How to Win the Training Contract Applications Game

Oct 26, 2023

Written By Lewis Ogg

Any aspiring solicitor will know just how competitive trying to secure a training contract is. Students and graduates from every walk of life fight for each and every place. Despite the overwhelming competition, some applicants will thrive in this process, even achieving the holy grail of multiple training contract offers. So, what makes these individuals so successful? They approach the process strategically, maximising each application's chance of delivering for them. This article will give you the insights of these top-tier candidates so that you can stand out from the crowd.

Showcasing Soft Skills

Firms will receive applications from across the academic spectrum. While having a strong educational background is an important factor, you should also use your application to show off your soft skills . This demonstrates the kind of character you would bring to the firm and adds colour to what can be quite repetitive answers for recruiters.

Solicitors are team players, working together with others to solve highly complex problems or deliver on strict deadlines in what can become stressful environments. Think about the skills mentioned in that one sentence alone. How can you show firms that you work well in a team, stay composed under pressure, deliver to deadlines, handle leadership well, and are naturally a problem solver? Through examples.

Take the time to understand what soft skills the firm you are applying to is looking for. Then, mould your experiences to accentuate those skills best. Being specific in this way will show recruiters that you’ve taken the time to research the firm’s culture and you have the soft skills to adapt to it. It also gives them a flavour of your personality and experiences.

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Demonstrating Commercial Awareness

Commercial awareness is one of the trendy buzzwords law firms use that often confuse applicants. It simply refers to a basic understanding of a range of business and economic activities, from the internal operations of a business to the legal market and the broader national-international economy within which it exists within.

Awareness of this kind is a skill rather than something that can be learnt in one sitting. It is best to develop yours gradually by following a range of different media, such as business publications, legal news sources, or industry blogs. Commercial awareness will come as second nature if you make these channels a part of your daily life.

When demonstrating your commercial awareness to a firm, the best place to start is with issues close to their clients or practice areas. This will allow you to simultaneously show your interest in the firm and awareness. When writing, consider recent legal developments or regulatory changes you have read about and how they might impact the firm’s clients or practice.

Highlighting Legal Knowledge

Even though they are applying for a job in law, candidates often get so caught up in the commercial aspects of being a solicitor that they neglect to mention their academic credentials in law and how their theoretical knowledge of the law translates to a practical setting. Take the time to highlight any awards or achievements you have received, but also don’t neglect to mention any additional courses, modules, or seminars you have attended which can show your extra-curricular interest in law.

Try to think about how you have applied your theoretical knowledge of the law in real-world scenarios, even if you are talking about consumer protection in your retail job or avoiding libel in an article you have written. Firms love to see that you are constantly thinking about the law, whatever the situation.

The Importance of Networking

Building a professional network can be vital in familiarising yourself with the firms you are applying for and the wider legal industry you are trying to be a part of. Most firms will run a series of insight schemes throughout the year, which introduce attendees to the firm’s practice areas and life as a trainee.

Not only will these events allow you to have meaningful conversations with recruiters and legal professionals, but they might also provide helpful connections that will come in handy when applying to firms. You could connect with these solicitors to ask for tips on making your application stand out, and you could even mention them by name to show you’ve been actively involved in the firm.

There are a wealth of ways to engage in networking, whether through insight events, seminars, law fairs, or simply striking up a conversation on LinkedIn. Have confidence. Everyone was an aspiring solicitor once, so people are usually happy to give some insight or advice and even happier to talk about their own career progression.

Crafting a Compelling CV

As in any industry, creating a spot-on CV is essential to boosting your employability and appearing as a serious young professional. Start with your contact information and a concise personal statement before moving on to specifics.

List your educational and work experience history in two separate subcategories chronologically. When it comes to work experience, firms will often provide candidates with up to 300 words on application forms for each role so that they can discuss their responsibilities and acquired skills in detail. So, if you are writing a CV, remember to give appropriate depth to your experiences.

Remember that throughout your CV, word choices will be vital in highlighting your experiences. Avoid passive verbs that make you sound unsure or that you were forced into gaining skills like ‘I think’ or ‘I had to’. Instead, use action verbs such as ‘develop’, ‘utilise’, or ‘progress’. To ensure your CV is as compelling as possible, try giving it to a university careers service, legal professional, or trusted friend for honest feedback.

Crafting a Stellar Cover Letter

The most important aspect of any cover letter is personalisation. These letters are an opportunity for you to tell the firm of your choice why you have chosen them and why they should choose you. Candidates, who are often focused on volume of applications over quality, overlook that specifically tailoring your cover letter to the firm is a necessity for success.

Take the time to research the firm’s website and social media to gain a clear understanding of what the firm’s mission, vision, and core values are. Only when you have a real knowledge of the firm can you demonstrate the genuine interest that recruiters can feel through the page. Remember that recruiters will read thousands of individual applications, so generic tropes and platitudes will make you a forgettable candidate.

Once you have done your research, think about the alignment between your values and that of the firm. What specific cases have piqued your interest? Is there a part of their corporate social responsibility programme that you admire? Why would the structure of their work and training be effective for you?

Navigating Assessment Centres and Interviews

After the application stage, successful candidates will likely find themselves in an assessment centre or direct interview. Assessment centres can be a real opportunity to demonstrate your legal and soft skills if you take the time to familiarise yourself with the range of activities assessed (group tasks, in-shelf exercises, and presentations, to name a few).

When working in groups, remember to show your confidence in expressing your opinion to others and your leadership qualities. However, also remember that part of being an effective team member is developing the ideas of others, so try and bring the best out of your teammates, bearing in mind that the best idea might not be yours.

When interviewing, take the time to research common questions and information about the firm that was important in convincing you the firm was the right fit for you. Candidates often find that using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, and Result) method to answer questions gives them a comforting structure in unseen interviews. With all the research you have done into the firm, I am sure you will have questions, so make sure you show your interest by asking them to your interviewer. Avoid asking questions that can be easily answered on the firm’s website.

Conclusion: Mastering the Application Process

Success in the training contract recruitment cycle requires a combination of research, preparation, and personalisation to make sure you can convey the level of depth and genuine interest required to compel recruiters. Remember that each stage of the process represents a new opportunity for you to convince recruiters of how your specific soft skills, legal knowledge, experiences, or commercial awareness are the right fit for that firm.

The competitiveness of applications means that every candidate will experience setbacks at some point in their journey. Don’t give up. Use failure to reflect on your application, take stock of the advice in this article, and ensure you take extra care with the next application. Every new application represents a new opportunity.

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