1

Career Planning for Law Students

Careers and Employabi l i t y

2 3

COPYRIGHT STATEMENT© University of Chester

Updated September 2014All Rights Reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in aretrieval system or transmitted in any form or by anymeans without the prior permission of the copyright

owner, other than as permitted by current UK legislationor under the terms of a recognised copyright licensing scheme.

Career Planning for Law Students

4 5

Careers and Employabilitywww.chester.ac.uk/careers

Philippa HardieCareer Consultantp.hardie@chester.ac.uk01244 513066

Careers & Employability Centre(opposite The Binks Building)Chester Campus

Careers and Employability University of ChesterParkgate RoadChester CH1 4BJ

ContentsCareer Planning for Law Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Becoming a Solicitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7The Legal Practice Course (LPC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Applying for admission to the full time Legal Practice Course . . . . . . . . . . 8Applying for admission to the part-time Legal Practice Course . . . . . . . . . 9What will I study on the Legal Practice Course? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9The Training Contract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9When to apply for a training contract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10What do trainee solicitors do? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10How to Apply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Becoming a Barrister . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Prospects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Apply for Work Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Apply for a place on the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) . . . . . . 14Joining an Inn and Applying for Scholarships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15What is Pupillage? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16What do Chambers look for? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Apply for Pupillages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Alternative Legal Careers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Applying by Online Application Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Applying by CV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20The Covering Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Skills analysis sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

6 7

Career Planning for Law Students

Almost as soon as you start your law degree, you need to ask yourself a very important question:

n Do I wish to use my law degree in order to pursue a career as a solicitor or barrister?

Less than half of all law students eventually progress into law, but only after undertaking the necessary further study and training. That means that everyone else goes into other fields, many of which will require either postgraduate study or relevant work experience.

In order to make the right decision for you, start investigating the solicitors’ and barristers’ professions.

There are two key activities you can do at this stage:

n Research - do as much as possible during your degree, as this will give you a clearer idea of the areas of legal practice, different solicitors’ firms and barristers’ chambers.

n Legal work experience – it is vital to get as much as you can during your degree. With some legal experience behind you, any application will look more credible and you will have a better idea which area of the profession might suit you best.

The recruitment cycle in law can be up to twice as long as for other graduate careers. For example, if you want to be a commercial solicitor with a large firm, or a barrister at one of the larger commercial sets, you may need to apply two years in advance of when you want to start.

Routes to qualification

Gaining your LLB will give you a qualifying law degree. This will enable you to qualify either as a solicitor or barrister by completing the relevant vocational stage of training. If you have a non-law or Combined Law degree you will have to complete at least some of the Graduate Diploma in Law before going on to the LPC or BPTC.

Becoming a Solicitor

Solicitors form the largest part of the legal profession with approximately 104,000 practitioners. The majority work in private practice. The remainder work in-house (within companies, charities and other employer organisations) or within government.

Solicitors’ work depends a great deal on the practice area and the size of employer. For example, in a City firm the focus of the work is almost entirely business law, dealing with companies. Solicitors work together in teams, in structured departments, with individual practitioners often looking at one small part of a large, high profile deal. Face-to-face contact with the client is limited in the early years and you will work alongside qualified staff, as one of many trainees.

In contrast, in a high street firm, you may be the only trainee and will probably have face-to-face client contact and court work from an early stage. Here, the work is for individuals or small local businesses and reflects everyday life events such as wills and probate, divorce, conveyancing or standard business matters.

8 9

The Legal Practice Course (LPC)

The course is delivered and studied in two stages:

Stage 1 covers the three essential practice areas of Business Law and Practice, Property Law and Practice, and Civil and Criminal Litigation, and the course skills, Professional Conduct and Regulation, Taxation, and Wills and Administration of Estates.

Stage 2 will be made up of three vocational electives.

To assist you in making a choice, LPC providers can become authorised to offer Stage 1, Stage 2 or both stages.

You must complete Stage 1 with one provider only.

You can take Stage 2 with your Stage 1 provider or with one or more other authorised Stage 2 providers. Therefore, you can take the three vocational electives at three different authorised providers.

You must complete three electives. Each elective will be allocated to an elective group, and you will be required to complete electives from at least two groups to ensure that you cover different aspects of practice.

All assessments of Stage 1 and Stage 2 must be successfully completed and passed within a five-year period. The five-year period starts from the date you attempt the first assessment—whether or not you are successful.

The LPC will continue to be delivered from September to June on a full time basis or part-time over 2 years. There are also other study options available.

