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

"The credit crunch is impacting our legal eagles. Leading firm AL Goodbody is now offering trainee solicitors one-year contracts, in line with its peers. Partners and other senior management are also having their bonsues cut."
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Sooo for all of us that are not looking at a traineeship for 2009 can maybe not be too heart broken. A one year contract??! As much as I want one - that still would leave you with one anxious year! I'm guessing it's a precautionary measure in case the whole economy goes belly up but on the other side - when are people who want to be solicitors going to have a moment to relax?! Fair enough most other areas of jobs are going to say that they're in a state of confusion and instability too but with the whole ap'ship hunt thing to begin with - we were already at a disadvantage to begin with.

for me - i've given up on the idea of being in Blackhall for 2009. I'm not going to waste my time (or nerves!) anymore sending out CV's to the detriment of the job i'm doing right now. I've put enough on hold (trying to get a traineeship since 2007) and it's nearly a relief realising that I can take a year off (so to speak) from wishing I was anywhere but from where I am.

How is everyone else going to handle not being in b'hall 2009?
 
Anyways, I'm trying to understand what this means, i.e. one year contracts post-training or one year traineeships (the reason I ask is I didn't think it was possible for the latter and just want to clear any confusion up!)[/quote]

that has to mean the former. they cant offer you a one year TC can they? I think you're right in saying that its not possible (law society rules).
would people still accept training offer if yee knew it was only for one year?
Ive an interview there in jan...will be interesting to see what happens? anybody else have an interview there?

no word yet from Dillon Eustace(although someone mentioned a pfo from them last week)/Hanby Wallace/lk shields/Frys.....i would expect the latter two to get back to us this week
 
Thanks for the advice. I'm not looking to formulate answers so they appear rehearsed, it's more to conquer my nerves and experience a mock interview. I looked into Carr Communications and it looked as if it's a two day thing, ie that they record you and you come back another day to see how you've improved. Was that the case for ye? I would have to go to Dublin from Cork and not exactly willing to go twice!!

BTW, I got a PFO from Dillon Eustace (via e-mail) last week. I think it's a bit unusual that we have heard nothing from BCM (not even a confirmation e-mail), which makes me wonder whether they are actually recruiting and advertised only for their PR?!
 
its definately a one day thing-about 2 hours. if you want to conquer your nerves, there's no better way of doing it than getting them to give you a hard time-trust me!
 
irishlawgirl, you seem to be a very determined person, therefore (I know thats it hard, given the amount of times you've applied) I would say not to give up and that something will come your way soon. Whats for you wont pass you by!
would you not think of applying in the UK? as far as i know work experience is a MAJOR factor (from reading threads on trainee solicitor.co.uk and rollonfriday.com) over there when it comes to applying for TC and you seem to have plenty of it, as well as decent grades? might be an option...
 
Cheers for the advice LDGantly - it's just after having doing the fe1's (and it's not just a question of the exams, it's the time not working while doing them so it all adds up) and to go to the UK that means more expense and then to qualify back over here or do the transfer test exams.. i've met one guy who did that - qualified over in the UK - and could only get a paralegal position in a big law firm here - so definitely a bit dubious about how people are treated over here after qualifying in the Uk.

I'm certainly determined but after a while i'm afraid having been so determined and still coming up empty handed - it may be a reflection on me (in what way i'm not sure!).
 
Having decided not to spend a THIRD year looking for an apprenticeship and to focus on trying to get alternative employment/study I am freaking out! I was optimistic that having a law degree, a masters in law and legal work experience would be seen positively regardless but I have failed to get any job of any kind:-(
I've gone for public sector jobs, legal secretary, banks, NGO's (my masters was in human rights law) and even random receptionist jobs and got nothing.
I badly need advice. I have huge debts since college and since taking time off work three years ago to do the FE'1s. I can't find any work, let alone an apprenticeship.
Anyone else in the same boat or am I just cursed?! I feel like I've tried everything. I'm not even fussy about location providing the job is decent.
I thought about returning to college to do a PHD or another masters but I cannot afford it and theres no assistance out there for people who already have a post-grad. My university won't advise me because its over 4 years since I graduated.
 
the only conceivable reflection that such determination might have on you, is that you really, really want to become a solicitor, more so than a lot of people! so stick to it and something will come up, maybe even when you least expect it. In relation to qualifying in the UK....i still think its no harm applying and seeing what happens (that was my alternative). They have this huge concept of "vacation schemes" (their alt to internships) which play a huge role in people obtaining TCs further down the line, with the firm that they did the vac scheme with....apparantly, easter is when people usually apply for those, and august when people apply for TCs. You never know, you might get an offer and might actually like the firm and living in the UK and might not want to move back home, and if you do, that guy you talked to is just one example of someone who couldnt find a job after qualifying in the UK, and i would doubt that it is any sort of reasonable reflection on employment prospects of people with UK qualifications.
is there any chance of the firm with which you are paraligalling offering you a TC?
 
