Anyone wanting to get a training contract is well advised to get some legal work experience along the way. By getting some legal work experience they can see the difference between practising a particular area of law and studying it.

Many students will find that they enjoy more than one subject when studying, for example commercial law and criminal law. But when they start looking into which firms to apply to they will find that firms will tend to practise one of these areas or the other.

Therefore, they decide to make applications to both groups of firm. They may, however, be taking a risk if they do not also have some practical experience of the different areas of law.

When they have success in gaining a training contract the risk is they will find out that they do not like practising the particular type of law in the same way they enjoyed studying it.

This highlights the importance for students to get some practical experience with different types of firms.

The person in the above mentioned example would have been better advised to spend time on law placements at different law firms specialising in criminal law and commercial law separately. By getting some work experience they would have reduced the risk of making a mistake by having much more information to base their decisions on where to apply to for their training contract.

Legal work experience exists in various forms from formal summer vacation schemes to more informal work shadowing or voluntary work.

You should research work experience placements both where you study and also where you might otherwise stay during holiday times, for example.

Upon completion of your research, you then should construct a plan about when you will make your applications and where. This will help ensure you get experience in the areas you are most interested in but also to ensure you get a broad range of experience to inform your decisions down the line.

To find out more about legal work experience visit: http://www.traineesolicitorsurgery.co.uk. You will also discover more help about how to secure a law training contract.

The state of the economy at the time when law students are completing their studies can often affect the students chances of getting a legal training contract and becoming a solicitor. It is clearly more advantageous to be looking for jobs in a prosperous time than it is in a recession.

However, all is not lost should someone be graduating in a recession as solicitors are always in demand and law firms will always be offering graduates training contracts.

There is also a proverbial silver lining for those graduating in a recession. If they are able to secure a law training contract their future may actually be brighter than someone who starts their contract in a time of boom.

If less trainees are employed during a recession then it follows that there will be fewer newly qualified solicitors in a couple of years. Newly qualified solicitors down the line will therefore have more opportunities to pick their job as the demand from firms for newly qualified solicitors will be proportionally higher compared to the number available. The likelihood is that this would lead to better salaries and career opportunities for them.

The key thing to work on then is how to increase one’s chances of getting a law training contract and beating the competition in a tight job market.

The most important thing to do to facilitate this is to do some thorough planning of your applications and your career in general. If you attempt to tackle everything at once, however, it will most likely seem like too much to do. The main thing to master is knowing what to focus on and at what stage.

The first preparation to focus on is planning and researching the different universities you might want to study at, the courses they offer and the areas of law you want to study. Next you will want to consider your plan for gaining relevant legal work experience, which firms to apply to for vacation schemes, where you might want to do your training contract and what other activities it is worth getting involved with.

Once at university, getting work experience and applying for jobs should be seen as another module in your course. Something that you do consistently throughout the year and which you build your knowledge and skills in constantly so as to put you ahead of the others.

We all know that dedication, planning, research and perseverance can help you succeed in your exams and get better marks than others. A similar approach can also help you put yourself ahead of many others with your training contract applications.

Click here for further information about securing a legal training contract. Also check out our tips on how to become a solicitor.

The key to choosing the right place for you to do your law training contract is to fully research the firms and areas of law so you know the options and you have considered which are the best fit for you. You may already think you know a lot about the legal profession and the firms within it because you have read a few firms’ websites and brochures and may have even spoken to a few at law fairs and open days.

No matter what you think you know, it’s best to slow down a bit and think about where you will complete your training contract very carefully. You don’t want to make a rash decision that could affect your future and haunt you further down the road. Of course, you might be able to change law firms after you’ve entered your training contract, but you may find that your options are limited depending on the experience you’ve received as a trainee solicitor. Doing your research is important so that you come across as confident and knowledgeable during interviews with recruiters. Knowing everything about a firm that you’re applying for a training contract with can only help your chances of being accepted.

The main factors to consider while researching your options are as follows:

Type of Work – It is absolutely critical that you consider the areas of law that you want to get practical exposure to. You will likely find that actually practicing an area of law can be far different than studying a specific type of law as a student. For this reason, look for firms that will give you some much needed exposure to the practical side of things. Keep in mind that you might not always have the option to choose the area of law you will be working in for the duration of your training contract. This could be affected by a number of things like the size of the firm you are training with and the number of other trainees that are under contract. You can get a pretty good idea of the areas of law that are available to a trainee solicitor by going through a firms’ recruitment materials carefully.

Type of Clients – As well as the type of work, you should also think through what sort of clients you might like to get experience in working for. Do you want to do work for large blue chip clients where you are unlikely to get very much direct client contact or would you prefer to work for smaller commercial clients or individuals where you are likely to get more direct contact and be able to more directly help them yourself.?

Colleagues – An important decision to make is also what sort of size firm do you want to work for in terms of headcount. Do you want to be one of a few or one of many? Do you want to be part of a large intake of trainees or want it to just be you and one or two others? Similarly, do you want to have many and varied colleagues, perhaps with various nationalities under one roof and also worldwide, or to be part of a smaller team where you can maybe build stronger relationships?

Geographical Location – One factor that’s always a hot topic among those in the legal profession is the balance between work and personal life. This can often be affected by the location of where you work. For instance, working in London will likely mean a very hectic lifestyle and long commute, while working in the regions might offer more in terms of the quality of life. These factors can be subjective so you will have decide for yourself what affect, if any, living in a particular location for the duration of your training contract would have on your life.

Other Considerations – In addition to the factors mentioned earlier, many law firms offer perks such as overseas placements, gym memberships, and travelcard loans in London just to name a few. These perks should be nothing more than a secondary consideration but they may help you make a decision between two or three very similar firms.

Follow these links to read more about becoming a trainee solicitor and securing legal work experience and/or a law training contract