Rejected AGAIN? The Essential Law Firm Application Guide to ‘WHY?’

Frustrated after numerous rejections?

Struggling to understand where you went wrong?

Questioning how to improve without feedback?

The first question to ask yourself is, ‘Was I ready to apply?’ and then consider the following:

• Did I understand enough about the firm to express my motivation to apply??
• Did I apply for and attend any of their virtual events??
• Did I network with employees and really seek to understand the firm’s culture, aside from what is stated on their website?
• Did I have enough work experience in order to answer some of the more complex application questions??
• Did I prioritise achieving strong university grades, over the time required to make a strong application?

If any of the above resonate with you, then you have identified why you may not have progressed further, and can look to reapply again. However, be careful if you decide to just ‘go for it’ and apply when you are definitely not ready, as not all firms allow you to reapply.

Although you are encouraged to apply during your degree, this will not suit everyone and many secure training contracts after graduation. The most crucial aim is to obtain an academic grade that will improve your employability for the future, and if this means not having time to make applications, you should apply when you have that time to dedicate. The main difficulty in obtaining a vacation scheme or training contract, as a second or final year student, is you are trying to sell your potential. It is therefore ideal to obtain a vacation scheme, which increases your chances of being offered a training contract.?

Ensure you have covered the basic bullet points below, before applying:?

• Depending at what stage you have reached, ideally you have obtained some legal work experience, however brief, to show your commitment to a career in law, through; shadowing a lawyer for a day; working in a local high street firm; obtaining pro bono or Law Clinic experience; an internship/vacation scheme; and if graduated a paralegal or legal role.
• Attend virtual law firm events, careers fairs and relevant employability webinars to help you understand and obtain research on how to deliver an outstanding application.?
• There are now numerous student platforms on Instagram to follow, which provide some useful advice and networking opportunities, so set up an account if you have not already.?
• LinkedIn will help you with research and networking opportunities, in addition, many firms have separate pages for individual departments to add to your feed.?
• Utilise all the free resources available and become a member of?Bright Network, who provide many events and opportunities or specific diversity initiatives such as?Rare Recruitment,?Aspiring Solicitors?and?Strive Consultants, who can help you reach a successful conclusion to your training contract search.

This guide will help you eliminate the most common errors made when writing an application, covering:

• How to approach application questions
• Why are you applying to X firm?
• Common grammar and spelling errors

How to approach application questions

The number of questions to answer will range from three to four, and require between 250 to 500 words per question. Read through all the questions first in order to avoid repetition of information. For example, you might talk about why you wish to join the firm in the first question, through mentioning a particular initiative the firm have implemented. However, the initiative may relate more appropriately to another question.

Do not prioritise the word count initially, otherwise you may eliminate vital information which can eventually be included, concisely. It will be easier to determine what wording you can cut out and which information is less relevant, once you have noted everything in the first place.?

Read the question properly and always check you are answering the question, avoiding the following:

• Veering into long explanations not related to the question.
• Veering into ‘me’ mode and losing sight of answering the question.
• Using up too many sentences on a particular point, think succinct, this is key.
• Not utilising the whole of the word count allowance, and to understand it is unacceptable to only write a couple of thoughtless sentences.?

Why are you applying to X firm?

Your work experience sections will summarise your abilities in some detail, so this question only requires a summary of the particular skills aligned to your motivation for applying. You should concentrate on providing the following information:

• How the firm is suited to you through: your virtual interactions through events and who you networked with (name employees in context by providing a reason); the firm’s long-term strategy in the UK and if applicable, internationally; awards obtained; market position; expertise in certain sectors that interest you; the firm’s USP offering to their clients; what technology they are using and looking to introduce; new initiatives that you would like to be part of; diversity and inclusion actions being implemented; acknowledging who their clients are and who their competitors are.
• Avoid gushing wording such as:

‘I am infatuated with the firm… ‘

‘The firm has a soul… ‘

‘It would be tantalising.. ‘

• Avoid fluffy and dreamy wording, that makes you sound unintelligible, such as:

‘I am committed to being the best and wish to join the firm.. ‘

‘I wish to solve real-world problems… ‘

‘I am hungry to work…’

‘It would be a dream to work for the Firm.. ‘

‘I am looking to apply to the Firm because they seem to be quick-witted and aware of current issues.. ‘

‘I want to work for the Firm because they offer the best training and I will have the most fun.. ‘

The competitiveness you face, through your application, is trying to stand out from others through being genuine and providing your USPs, in addition to avoiding a generic response through identifying the differentiation of other firms. Therefore, you can use, but should limit the following words: interesting, friendly; approachable; close-knit; collaborative; supportive environment; and high-quality deals.?

Do not get carried away in your reply, you are presenting a short explanation, not an essay. If you get stuck, use?Thesaurus which can offer alternative words for the same word, this is really useful as ultimately, we always have our ‘go to’ words that we tend to use repetitively or most commonly.