LB25- I would be in a similar boat to you vis a vis waiting for so long for a'ship however as you are out of work at an abysmal time - I would strongly recommend joining some sort of recruitment agency or applying to big firms for a legal sec job - although I know a lot of secretaries have been let go recently in the big firms. You could however as you already have legal experience try for a job in retail - coming up to Xmas there's always places willing to take people on to cover the "xmas rush" - but again - there's always a bit of luck involved. I would just try get a job right now if I were you to tide you over and not to be too overlyl concerned with getting the "right" job as you said you've already got experience therefore you could afford (exeperience-wise) to forgo searching for a legal job (which are very few and far between) and just go hell for leather for any job retail/otherwise.

It's just a thought.
 
LDGantly said:
is there any chance of the firm with which you are paraligalling offering you a TC?
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Not a chance!! They've interviewed me two years in a row! Very nice of them - wasn't it?!! I would recommend to everyone out NEVER INTERVIEW IN A FIRM THAT YOU WORK IN - IT'S HELL!

That's off my chest now. As for the U.K. as determined as I am, I would hate the thought of "setting up shop" over there and then settling down and then having to come back here and start all over again - I will be 27 next year and would rather remain here (remain/unable to move!!) and perhaps get an a'ship in a tiny firm and work my way up from there. What a state the whole economy has gotten us all into - as if (and as cliche as this sounds) the whole a'ship thing wasn't hard enough to begin with!!

Perspective: there's people newly qualified offering to work for free right now in the south of Ireland.

I think i've just given up being disappointed that i'm no longer holding out any hope for 2009.
 
LDGantly said:
They have this huge concept of "vacation schemes" (their alt to internships) which play a huge role in people obtaining TCs further down the line, with the firm that they did the vac scheme with....apparantly, easter is when people usually apply for those, and august when people apply for TCs.
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Might just look into this for the next twenty mins! There's no harm I guess! My only worry with this route is that having not gone to Trinity - the UK won't recognise any other college! ahhh hurdle hurdle hurdle!!
 
i have to admit its kinda nice to see other ppl suffering from the rejection im suffering from to. I blame the law society in this country, we pay them so much money to do exams and stuff and they give us no help securing our careers, instead they allow hundreds and hundreds more ppl sit the FE1's and end up stuck for a training contract like all us!
by the way has any1 heard anything from BCM????
 
l.m said:
I blame the law society in this country, we pay them so much money to do exams and stuff and they give us no help securing our careers, instead they allow hundreds and hundreds more ppl sit the FE1's and end up stuck for a training contract like all us!
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Sorry but I can't agree with that! They are there to train people etc and it's essentially up to you to have a contract prior to doing your FE-1s, if you choose to do it the other way round then you can't blame them.
 
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I wouldn't expect much from BCM til after Xmas. I got an interview with them last year and I wasn't called until mid-January. Thought they'd forgotten about me (which in a way I was happy about cause I was scared of doing the PowerPoint presentation) and then they phoned me!
 
do you mind me asking lam did u get offered a contract with bcm???
and jev while i understand its up to us to get a training contract i do think the law society should in some way try and curtail the ampount of ppl stuck in limbo.
 
i wholeheartedly agree,

The law society ought to be, in some way, incentivising law firms to take on trainee's....

can't understand why there is such a shortage of places.

only people with eight fe1's should be contracted, and tax breaks or some other incentive used to encourage the creation of trainee positions.

we are cheap labour...i'd even work for free now, just to qualify.

with every round of results we're up against more competition.

its freaking me out the more i think about it.
 
Yes i totally agree with you. I dont mind work all hours of every day for nothing to get to the finish line. ppl with their FE1'S got should be given priority these days.
 
ppl with their FE1'S got should be given priority these days.
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I totally disagree, the best candidates should be given priority and it should be for the firm to judge who that is. Passing the exams indicates only that someone has a certain base level of knowledge. A firm is going to be stuck with a trainee for at least two and half years and they need to be sure that the person they hire is the right fit for them.
 
obviously pulped that goes without saying but, i my opinion is that if there is two equally good canditates and one has FE1'S got and one hasn't, i think the person with the FE1's secured should be given priority at that stage.
 
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