Getting a Foot in the Door: A Guide to Legal Work Experience

Getting a Foot in the Door: A Guide to Legal Work Experience

As someone who has been exploring the possibilities of legal work experience since I was 14 years old, I believe I am fairly qualified to offer some hints and tips for getting legal work experience, as well as what to avoid! If you’re new to the legal world and are trying to acquire your very first placement, or an old hat looking to brush up on your skills then this post could become your best friend.

1. Make yourself stand out:

Something that a lot of potential employers look for is someone who’s different from the other candidates. This is especially important if you’re applying for an advertised placement scheme, or applying at the same time as a lot of other students such as part of a Secondary School Work Experience Week. You can make yourself stand out by doing some legal reading (See our previous post for our recommendations), having unusual or desirable skills, and having a killer CV and cover letter.

2. Be Prepared:

Whether you’re handing an unsolicited CV to a firm in person, emailing the firm or applying through a pre-made application process, you’re going to have to know your stuff. Research the firm thoroughly before you apply, and look for appearances in the local and national news. Chances are, knowing information about the firm will put you to the top of the pile as it shows that you’re keen to work there. Additionally, it could save you from future embarrassment as they may specify that they do not accept application for work experience, or that they require applications to be made in a particular format.

3. CV and cover letters:

Regardless of the method of application, you’re going to need a CV and a cover letter at some point. If you’re a student, it is unlikely that you’ve got a huge amount of work experience in the past, so you’ll have to really emphasis your skills and achievements and reiterate this in your cover letter, websites such as TopCV and Reed have great tips for writing the perfect CV, and software such as Microsoft Word have several templates that are ready for you to make your own.

4. Get Thinking:

Depending on the requirements for the firm, don’t be afraid to go in and introduce yourself with a CV. Make sure you’re clear about your intentions, and tell them what it is you want (work experience), how long for (a day? A week? A fortnight?) and should they be open to offering work experience, what you think you’d gain and what you could offer them during a placement. This will take some preparation so make sure you have a few bullet points cemented in your mind should this situation arise, this is where your knowledge of the company will come in handy, so don’t be shy and put a face to the name on the paper, the worst they can say is no. The same goes with an email, be to the point and don’t waffle, because then you risk your email going straight into the bin, which isn’t what you want.

5. Interview Skills:

Last but not least, some firms may require a formal or informal interview so make sure you have prepared for this. Sit down with family or friends and do a mock interview, there are plenty of resources online ot help you with this. Think of some answers to the interview ‘stock questions’ (Why do you want to have work experience here? Why do you want to work in law? What experience do you have? Why should we give you a placement?) and practice them so you can offer the answers confidently with limited hesitation when on the spot. Most importantly, think of some unusual or tricky questions to ask the interviewers, you will be more likely to stick in their mind, and therefore YOU will be more likely to stick in their mind, and sticking in their mind leads to work placements.

Do you have any tips for getting work experience? Have you tried any of the tips above? Let us know in the comments!

LC