TOP TIP:?Your application will be either scored or assessed, in addition to your academics, on your spelling and grammar, so ensure this is perfect.?

Common grammar and spelling errors

Avoid very long sentences, ensuring you use commas when required to pause for breath, or start a new sentence. You should read through your application numerous times and at different times to check it is ready before sending. You should ask someone independently to read it, which will result in further changes. This is a good thing, because your final application will develop and reach a high standard, increasing your chances of reaching the next stage. Remember, it is worth taking the time to read and reread, planning to leave it aside for a few days, revisit, tweak here and tweak there, and finally be ready to submit (but not on the deadline)! Aim to send your application two to three days prior to the deadline to avoid the inevitable system crash and, as applications are often processed prior to the deadline, get ahead of the competition!?

Ensure you understand the different meanings of the following:

• Advice and advise (advice is a noun, whereas advise is a verb). The difference between?advice?vs?advise?is that?advice?(with a ‘c’) is a?noun, which is used when you provide an opinion or recommendation offered as a guide to action e.g. I offered advice to the client. The word?advise?(with an ‘s’) is a?verb, which is used when you recommend, or give information to someone, e.g. You advise the client.?
• Effect and affect: What is the difference between affect and effect? Simply put,?affect?means to impact on or influence. For?e.g. The snow?affected?the traffic.?Effect?is usually a noun. Simply put,?effect?means a result or outcome. For e.g. The?effect?of the snow stopped the traffic.
• Enquiry and inquiry: What is the difference between inquiry and enquiry? In the UK,?inquiry?and?enquiry?are interchangeable. However, it is becoming preferable to use?inquiry?to denote?an investigation and?enquiry?to denote?a question.
• Pursue and persue (persue is an incorrect spelling). The word is used in the following context, for e.g. I wish to?pursue?a training contract so I can qualify as a solicitor.
• Skill set is the preferable spelling, ie. avoid skillset.
• Check your computer has been set to ‘English UK’ spelling as there is an option for ‘English US’ and most laptops are automatically set to this. To check your settings, go to Tools and select Language.?
• Avoid slipping into words using the American spelling, although the spell check should pick this up, but this usually means using ‘s’ instead of ‘z’, and, if doubtful, can be checked separately through the following link:?UK versus US Spelling

Interesting Fact:?Why do the British use 's' in words like 'realise' but the Americans?use 'z'? American English spelling rules were mainly devised by?Noah Webster, who thought it?would?develop into a separate language, following the rules of Latin and Greek, as opposed to?British?English?who used French.

• If you are referring to a firm in the general sense, ie. not a particular firm, it is spelt with a small ‘f’, however, when referring to the Firm you are applying to, or referencing the name of a particular firm, you should use a capital ‘F’.
• If you are in doubt on how to spell a word correctly, check on GOOGLE, as sometimes there are two accepted UK spellings for one word, but it is worth double checking. For example, judgement and judgment are often spelt as either, although a legal judgment is more common without the ‘e’. Another example is focused and focussed, the one ‘s’ is more common, but both are accepted. Either way, be consistent when deciding which UK spelling to use where there are variants.
• Quotes: How do you use quotation marks in British English? British?style uses single?quotes?(') for initial?quotations, then double?quotes?(“) for?quotations?within the initial?quotation. 'Economic systems', according to Professor White, 'are an inevitable by-product of civilization, and are, as John Doe said, “with us whether we want them or not”'.

Conclusion

You have a limited number of words to utilise for each question and you want to make each one count, you should overthink your responses, perfect your questions and check the content is to the point. The time and effort you spend researching and writing your application is crucial to producing an outstanding application, impressing the recruiter and reaching the next stage. The main points summarised are:

• Apply when you are ready to spend the amount of time required to research the firms you wish to apply to.
• Ensure your answers are relevant to the question asked and you do not veer off course.
• Do not let your emotions dictate your enthusiasm through the use of gushing phrases.?
• Provide strong research skills on the firm, demonstrating commercial awareness through your understanding of how the firm operates, identifying the challenges they face.?
• Acknowledge how the use of technology is developing, and providing the client with ‘more for less’, in comparison to their competitors.
• Go further than researching online, immerse yourself in understanding the firm’s strategy, future goals and mindset.?
• Always ask someone independently to review your application before you submit it, to eliminate any major errors and amend the minor ones.?
• The grammar expectation for your university essays will differ to what is required for your law firm applications, which demands a higher level of good grammar and writing skills.?

For free resources covering careers advice articles and guides on: CVs, training contract applications, assessments, in addition to useful webinar recordings and FAQs on cover letters, virtual interviews, what to expect from a partner-led interview, and how to stand out during a vacation scheme, visit CJC at?www.clairejutsumconsultants.co.uk