For more information please look at the SRA’s website – www.sra.org.uk

Applying for admission to the full time Legal Practice Course

Admission applications for the full time Legal Practice Course (LPC) are processed by the Central Applications Board – www.lawcabs.ac.uk

Applications can be made from October in the year before the course starts. There is no closing date.

Applying for admission to the part-time Legal Practice Course

Admission applications for the part-time Legal Practice Course (LPC) are dealt with directly by individual providers.

Not all providers offer part-time courses, so check the list of providers on the SRA’s website – www.sra.org.uk for more information.

What will I study on the Legal Practice Course?

The LPC comprises

n compulsory areas (Business Law and Practice, Property Law and Practice, and Civil and Criminal Litigation)

n core areas n pervasive areas (Accounts, Professional Conduct and Client Care,

European Union Law, Revenue Law and Human Rights) n skills areas (Advocacy, Interviewing and Advising, Practical Legal

Research, Writing and Drafting) n elective subjects

If you hope to study a particular elective subject, ensure that it is offered by the institution to which you apply.

The Training Contract

The training contract lasts two years and is compulsory for graduates who wish to qualify as a solicitor. There should be a mix of contentious and non-contentious work.

Trainee solicitors gain practical experience of law and learn to apply a range of skills through working in a law practice or legal department.

10 11

When to apply for a training contract

Most commercial and corporate firms’ deadlines fall in July two years ahead of the start date.

This means that if you want a training contract in such firms you need to start to apply from your second year of the LLB. A full list of the larger firms’ closing dates for training contracts can be found at www.lawcareers.net

Many other firms recruit a great deal later, eg small firms, niche practices, local authorities and Magistrates’ courts, legal aid, high street and general practice firms. This may be during your final year at university or during or after the LPC.

This is why it is so important to start researching firms and areas of law at an early stage of your law degree. Training contracts are difficult to find so the earlier you start the process the better.

What do trainee solicitors do?

As a trainee solicitor, you’ll work in a legal environment such as:

n a firm of solicitors n in-house legal department of a local authority or company n Crown Prosecution Service n Magistrates Courts Service n Government Legal Service

You will gain practical experience of at least three areas of English law, such as personal injury law, conveyancing, company law, environmental law or criminal litigation.

You will develop your skills through working on clients’ cases. As a trainee solicitor, you’ll be closely supervised; your work will be regularly reviewed. You will deal with clients and learn to handle your own cases.

How to Apply

Commercial/Corporate Firms Work Placements

Increasingly, larger firms recruit their trainees through their work placement schemes. These are aimed at second year Law undergraduates although they are also open to final year and LPC students.

A work placement is one or two weeks’ paid work experience in a law firm and usually takes place in Easter and summer vacations. You will be given tasks to do on an individual and group basis and assessed throughout the period. You may have a formal interview at the end of the placement and the firm will then decide whether to offer you a training contract.

Most of the larger commercial/corporate firms will pay the costs of the LPC plus some level of living allowance whilst studying. Check www.lawcareers.net for details.

General Practice and High Street Firms

For the majority of general practice and high street firms application for training contracts will be by CV and covering letter in response to an advertisement. You would also send a CV and covering letter when applying for work experience in a firm.

12 13

Becoming a Barrister

The Bar is a small profession of approximately 15,000 practitioners. This can be broken down into the independent or self-employed Bar (80%) and the employed Bar (20%), i.e. counsel working in-house in companies, charities and government organisations. Barristers offer two main services:

n advocacy and

n specialist opinion .

Advocacy

Advocacy, the verbal presentation of an argument in court on behalf of another, remains the preserve of the Bar despite recent changes which have affected this. However, you need to be aware that as a barrister the amount of advocacy you undertake will depend on the area of law in which you specialise. For example, as a criminal barrister, advocacy would be a large part of your work compared to areas such as commercial or Chancery.

Specialist opinion

Barristers offering services need to be specialists in a particular field or sector so that they can be consulted for a second legal opinion in more complex cases. Knowledge of the law and of the industry sector covered needs to be unparalleled.

Working environment

The biggest difference between solicitors and barristers is that the latter are self-employed. Barristers are responsible for their own paperwork such as VAT, income tax, expenses and rent in chambers. Most barristers work in sets or groups of chambers to share premises and staff costs such as that of a barrister’s clerk. Developing and maintaining a client base is vital and much of this will depend on a barrister’s track record.

