Hey, the application process is definitely one that tests you and makes you feel like you aren’t good enough sometimes. So I can definitely sympathise with you regarding feeling low about it all.
Rejection is also something that is really gruelling to deal with so just take a couple of days away from apps to give yourself a break!
I’m also happy with the permission of @Jaysen and the team, to read over one of your apps to see if I can offer any advice if it’s the application stage you’re struggling with. I’ve received great help from people on here over the years and elsewhere, so I firmly believe in paying that forward!
I’m a future trainee now but I was definitely in the stick of it all not too long ago! You will get there. You don’t actually need loads of shiny things on your application, show a real interest in the firm and why you want to do law and that will be enough for a lot of places. Ways you could do that would be through online legal cheek events, contacting employees at the firm with tailored questions to network, doing online courses to improve your knowledge in particular areas etc!
Good luck with everything and well done for reaching out, so many people will see this and go “ah I’m glad someone else is in the same boat”
Being bilingual and living independently away from your home country, even in non-pandemic times would be courageous and noteworthy. This alone marks you out as exceptional. Many of us on here would never have been able to make a success of that at your age.
PS check out the current TCLA scholarship program. You apply, and if you win one it gives you access to all the amazing resources. And a badge! You'd have a scholarship, albeit maybe not a purely academic one. If you aren't awarded one, consider taking premium membership for a short time and really going for it. This won't get you a job, but it's all about planting seeds and letting them come to fruition, with a lot of TLC in between - and maybe some TCLA too.
Hi,
I totally see where you are coming from. I haven't got a TC yet either and I have felt exactly the same way you do. I'm also an international student from non RG uni as well. You are not alone... see my ongoing story below;
I've been trying to secure a TC since 2018 (and let me tell you, I have literally lost count of how many rejections I have received since 2018). At first, I took it as a personal failure and let it get me down so much so I at some point started to question whether this really is for me and whether "I am good enough".
Then, I started reading the success stories here on TCLA and really started looking at my experiences and skills and thought about how to properly "sell them" in my applications. In 2018, I never passed the first stage of the application process. In 2019, I finally passed my first WG test. In 2020, I got my first AC invite. It is true that I did gain experience in that time in between. However, what really changed was the way I wrote my applications. For that, I really can only thank TCLA and the application review team who helped me realise that indeed those experiences I do have, were "good enough" and most of the time it came down to how they were displayed on paper. Having said that, I totally empathise with you and it is normal to feel down and lose hope when receiving rejections after rejections. What used to get me down the most was the fact that I thought I had all the typical requirements most firms look for (note that I have awards actually, not one but two even) and trust me that also was not "enough" considering the amount of rejections I got. I could not help but wonder what the problem was.
The turning point for me was to really build that self belief and change my mindset. Instead of focusing on the sadness I felt after every rejection and believe those negative thoughts regarding my capabilities, I focused on how to genuinely become a stronger candidate.
This helped me massively because one thing those rejection emails cannot take away from you is the fact that you know very well the effort and amount of time you put into becoming a better candidate. That way, every time the "After careful consideration......We regret to inform you" emails ticked in, slowly but surely they did not affect me the same way they used to. Instead of being upset for days (and therefore lose motivation and not finish my other TC applications), I started thinking "OK, they just lost a good candidate! Another firm will see me and recognise what I can offer!". It might sound a little arrogant but trust me it is not. It will help you build that confidence and no longer let those automated emails make you think you are not good enough.
Now, after 2 years, I still have not got the TC. But, with what I explained above, I am closer than I have ever been and most importantly, I believe in myself and so should you! It is a matter of time, practice, luck, hard work etc and as brutal as it is, we have to be our own cheerleader and pick ourselves up (if this is something we really want and is important to us).
I believe in you and have felt exactly the same way so if you ever want to chat please feel free to PM me. This forum has helped me so much and I hope it will do the same for you!!
What a brilliant post! This is why this community is so goodHi,
I totally see where you are coming from. I haven't got a TC yet either and I have felt exactly the same way you do. I'm also an international student from non RG uni as well. You are not alone... see my ongoing story below;
I've been trying to secure a TC since 2018 (and let me tell you, I have literally lost count of how many rejections I have received since 2018). At first, I took it as a personal failure and let it get me down so much so I at some point started to question whether this really is for me and whether "I am good enough".
Then, I started reading the success stories here on TCLA and really started looking at my experiences and skills and thought about how to properly "sell them" in my applications. In 2018, I never passed the first stage of the application process. In 2019, I finally passed my first WG test. In 2020, I got my first AC invite. It is true that I did gain experience in that time in between. However, what really changed was the way I wrote my applications. For that, I really can only thank TCLA and the application review team who helped me realise that indeed those experiences I do have, were "good enough" and most of the time it came down to how they were displayed on paper. Having said that, I totally empathise with you and it is normal to feel down and lose hope when receiving rejections after rejections. What used to get me down the most was the fact that I thought I had all the typical requirements most firms look for (note that I have awards actually, not one but two even) and trust me that also was not "enough" considering the amount of rejections I got. I could not help but wonder what the problem was.
The turning point for me was to really build that self belief and change my mindset. Instead of focusing on the sadness I felt after every rejection and believe those negative thoughts regarding my capabilities, I focused on how to genuinely become a stronger candidate.
This helped me massively because one thing those rejection emails cannot take away from you is the fact that you know very well the effort and amount of time you put into becoming a better candidate. That way, every time the "After careful consideration......We regret to inform you" emails ticked in, slowly but surely they did not affect me the same way they used to. Instead of being upset for days (and therefore lose motivation and not finish my other TC applications), I started thinking "OK, they just lost a good candidate! Another firm will see me and recognise what I can offer!". It might sound a little arrogant but trust me it is not. It will help you build that confidence and no longer let those automated emails make you think you are not good enough.
Now, after 2 years, I still have not got the TC. But, with what I explained above, I am closer than I have ever been and most importantly, I believe in myself and so should you! It is a matter of time, practice, luck, hard work etc and as brutal as it is, we have to be our own cheerleader and pick ourselves up (if this is something we really want and is important to us).
I believe in you and have felt exactly the same way so if you ever want to chat please feel free to PM me. This forum has helped me so much and I hope it will do the same for you!!
All the best for 2021 and may that be the year you cross that final hurdle! We're all right behind you 
