Hi all,
I graduated from Cambridge in 2020 with a high first in a non-law degree.
However, it took me four years to obtain my degree rather than three as I intermitted in my final term of third year on mental health grounds. I returned to studies the following September and graduated with strong grades.
I've now been working in a FTSE 100 company for three years and my company is sponsoring me to study a law conversion part-time, with the intention of qualifying inhouse. However, due to organizational change there is significant job insecurity, and I'm also aware that private practice training would give me broader experience and provide varied clients.
This is my first round of training contract applications and I'm a little nervous about approaching a couple of issues given this non-conventional route and wondered if I could have some guidance on how to address these in an application.
1) Do I overtly address intermission for mental health grounds in my CV; or to avoid overemphasizing this do I only mention this in extenuating circumstances?
2) Is there a recommended way to spin this in an application/or for competency based questions to demonstrate resilience - is it safer to keep it an extenuating circumstance?
3) How to address transitioning from a sponsored inhouse training route, as I don't want to appear disloyal to my current company.
4) I haven't done a Vac Scheme before, however instruct and work with external solicitors in my current role, even though I sit outside of the Project's Legal Team. Would you recommend applying for a direct Training Contract or do I need private practice experience?
In advance, many thanks for your consideration on these matters, and apologies for the lengthy post.
Hi
@Moorview - thanks for your questions! Completely understandable to be nervous when approaching applications, especially from a non-conventional route. Similarly, I worked in a different industry before transitioning to law, and I also had to navigate mitigating circumstances in my applications. My thoughts are:
1) There is no need to go into detail about your MC's on your CV. My MC's are for lower grades in my A Levels, and so where I state my grades on my CV, I simply add a bullet point underneath which says '
mitigating circumstances available on request'. You could do something similar if concerned, although to be honest, taking 4 years to complete an undergraduate degree instead of 3 is not uncommon at all (think: placement years, Scottish degrees, integrated masters, years abroad...), so I really doubt it would raise red flags to begin with, and I am sure that any questions the firm had about it, they would simply ask.
2) This one is an entirely personal decision. I did something similar in my Clifford Chance written application, where it asked for an 'achievement I was most proud of', and I spoke about overcoming challenging circumstances which fed into my MC's. However, I did this because I was comfortable doing so, and bear in mind that if your application progresses, your interviewers may have access to your written application, so don't discuss anything you aren't comfortable talking about in an interview!
3) You don't need to dwell on this too much, people change roles and companies all the time for better opportunities and it isn't considered being disloyal! Focus on the reasons why you are applying to the new role, such as growth opportunities you would like to gain, or qualities about the specific firm that appeal to you, and try not to talk about reasons for wanting to leave your current employer, as this has the potential to come across negatively. You already clearly have a great idea of this, and the reasons you have touched on (broader experience, varied clients), are perfectly legitimate reasons for making a transition.
4) Again, this is a personal decision for you, however you can sometimes gauge the level of experience required in direct TC apps by looking at the future trainees that did not undertake a vacation scheme (LinkedIn is great for this!). One thing I would say, is that it is very rare for law firms to specifically require experience in private practice law firms, in order to be successful in a direct TC app. Firms are increasingly valuing diverse experiences, and I personally did not have any experience in a law firm, but I was able to leverage my professional experience (in finance) really effectively in my applications, so focus on what you already have! Having an experience that nobody else has can really be your superpower in applications.
I hope this was helpful, happy to discuss further!
