|
If you are about to come to the end of your training contract, you may be asking yourself ‘What happens now?’. If you are due to qualify shortly, you’re about to come to a major point in your career. Qualification is the first of the big "career watersheds" and it may be a worrying time.
While it’s natural to be apprehensive - in fact, we’d be a bit surprised if you weren’t – it is also time to give yourself huge congratulations! Right now, you should feel good about where you are. You’re about to qualify as a solicitor and there is absolutely no doubt that whatever you decide to do in your professional life, this achievement will open doors for you.
Sometimes the amount of information a newly qualified solicitor has to consider can be so overwhelming you may feel like you don’t know where to start. So, we’re going to start the ball rolling for you with a list of things you could, and probably should, be thinking about.
My current firm – will they want to keep me?
About 6 months before the end of your legal training contract, this is a question you should ask yourself.
At this stage, some of you will already know whether or not you have a position waiting for you in your current firm. Others of you will still be waiting to find out.
Some firms make it apparent from the start what they expect from you on qualification. Others are less clear.
THINK ABOUT
- If you want to stay on in your current firm, think positively. Bear in mind that firms don't take on trainees on the assumption they will lose you upon qualification. A firm invests in a trainee because they expect, providing you prove yourself, you will stay on after you qualify. Put in simple economic terms, your employer is going to want to see a return on their investment!
- If your firm hasn’t told you whether or not you have a place with them at the end of your training contract, be proactive and ask them. It’s time to find out where you stand.
- Speak to your training partner and ask what your options are. If you have more than 6 months left to train, maybe they won’t know yet. However, it’s definitely not unreasonable to ask for an indication of what role, if any, they see you taking.
- If you are unsure what your options are within your current firm, never be afraid to ask. It is only when you know what your options are in your current firm that you can begin to decide whether to stay put or to start looking around at other legal opportunities.
Do I want to stay with the firm I trained with, or do I want to move on?
If you’re lucky enough to have the choice, then you’ll need to know which option suits you best.
Staying can be a good option
- Staying with the firm you trained at may feel like the ‘safe’ option. You will know the staff as well as your firm’s working culture and internal practices.
- Loyalty can be rewarded and you’ll already have a good working relationship with some of your colleagues.
- Applying for a change of position within the firm you trained at can help if you are unsure about your specialisation. If your firm likes you and, perhaps more importantly, knows your capabilities but have no vacancies in the areas you trained in, they may offer you a position in a different area of law.
- And, of course, last but not least, you may already be with a very good firm. The grass isn’t always greener and the best place for future legal opportunities may be right where you are!
However... moving may provide a welcome challenge
- You may well get a chance to take on greater responsibilities. If it’s quick progression you’re after, this is often a good option.
- If you stay with your present firm, you may still be seen as the ‘trainee’. It’s unlikely to limit your professional development, but it may feel frustrating.
In the end it just comes down to what suits you...
- You may welcome the idea of a move, or you may find that your current firm already offers you exactly what you want. If you’re undecided, remember, different responsibilities and challenges suit different people.
- A position as a qualified solicitor at a new firm may mean that people start with higher expectations of you and you are given greater responsibilities earlier. Will you find this overwhelming or appealing?
- If you decide to change firms, they won’t know you as the trainee. Would you relish losing this tag? Or would you worry you’d be thrown in the deep end?
If you do decide to stay with your firm – remember, you can always move on at a later date and you can always keep an eye on the market using our free jobs by email service.
If you feel it’s time to see what’s out there, then you’ll need a few pointers...
Back to top | Next >
|
