Happy New Year! Can you believe it is already the start of a New Year and decade?
Fortunately, a new year comes with new opportunities to learn, grow, and pursue your goals. Therefore, if one of your goals for this year is to secure a vacation scheme or training contract, now is the perfect time to get started.
Do not worry if you did not apply for any vacation schemes over the Christmas break or are yet to start thinking about applying for a training contract, there is still plenty of time to get your applications in. Our summer vacation scheme deadline is 31 March 2020 and our 2022 training contract deadline is 20 June 2020. However, try not to wait until the last minute to submit your application, as we review our applications on a rolling basis.
To help you get started, I have compiled a list of some of my top tips for creating terrific vacation scheme and training contract applications below.
Take some time to research the firm you are interested in before you apply. Try to learn about their practice areas or areas of specialisation, core values, mission and vision, clientele profile, graduate recruitment process, annual trainee intake and more. I highly recommend that you look beyond the firm’s graduate recruitment page and visit their corporate website or talk to a current trainee to learn more about them.
Although this may seem tedious, it gives you a good understanding of the firm, their overall business structure and culture. It also gives you a clear idea of the type of attributes they look for in prospective trainees and their hiring expectations. The information you acquire will also make it easier for you to tailor your CV and cover letter, and complete their application because you can showcase your knowledge of the firm and highlight the value your skills and experiences bring to the firm. More importantly, the more you know about the firm, the easier it will be for you to answer application questions and complete other aspects of the recruitment process. Trust me, it is a lot harder to apply to a firm when you have no idea what the firm does.
Contrary to popular belief, one cannot complete a well-written vacation scheme or training contract application during the last hour before the deadline. Whilst many try, very few succeed. As someone who is sometimes prone to procrastination, I understand how easy it can be to succumb to the temptation leave your application to the last minute. However, I strongly urge you not to do this as it will result in a poor quality application and significantly decrease your chance of success. Instead, set aside sufficient time to work on your application so you can compose well written and intelligent answers to the application questions. After all, it is better to submit a few strong applications than several rushed ones.
Focus on quality over quantity. Remember that your application is your first chance to make a good impression and demonstrate why you are the ideal candidate for the role. As such, it is imperative you put your best foot forward from the start.
I cannot stress this point enough. There is nothing worse than noticing a glaring spelling mistake after you have submitted your application. Given law firms look for good verbal and written communication skills, submitting an application riddled with spelling and grammatical errors does not exactly prove that you possess these skills. These mistakes could also distract a recruiter from noticing other positive aspects of your application.
To avoid this costly mistake, always ask a trusted friend, career tutor or family member to proofread your application before you submit it. It only takes a few extra minutes to get another person to review your application before you submit it, and it could save you the embarrassment of making really obvious spelling mistakes. In addition, your proofreader may also be able to offer some constructive feedback or suggest ways to improve your answers.
Application deadlines have a funny way of creeping up when you least expect them. To avoid missing key deadlines, I personally input all my deadlines in my iCalendar and set alerts to remind me 2, 7, and 14 days beforehand. Other people use Excel spreadsheets to keep track of their application deadlines. Use whichever method works for you. Just ensure you have a good system in place so you do not miss any crucial deadlines.
This simply means that you should be as clear and concise as possible. Do not write long rambling answers in the hope that one of the things you mention will impress the person evaluating your application. Instead, read the application questions carefully and ensure you answer the question that is being asked.
In addition, do not use big or overly grandiose verbiage to try to impress the evaluators. Whilst, it is good to have a comprehensive vocabulary, using overly grandiose words might make you seem pretentious. A good rule of thumb is to keep your answers short and sweet (KISS).
As important as it is to highlight your legal experiences, do not forget to mention your non-legal experiences (i.e. part-time jobs, volunteer experiences and extra-curricular activities). Far too many applicants fail to mention their non-legal experiences because they think firms are only looking for people with legal experience. In reality, your non-legal experiences can sometimes be more valuable that your legal experience because they demonstrate key skills and attributes that firms are looking for.
For example, the part-time job at McDonald’s you think is not important could show a recruiter that you know how to work well under pressure, work in a high-paced environment, work together as part of a team, provide excellent customer service, communicate clearly and effectively, etc. Therefore, do not discount your non-legal experiences.
You would not believe the number of applicants that submit CVs and cover letters addressed to other firms. While it might be easier to simply cut and paste a generic CV or cover letter on all your applications, it shows firms that you did not care enough about them to bother tailoring your CV and cover letter or to do some basic research.
So, do not neglect this. CVs are another opportunity to showcase your skills and experiences. If writing a cover letter or CV is not your strong suit, seek help or make an appointment to see a career adviser. What is the point of spending time to write a good application if you are going to submit a poorly written CV and cover letter?
I hope you find these tips helpful and wish you all the best with your applications.
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