No vacation schemes secured

[chichi]

Hi guys, I'm quite new around here and I'd really appreciate some guidance.

I'm a second-year Law student on a 3-year course. Admittedly, I did apply to the vac schemes late but I sent in a decent amount of applications, rejected from 4 so far, and not feeling that confident about the rest, at this point. It's actually taking a toll on my mental health.

I feel so discouraged. I don't have strong work experience, especially legal, and I honestly have no idea what I could do if I don't secure a vac scheme, and then a TC. I don't want to start my career late, ideally want to go straight to work or complete the LPC if I secure a TC, after third year

I'm not sure if this is even to the right place to ask, but it's worth a go. Any advice, or ideas of what I could do over the summer? Or what I could get up to after the end of third year if I don't get a TC? I'd appreciate the help a lot, I'm incredibly nervous and honestly, not in a great place mentally.

 

[Asmee DC]

Hi guys, I'm quite new around here and I'd really appreciate some guidance.

I'm a second-year Law student on a 3-year course. Admittedly, I did apply to the vac schemes late but I sent in a decent amount of applications, rejected from 4 so far, and not feeling that confident about the rest, at this point. It's actually taking a toll on my mental health.

I feel so discouraged. I don't have strong work experience, especially legal, and I honestly have no idea what I could do if I don't secure a vac scheme, and then a TC. I don't want to start my career late, ideally want to go straight to work or complete the LPC if I secure a TC, after third year

I'm not sure if this is even to the right place to ask, but it's worth a go. Any advice, or ideas of what I could do over the summer? Or what I could get up to after the end of third year if I don't get a TC? I'd appreciate the help a lot, I'm incredibly nervous and honestly, not in a great place mentally.

Hello! Firstly, you are very courageous for opening up on this forum and honestly it was a great place to do so because this community is so supportive and welcoming. I'm so sorry you are feeling this way and I can assure you that you are not alone. Plenty of us have gone through this competitive process and it can take a toll on your mental health. Speaking from personal experience, I'm an international student from Canada who had an undergrad degree and came to the UK to do the 2 year LLB for Grads program. With rejections from over 15 law firms in my first year and the fear of my visa expiring, I was terrified that no firm would hire me and I would have to return back to Canada. I had only secured a vac scheme in the summer after I graduated and later secured a TC, 3 months before my visa was set to expire.

Whilst having legal experience is good, it's not the end all be all. Firms are not looking for candidates that know everything about the law. They're looking for passionate people who are open to learning lots of knew things (think about it like a sponge absorbing information and developing your skills as you go). Many of the experiences I've discussed in my interviews are not from legal work. They're either extra-curricular or non-legal work which firms value tbecause of all the transferable skills you have learned and developed. So in terms of what you can do this summer, I would try to apply for internships through your uni at their Careers Hub either legal or non-legal. Go on LinkedIn and find positions that interest you for the summer time! There are many resources such as Aspiring Solicitors which partner with organisations and hold internships over the summer time. Even volunteering is a huge step in gaining experience!

I understand that the traditional route is securing a vac scheme and TC before you graduate, but not everyone goes through that same timing which is totally fine! I for one am a mature student who was worried about being so much older than most of the people I was up against. However, that's a myth because the legal industry has so many different kinds of people entering it at different points in their life. There's no right or wrong time to become a qualified solicitor, and the average age of a Trainee is around 26-27 years old anyways! Trust that the time will come for you. Don't give up and keep on gaining experiences in areas you are interested in, including non-legal areas. I hope this helps Feel free to message me if you want to discuss anything else!

 

[Anon08]

Hey, I'm awfully sorry that you're going through this - and to echo what was said above, thank you for posting, and I am pleased you felt comfortable enough to make this contribution.

I've responded to another individual who felt similarly to yourself here: https://www.thecorporatelawacademy....cheme-applications-discussion.2732/post-69146

Do take a look, and if you'd like to ask any more questions or want any more clarification, please feel free to ask!

 

[IntrepidL]

Hi guys, I'm quite new around here and I'd really appreciate some guidance.

I'm a second-year Law student on a 3-year course. Admittedly, I did apply to the vac schemes late but I sent in a decent amount of applications, rejected from 4 so far, and not feeling that confident about the rest, at this point. It's actually taking a toll on my mental health.

I feel so discouraged. I don't have strong work experience, especially legal, and I honestly have no idea what I could do if I don't secure a vac scheme, and then a TC. I don't want to start my career late, ideally want to go straight to work or complete the LPC if I secure a TC, after third year

I'm not sure if this is even to the right place to ask, but it's worth a go. Any advice, or ideas of what I could do over the summer? Or what I could get up to after the end of third year if I don't get a TC? I'd appreciate the help a lot, I'm incredibly nervous and honestly, not in a great place mentally.

Hi @chichi, thank you so much for sharing this and I am sorry you are feeling this way. I was in the same position as you a few years back and believed that my lack of legal experience would put me at a disadvantage. However as @Asmee DC states, it is not crucial to have legal work experience. I often found that at interviews, the interviewers appeared more interested in my non-legal work experience as well as the transferrable skills obtained so please do not feel disheartened.

As for things you can do over summer, I've seen quite a number of remote internships being advertised online. I would recommend applying for some, or connecting with individuals on LinkedIn to find opportunities that might interest you. In addition, finding opportunities to write commercial articles for an organisation is a fantastic way to refine your commercial awareness over summer so when you go for interviews in the near future, you can discuss certain topics at length and drive the content of your interview to talk about things you are genuinely interested in. All the best and I have my fingers crossed for you !

 

[chichi]

Thank you so much for your response everyone, I really really appreciate it. Honestly, it's really frustrating because this always keeps me up at night or it's always on the back of my mind during the day. Sometimes I even regret doing a Law degree, especially considering how challenging it would be for a female POC.

I've researched on multiple websites, talked to my University's Careers team but I'm still stumped about my future. Do you guys have suggestions where a Law degree, without further qualifications, would be useful for a recent graduate? I do want to do the LPC but only if I get a TC that funds it simply because I cannot afford it myself. Thanks a lot for your help everyone.

 

[Dheepa]

Thank you so much for your response everyone, I really really appreciate it. Honestly, it's really frustrating because this always keeps me up at night or it's always on the back of my mind during the day. Sometimes I even regret doing a Law degree, especially considering how challenging it would be for a female POC.

I've researched on multiple websites, talked to my University's Careers team but I'm still stumped about my future. Do you guys have suggestions where a Law degree, without further qualifications, would be useful for a recent graduate? I do want to do the LPC but only if I get a TC that funds it simply because I cannot afford it myself. Thanks a lot for your help everyone.

Would really recommend looking into legal executive or legal admin roles. They generally require much less experience than paralegal roles and can still be a great way to gain legal experience. This user was just talking about how her legal admin role really helped her with TC success.

I would also really recommend checking out internships in other areas, like business analyst, marketing or compliance roles. A law degree gives you so many transferable skills and I have been very successful in my applications to positions like this. An in house position is also a great way to learn about the client/commercial side of things for law firm interviews and imo will make you a very interesting candidate to interview.

Sending you all my support. 💓