Skills required

There are numerous qualities required of a barrister, but the skills covered by the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) are:

n legal research – analytical, seeing the wood for trees, attention to detail n fact management – able to retain and manipulate large volumes of

information and detail n opinion writing – able to argue on paper and to formulate options and

recommendations n drafting – able to write clearly and concisely n conference – able to gather the right information from clients and solicitors n negotiation – able to reach a satisfactory conclusion based on several

factors, including cost n advocacy – able to represent another’s case in front of a court.

Prospects

Competition for pupillage is fierce, with fewer than 500 pupillages available each year and over 1500 students enrolling on the BPTC. So, if you want to pursue a career at the Bar, you should assess your chances, thoroughly research the opportunities and write the best application possible. If after this you are still aiming for the Bar - go for it wholeheartedly.

You need to be aware that:

n There has been a sharp decline in the number of pupillages (due to the introduction of compulsory funding)

n Money for publicly funded work continues to be an issue n Since 2000, it has been easier for solicitors to gain higher rights,

allowing them to appear in all courts to represent their clients as solicitor advocates.

n Start investigating different chambers and pupillage providers, and areas of legal practice in the second year of your LLB.

n Attend general careers/law fairs (which usually run in the autumn term each year), and careers talks on the Bar.

n Visit Careers and Employability for information. n You should also plan to attend the National Pupillage Fair, held annually

in London (usually March each year).

14 15

Places to look for basic information about the Bar:

n Prospects website www.prospects.ac.uk n Chambers Student Guide www.chambersstudent.co.uk n The Training Contract and Pupillage Handbook www.lawcareers.net n Target Law www.targetjobs.co.uk/law n Legal 500 www.legal500.com n Chambers and Partners www.chambersandpartners.com n Pupillage Gateway – www.pupillagegateway.com

Apply for Work Experience

The best work experience you can do if you want to be a barrister is a mini-pupillage. These are short periods of work experience (usually around five days) spent in chambers. Mini-pupillages can be done at any point before you secure pupillage and at any time of year suitable to chambers.

You should aim to do at least three mini-pupillages, ideally in sets of varying size and practice area, so that you can get a better feel for what the work is like in practice. You could also apply directly to organisations with in-house counsel for work shadowing (observation for a few days).

In addition to mini-pupillages, consider looking for work experience opportunities in law firms.

Other useful experience for the Bar includes: n court visits – local County, Crown Court or Magistrates’ Courts n public speaking – moots, debating societies etc n campaigning/voluntary work in areas of legal aid covered by the

Bar/working for the local Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB). See www.citizensadvice.co.uk

Apply for a place on the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC)

Apply via the central BPTC online system (www.barprofessionaltraining.org.uk) for both the full and part-time BPTC. The system opens in October and the closing date for applications is early January for acceptance onto the BPTC starting in the autumn.

Aptitude Test

You will have to pass the Bar Course Aptitude Test (BCAT) set by the Bar Standards Board in order to be accepted onto the BPTC. See www.barstandardsboard.org.uk for further details.

Joining an Inn and Applying for Scholarships

You will need to join one of the four Inns of Court by 31 May in the year that you start the BPTC. However, the Inns are also the main source of funding (for both the GDL and BPTC) so look into applying for scholarships as soon as you decide to pursue this career path.

For BPTC scholarships – apply early November in the year before you intend to start your BPTC.

The four Inns of Court are:

n Gray’s Inn – www.graysinn.org.uk n Inner Temple – www.innertemple.org.uk n Middle Temple – www.middletemple.org.uk n Lincoln’s Inn – www.lincolnsinn.org.uk

16 17

What is Pupillage?

Pupillage lasts 12 months and is split between a first ‘non-practising’ six and a second ‘practising’ six.

n The first six is spent shadowing an experienced barrister. n During the second six, you are entitled to supply legal services and

exercise rights of audience under supervision. n You will also attend advocacy training, an ‘Advice to Counsel’ course and

a forensic accountancy course.

When should Pupillage be undertaken?

You must begin pupillage within five years of completing your BPTC. Who offers pupillages?

n Barristers’ chambers n Government Legal Service n Crown Prosecution Service

What do Chambers look for?

This varies between Chambers, but includes: n High academic standards – normally a 2:1 or a 1st and excellent A level

grades; n A commitment to the Bar and an awareness of the advantages/

disadvantages; n An interest in the relevant practice area and, sometimes, knowledge of

a particular field or specialism (especially for mature entrants); n Advocacy skills such as debating and mooting experience; n Mini-pupillage and relevant work experience.

