Training contract service

A training contract is a period of practical training, tailor made for graduates who wish to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales. The training contract, which includes the professional skills course, is the final stage on the path to qualifying as a solicitor. It is the stage at which you put into practice all the knowledge and skills you have learnt so far, and develop these further within a working environment.

For many people the training contract market is a tough one to break into as the standards are generally very high. The majority of our applicants have previously applied to many posts without success, it can be said that competition is fierce. It can also be said that a large proportion of training contract posts are not even advertised in the wider market, this is fact especially with regard to high street firms. We feel we can help clients as a result of our knowledge in the legal, recruitment and consultancy sectors. We offer aspects of services similar to career consultants but we also work with our clients to target and market their details to a large number of firms. Due to our extensive resources we are able to identify the broad legal job market and subsequently ‘market’ our client’s skills and qualifications in the appropriate manner. We target thousands of firms across England and Wales giving our clients the best possible opportunity to obtain a post. We are able to target over 90% of all firms and use our tried and tested methods to help our clients obtain results. Our consultants are not simply office based, we visit organisations directly, attend legal recruitment events and actively follow the market for opportunities. Due to our successful formula and prudent candidate selection procedure this enables us to offer the highest levels of service.

 

The process

If you are accepted for registration we then begin the preparation procedure almost instantaneously. You will immediately be assigned a consultant who will work on your ‘case’ therefore please only register if you have passed the legal practice course (LPC) as the registration fee is non refundable, similarly only apply if you are looking to obtain a training contract. If you are specifically looking for paralegal work, go to the paralegal page. Similarly if you are looking for legal work experience, go to the work experience page.

After registration you will be sent a comprehensive information and assessment pack. This pack will include a brief form for you to fill and return to us via email, we will supply you with industry standard templates and samples for guidance. We want to ensure we know all about you in order to help you find a post. Your existing CV, covering letter / notes and related information will be reviewed by your consultant to ensure it complies with law firm requirements. Suitable amendments will be made with your consent. We will also provide you with information and exercises to equip you for interview situations, this information will cover all important areas i.e. aptitude / psychometric tests, handling legal interviews, after interview tips etc. We expect all our registered clients to study and apply this information correctly.

After the review and evaluation process we will then begin the important ‘marketing’ and job targeting phase. We will target 1000 firms to give you an outstanding opportunity to obtain a post. After this process our work will conclude. We will however maintain contact to inform you of interview matters, queries and all other relevant information.

 

Other key information (training contract service)

i. We are the only organisation in the UK with a team of career consultants, legal professionals and lawyers working to offer such a dedicated service.

ii. We ask for patience during the first month as this is a crucial period after registering. Once the review and evaluation process is completed, we will then target 1000 firms. Due to the volume of work that this requires we complete this process within 2 weeks.

iii. When you register on the training contract service we will help you tailor your details to target training contract posts. We will target 1000 law firms which includes firms authorised by the law society to offer training contracts thereby giving you the best possible chance to obtain a training contract.

iv. Please note that some employers may decide (having interviewed you) to offer you a paralegal post and some with a promise of a training contract after a probationary period. While we encourage you to accept such posts you should remember that you are not obliged to accept any post and should negotiate if you are unhappy with any terms of your employment.

v. We also accommodate clients looking to obtain part-time training contracts i.e. while studying for their LPC. Please do not be discouraged if you have obtained a 2.2 in your degree, a large number of our applicants have obtained this grade.

vi. We are offering all our services in one unique package designed to help you ‘get a training contract’. We realise the academic and financial difficulties law students have faced and have thus made our fee affordable to applicants who are accepted for registration. Cost of the training contract service is £ 380.

 

To register your interest in this service please email us your CV and a brief letter highlighting your key achievements and any other information you feel is relevant to support your application. You must also state the reasons why you feel you should be considered for this service. In the email heading ensure you state 'Training contract service application'. Your CV and letter will be forwarded to a consultant and you will receive a reply within 3 working days. Please note that your CV will not be fully reviewed / evaluated, your application is merely being considered at this stage.

Email applications@getatrainingcontract.com

The decision whether to allow an applicant to register on the training contract service depends on various factors namely minimum requirements, suitability, economic cycle trends etc. We receive hundreds of applications and we want to ensure we are able to help suitable candidates, therefore please do not be discouraged if you are not accepted for registration on the training contract service. You are allowed to reapply after 3 months (up to a maximum of 2 applications a year). In some instances we may suggest registration on another service package e.g. paralegal or work experience service. If your application is accepted we will forward a link to your e-mail address to complete the registration / fee payment.

Do not apply until you have seen our FAQs page, this will highlight further information and provides explanation of terms.