I know I am not the only third seat trainee feeling anxious and apprehensive about qualification. Not only is there the pressure of attempting to determine exactly which department you would like to qualify into, there is also the fear of not securing an NQ role at all.
After a lot of worry, panic and even a few tears, I have now adopted a new attitude towards qualification. Fellow trainees and supervisors of mine will likely find the hypocrisy that follows mildly (verging on very) amusing but hey, hindsight is a wonderful thing! I do hope that the tips below can help those yet to become agitated over the process.
Guilty as charged. But seriously, you only get one training contract so try to enjoy it. Make the most of all the opportunities that you are given and do your best to get stuck into the work of each department. This really is the best way to prepare yourself for qualification as not only will you have a better understanding of the work undertaken in each practice area, you are also more likely to create a positive impression with your supervisor – everyone’s a winner!
Some people will go into their training contracts knowing exactly what they’re interested in and where they aspire to qualify. This can be intimidating if you aren’t quite sure yourself. Don’t panic as, in all honesty, there is something to be said for keeping your options open. Approaching each seat with an open mind is probably the best way to get the most out of it and gain an accurate picture of that practice area. Many different factors can contribute towards where you eventually end up so overthinking it tends to be a waste of energy (cue insatiable laughter from anyone who knows me).
You will not know all the law there is to know in your chosen practice area at the point of qualification. I have even heard partners comment that they continue to accumulate new knowledge every day, that’s part of the beauty of this profession. Nobody expects a miraculous transformation from you the day that you qualify, what they will expect however is that you have built on your experience throughout your training contract and taken on board constructive criticism in order to progress. So long as you are demonstrating a concerted effort to learn and work hard, you are moving in the right direction.
You can’t be blamed for feeling stressed and anxious as qualification approaches. It is an uneasy time and, nine times out of ten, nothing is set in stone – that’s the nature of the beast! At the risk of sounding ‘preachy’, if you do your best to work hard, make good impressions and learn as much as you can, you will probably end up somewhere that you are both happy and successful.
I hope that this short note assists some who, like me, has found themselves stressed about qualification. If nothing else, it is likely to prove a useful tool for friends and family to refer to when experiencing one of my all too frequent ‘over-dramatic’ episodes.
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