Apply for Pupillages

Most chambers will recruit approximately 18 months before you intend to start pupillage – i.e. in the spring of your final year at university. Some other pupillage providers, such as the Government Legal Service, will recruit pupils at the same time as they recruit trainee solicitors – in the summer before your final year. See the website www.pupillagegateway.com for more details.

There are two ways of applying for pupillage – via the Pupillage Portal and directly.

n Pupillage Gateway - is an online system at www.pupillagegateway.com which allows you to complete one standard application form and apply to a maximum of 12 chambers each year and make one “clearing” application. You can tailor the application to each set of Chambers.

n Direct Applications – while all pupillages should be advertised at www.pupillagegateway.com, not all pupillage providers participate in the central Pupillage Gateway scheme. For these recruiters you will need to apply directly – via CV or their own application form. Often these recruiters will have different deadlines so you will need to check each one individually. There is no limit on the number of pupillages outside the Pupillage Gateway you can apply for.

Pupillage applications should be your focus from your final year at university. If you are not successful at this stage, you can still apply for pupillages during and after the BPTC. Remember, you have five years to start you pupillage after completing the BPTC.

18 19

Applying by Online Application Form

Spelling and grammar

n Correct grammar and spelling are vital. n Attention to detail is an important skill for any lawyer. n Draft your form in Word, check it carefully, then cut and paste it into the

online form.

Formal style

n Always write using appropriate language and style.

Take a copy

n Always save a copy of your draft application offline. This allows you to check your work before you hit the send button. When you are invited to interview, it is very important to have a copy of your application to remind yourself of what you wrote.

Automatic word limits

n Most online application systems set word count limits for each answer – once you reach the limit, no further text is accepted. Always try to be concise and relevant in your answers.

Covering letters and CVs

n Online applications don’t always require a covering letter, although some employers ask for a CV and/or letter to be uploaded in addition to the main form. There are usually ‘open’ questions instead which allow you to explain your motivation for applying and what you think you can offer.

Staying in touch

n Online applications are usually acknowledged immediately on screen and later by email.

Alternative Legal Careers

Legal Executives (CILEX)

An alternative route to qualification as a lawyer is to become a chartered legal executive.

There is a Graduate Fast-track Diploma which gives a law graduate exemptions from some of the exams.

There is no requirement to secure a training contract or pupillage when choosing this route, and the course fees are considerably cheaper than the LPC or BPTC. Once you are qualified you practise as a Chartered Legal Executive. You will then be at the same level as a solicitor and can become a judge or partner in a law firm, for example.

For further details, see the CILEX website www.cilex.org.uk

Paralegal

Becoming a paralegal or legal assistant can be a good way to gain experience of working in a law firm and can also, in time, sometimes lead to gaining a training contract.

Although some law firms require candidates to have studied the LPC, this is not always the case. Some law firms employ large numbers of paralegals so it can become a career in its own right.

20 21

Applying by CV

The other main method of applying for a training contract or pupillage is by CV and covering letter.

Preparing Your CV

A CV is a factual summary of the key features about you which are relevant to a future employer. This is your way of “marketing yourself” and must be tailored for each application.

Presenting Your CV

Tips for Law students:

n No more than two sides of A4 n Word-processed in a clear font like Arial, Tahoma, Verdana n Information always presented in reverse chronological order: the most

recent experience fi rst. n Spaced out well, using indent, bold, underline, and bullet points consistently.

Content and Layout

Start with your name and put your personal details underneath like this:

Sarah Thomas

14 Garden LaneChester CH2 3LX

Tel: 01244 657433Mobile: 0774 397584

Email: sarah.thomas@virgin.net

Personal details

You can be more selective with a CV than with an application form. Marital status is unnecessary while nationality is only an issue if you need a work permit.

Further tips for the personal information section:

n The title of your CV should be the name by which you are known – you do not need the words ‘curriculum vitae’. Avoid middle names which you do not routinely use

n Contact details should be up to date and reliable. Give an email address and ensure you check it daily.

n Ensure that personal email addresses are suitably professional!

Education and Qualifi cations

Education and employment are the most important parts of your CV as together they provide the evidence to meet most employers’ selection criteria. List your details in reverse chronological order, with the present day at the top of the list and working backwards in time. Most CVs for University of Chester LLB students will include:

n First degree – name of University, dates attended, subject of degree. If some of your degree subjects are relevant to the work of the fi rms or sets to whom you are applying, list them; alternatively, you could name the subjects in which you performed especially well.

n Pre-university qualifi cations – include dates, subjects and grades at A level. Summarise GCSEs eg. 8 GCSEs at grades A* - C including English and Maths.

