't know what they were looking for application form took hours!!! I think the numbers they are interviewing are way down (considering the lack of places as well). Any one else hear that FE1 results are out Monday?? Also the timetable for March is out incase ye haven't heard..
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cjak
Guest
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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cjak
Guest
Hi Im just wondering mr hutz whats wrong with Maples and Calder
i have an interview with them
whats your experience?
thanks!
cjak
ps pm me if u want
i have an interview with them
whats your experience?
thanks!
cjak
ps pm me if u want