Some simple things can make a major difference to your application. But our graduate recruitment team says you'd be surprised how many people don't follow this advice:
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Ensure that you have reached the correct stage in your studies before applying.
We are recruiting for training contract candidates to start in September 2014 and March 2015. Therefore, applicants should be in or have passed their penultimate year of a UK qualifying law degree, or their final year of a non – law degree.
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Make sure you complete all sections of the form.
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Do your research and use it to make your application shine. We want to know what it is about Osborne Clarke that is attractive to you, which means more than just repeating information from our brochure and website.
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Avoid copying and pasting answers from the internet or any other application forms that you might be completing. We want to hear your voice come through on the page.
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Review your work a couple of times before submitting. Once for grammar, once for a sense check. Then get someone else (a friend or family member) to review it too.
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Honest mistakes happen. But you'll understand why we have a zero tolerance approach on mistakes for exam grades. If you didn't make the grades that we normally look for, check the FAQs section to see if you can still apply.
And our current trainees say:
"If you're applying to OC, you need to really do your homework on us. Take your time on your application form, consider each part of the process carefully, and prepare a lot for the interview. Read as much as you can about the firm. That way, you’ll be better placed to know if we’re the right firm for you." (Rosanna Foster, Trainee London)
"The most important thing is to get as much exposure to the legal sector as you can because the experiences will vary so much from firm to firm. I did a summer vacation scheme with a silver circle firm and undertook work experience with lots of firms covering everything from corporate to criminal and family law. That really helped me distinguish why I didn’t want to do other types of law." (Kate Meadows, Trainee TVO)
"When you're applying for a training contract work out what you want to do and really research the area of law or firm that you're interested in. You need to understand what lawyers do on a day to day basis as it's something you will get asked about at interview." (Ciaran Price, Trainee Bristol)
"My advice to anyone considering a career in the law is, first, to think carefully about what being a lawyer involves. You need to be able to solve problems, to be flexible, and to have a real interest in your clients. The teams I have worked in are genuinely interested in their clients for example those in the digital businesses and life sciences sectors." (Rosanna Foster, Trainee London)
"When applying for training contracts, the temptation is to write a single reply to questions and then copy and paste to save time. Firms are genuinely very different in what they're looking for, and that approach can only fail as a result. People are aware of how pressured the training contract market is, and it will look very good indeed if they can see that you've taken trouble over their application." (Ciaran Price, Trainee Bristol)
Our trainees also say that this area on the Law Society website and this BPP site are highly useful when considering a career in the law.