Non-traditional qualifi cations

If you have qualifi cations other than GCSEs and A levels, it is worth giving an indication of their level and equivalence (e.g. ‘Intermediate GNVQ, equivalent to 2 GCSEs at grades A-C’). UCAS (www.ucas.com) can be helpful if you are not sure what to put.

22 23

Academic ‘blips’

Consistent academic performance is a key selection criterion, especially for larger commercial fi rms. Do not, however, be tempted to omit grades, as employers may assume you did a lot worse than in reality.

Employers are often prepared to consider waiving their normal academic requirements if you can provide evidence that circumstances beyond your control, such as a bereavement or illness, affected your performance.

In your CV, it is important to state briefl y that there were mitigating circumstances during your ‘blip’ but saving full details for later, for example:

2004 - 2006 ‘A’ levels: Biology (B), Geography (D*,) Economics (E*)

* I was suffering from glandular fever at the time, which affected my performance. Medical evidence is available on request.

You can also consider mentioning the ‘blip’ in the covering letter where you have space to put it within a positive context.

Employment

This can usefully be divided into legal and non-legal experience, providing you have some of each. The key to an impressive CV is to make your experience work for you by showing how you have developed skills and knowledge of use to the employers you want to work for, even from work which is not obviously relevant.

n Clarify your responsibilities – think of the skills you have gained

n Use ‘active’ description – put yourself at the centre of the picture, e.g. ‘Drafted standard client letters and liaised with solicitors’ rather than ‘solicitors at the fi rm gave me client letters to draft’.

n Quantify whenever possible - mention the size of the employer, its turnover, staff numbers, type of customers, the size of budget for your department and any fi nancial responsibility you held.

Other experience

Don’t forget the skills gained from unpaid as well as for paid work. Whatever you call this section (Activities & Interests, Positions of Responsibility), it can also give the recruiter some idea of your personality and likely ‘fi t’ with the organisation you are targeting. You can include any of the following:

n Voluntary and community work – this is very important for any fi rm or organisation involved with private clients and the local community. Such employers tend to look for specifi c interpersonal skills, such as the ability to remain calm when under pressure.

n Membership of professional & other bodies – particularly relevant for those with previous careers in a different fi eld. If you have contacts via such organisations this could be useful for generating business.

n Positions of responsibility – these can be used as evidence of leadership, co-ordination, strategy and the ability to take the initiative. If you have space, mention how long you held the position, what you actually did, whether you were elected or appointed and what you learnt from the experience. For commercial law, stress anything that has developed or improved your commercial awareness such as fund raising or being treasurer of a club.

n Domestic responsibilities – mention commitments such as children and relatives if they have been your focus for a time, such as during a career break, to avoid any gaps in dates.

n Music, art and sports – this can show attributes such as team work, creativity and self- discipline. Larger commercial fi rms tend to be particularly keen on team work and will want to know your level of involvement as well as your competence. Always focus on interests that are as distinctive as possible and require active involvement; avoid those that most people do, such as reading, watching TV and socialising with friends.

24 25

Other skills

These might include:

n Languages (including community languages such as Urdu and Gujarati)

n Driving (especially for rural and small-town firms)

Referees

At the end of your CV, you should provide details of two contacts who know you in a professional capacity, ideally one academic and one employer. As a University of Chester student, your academic referee should be your personal tutor. Your employer referee can be legal or non-legal, depending on how much legal experience you have. Avoid personal referees.

Always ask the person first before giving their details out and aim for contacts that are recent and can be contacted easily. Include email details if appropriate but not telephone numbers.

Action Words:

On the next page you will find a list of action words which you can use to enhance the content of your CV, covering letter and/or application form.

Action Words:

AcceleratedAccomplishedAchievedActivatedAcquiredAddressedAdministeredAdvisedAmplifiedAnalysedAnticipatedAppliedAppraisedAppropriateApprovedArrangedAssessedAssimilatedAugmentedAuthorisedAvertedAvoidedBoughtBuiltCentralisedCollaboratedCombinedCompiledCompletedComposedComputedConceivedConcludedCondensedConductedConsolidatedControlled

ConvertedCorrectedCounselledCreatedCultivatedDecentralisedDecreasedDefinedDeliveredDemonstratedDesignedDeterminedDevelopedDevisedDirectedDischargedDisposedDistributedDiversifiedDocumentedDoubledEditedEffectedEliminatedEnactedEnforcedEngagedEnlargedEstablishedEstimatedEvaluatedExecutedExpandedExpeditedExtractedFamiliarisedForecasted

FormedFormulatedGeneratedGuidedImplementedImprovedImprovisedInauguratedIncreasedInitiatedInspiredInstalledInstigatedInstructedInsuredIntegratedInterpretedIntervenedIntroducedInventedInvestedInvestigatedLaunchedLedLightenedManagedMaintainedMeasuredMergedMinimisedModernisedMonitoredObservedObtainedOperatedOrganisedOriginated

PerformedPersuadedPioneeredPlannedPositionedPredictedPreparedPresentedPreventedProcessedProcuredProducedProgrammedPromotedProposedProvedPublishedPurchasedRecommendRedesignedReducedRecruitedRegulatedRejectedRelatedRenegotiatedReorganisedReportedResolvedRestrictedReviewedRevisedRevitalisedSavedScheduledSelectedSet Up

ShapedSimplifiedSolvedSpecifiedStaffedStandardisedStartedStimulatedStreamlinedStrengthenedStructuredStudiedSucceededSurpassedSupportedSupersededSupervisedSurveyedTaughtTerminatedTestedTightenedTrainedTranslatedTreatedTrimmedTripledUncoveredUnifiedUnravelledUtilisedUnifiedWrote

26 27

The Covering Letter

n Keep to a maximum of one side of A4. n Paragraphs should be clearly laid out and there should be white space at

the top and bottom of your page. n Use a font that is easy to read, such as Arial. n Try to write in a direct and simple way. You will save space and get your

message over more easily.

Structure

n Always write to a named person rather than ‘Sir/Madam’ if at all possible. n Use their title and surname only, eg Dear Mrs Smith.

First paragraph

n Use this to set the scene. n Clarify what you are applying or looking for, when for and what you’re

currently doing. n For example, ‘I am writing to you in response to your advert for a trainee

solicitor to start in September 2015. I am currently a final year LLB student at the University of Chester.’

n You could also add a reason for your interest in the vacancy, eg previous time spent in a similar firm, relevant options during your degree, choice of electives on the LPC.

n Mention you are enclosing your CV.

Second paragraph

n Address why you are applying to the firm/set/company. n Think about its size, location and areas of specialisation. n Then widen this out to anything special or unique about the employer

(eg six seats rather than four) and your wider career aims. n You need to demonstrate that you have researched the employer and

area of work and that you have a good feel for what they are about. n Make links to any experience that has helped you come to your decision

and avoid vague generalisations such as ‘top class training programme’ or ‘international reputation’.

Third paragraph

n This is where you need to convince the employer that you are right for them and for the role. If you are responding to an advertised position, address each of the selection criteria.

n Don’t expect the reader to turn to your CV to evidence this; lay it out for them to read.

n If you don’t have much relevant experience, explain why you think you could make a contribution, e.g. team player, fast learner, good people skills.

n Refer to points on your CV that you want the reader to note without repeating too much information.

Fourth paragraph

n This is for any other relevant information such as mitigating circumstances for poor academic results, or details of extra qualifications that are relevant to the job, e.g. languages, paralegal, an LLM.

Final paragraph

n Use this space to sign off and indicate your availability for interview. n Use ‘Yours sincerely’ where you have written to a named individual and

‘Yours faithfully’ if you have had to use ‘Sir/Madam’.

28 29

Skills analysis sheetThe following are some of the skills most often asked for by employers:

Thinking of your Education, Activities and Interests and Work Experience, write examples of evidence you have to show an employer you possess the skills highlighted below.

Skills EDUCATION ACTIVITIES & INTERESTS

WORK EXPERIENCE

Evidence Evidence Evidence

Organising

Problem Solving

Working in a Team

Drive and Initiative

Skills EDUCATION ACTIVITIES & INTERESTS

WORK EXPERIENCE

Evidence Evidence Evidence

Taking Responsibility

Communication Skills – Written and Oral

Working Under Pressure

Analytical Skills/Problem Solving

Creativity and Innovation

30 31

Skills EDUCATION ACTIVITIES & INTERESTS

WORK EXPERIENCE

Evidence Evidence Evidence

Tact and Sensitivity

Motivating Others

Planning

Commercial Awareness

32

Careers and Employabi l i t y