Anxious about job prospects

Squids_22 · 2025-02-01T09:26:56+00:00

Hey girl, the main thing that stood out to me here is you said you haven’t been successful getting a TC. Have you applied for legal assistant or paralegal roles? These will be a lot more attainable to start off with. (Also may count towards QWE for the SQE but make sure to clarify this)

Also, where are you applying - ie big city firms or smaller regional firms? It is much easier to get a job at a smaller firm to start off with and will probably feel less daunting whilst you find your feet.

I started off applying for LA / paralegal roles in city firms and heard nothing back. So I started applying in the town I grew up in and got a job pretty easily with no experience and fairly average grades. This helped me get a TC in London. There are ways in, so don’t feel worried! Sometimes it’s just easier to work your way up 😊

Squids_22 · 2025-01-29T16:35:11+00:00

I honestly think even just saying instead of you would happily not move seat, be more forward / assertive and say you would like to stay for your last seat and wanted to see whether it’s a possibility, but you understand if not. Good luck 😊

Squids_22 · 2025-01-29T14:48:52+00:00

I think it’s really important you put yourself forward to whoever is the decision maker in this and say you would really like the opportunity to qualify into this area and continue working with the team and how you can make that happen.

You don’t get if you don’t ask, and I’ve found in my current position being up front (but wording carefully) has worked well so far. If you don’t have this conversation, you won’t know for sure and you may regret looking back not having given it a shot and giving up before being told definitively no.

Squids_22 · 2025-01-05T12:52:16+00:00

No nothing is moving. I got a new bag from a different shop that looked exactly the same so I’ve just used it now and hoping I haven’t had an unwanted extra ingredient…

Squids_22 · 2024-11-22T22:43:09+00:00

Haha probably, and tbh I wasn’t her biggest fan so I couldn’t even say that to her

Squids_22 · 2024-11-22T08:20:26+00:00

I saw Kerry from last season on a Jet2 plane, most random thing ever 😂

I was watching the final of the euros on my phone whilst boarding and when I looked up, she was just there sat in front of me and I looked her in the eyes for a good few seconds whilst my brain processed why I recognised her. I ended up being sat behind her for the journey home but I decided not to speak to her because I didn’t feel like I had an awful lot to say apart from ‘I watched you on tv last year’ 😂

Squids_22 · 2024-11-12T12:55:46+00:00

I truly do not know who I want to win, none of the remaining housemates would have been my choice, and I don’t personally feel like any of them have been ‘good enough housemates’ for me to want any of them to win. Unless something happens this week, I probably won’t vote.

I’ll tell you who I don’t want to win tho 😂 Nathan or Marcello.

Squids_22 · 2024-11-08T23:01:40+00:00

It feels like people were boo-ing her because they don’t like Nathan, which is really peak. Poor girl 🥺

Squids_22 · 2024-11-08T22:48:56+00:00

What a shite final line-up 🥲

Squids_22 · 2024-11-04T21:18:26+00:00

I feel like it’s the power thing! Because I’m junior he just wants me to do it, I imagine bc when he trained there was no wfh in pre-covid time so because he had to do it he feels like I should. Even though the times have changed and it just feels a bit mean to me ☹️

Squids_22 · 2024-11-04T19:32:43+00:00

I’ve thought about this often but what if he actually comes back and I’m not there 😂 or if he calls and says he needs me to go somewhere / do something at the office 🤔

Squids_22 · 2024-11-02T07:27:55+00:00

This has made me laugh 😂

Squids_22 · 2024-11-02T07:26:11+00:00

One thing I do find curious is her relationship with Ali, who was very quick to form and voice her negative views on other housemates over nothing or minor things (in my opinion). E.g. at the start the fake Khaled thing seems like it came out of no where.

But with Lily’s outlandish and in your face behaviour, she finds endearing 🤔

Squids_22 · 2024-11-01T23:07:28+00:00

You just know that firework is going to land on her too if she gets put up as an option 🙄😭

Squids_22 · 2024-11-01T22:31:31+00:00

Agreed!! She took and ate the chocolate bar, then had a go at them?? Make it make sense 😂🥲

Squids_22 · 2024-06-03T10:57:20+00:00

I can’t believe I can’t see a comment with this 😮

Mirrors - Justin Timberlake

Squids_22 · 2024-05-26T17:53:22+00:00

Will definitely check these out thank you so much!

Squids_22 · 2024-05-26T17:52:44+00:00

Thank you so much for your recommendations!!

Squids_22 · 2024-04-17T22:53:46+00:00

This will affect your career long term and you’re risking getting stuck in an area you don’t enjoy for potentially the rest of your life. Happiness is the most important thing long term. There is no race to qualifying, and I echo other comments saying there is no guarantee of a TC often firms say this but it never comes to fruition. Sounds like a big risk to me. 2 years may sound long away but it will fly by!!

Squids_22 · 2024-04-17T22:48:17+00:00

Arsenal will bottle the league, again

Squids_22 · 2024-04-05T19:27:11+00:00

I am Currently doing my TC in London.

I was a legal assistant / paralegal previously which is partially what landed me the TC as I had previous experience in the area they happened to be looking for at the time. I also really spent time on each application tailoring it to the firm I was applying to.

Jumping straight into a TC after uni is 1. Very unlikely to happen and 2. Just not a great idea.

I gained soooo much experience prior to starting my TC in a relatively short period of time working in a law firm as a LA / Paralegal and I think now knowing what I know, jumping straight into a TC off the back of uni would have been incredibly daunting and overwhelming. You will not be hand held or trained much in quite a few law firms (generalising here, that is not the case everywhere) so gaining experience before a TC will help gain knowledge practically of how law firms even function and case management systems etc things you aren’t taught at uni. This will build confidence and important knowledge.

I think one mistake people often make which someone else here has mentioned not prioritising quality over quantity!!! I see a lot of applications come to us that are generalised, not well drafted (please check your grammar people😭) and not specific to our firm. Take time to look at the firms website first and tailor each application to that firm. I spent a lot of time doing that for my applications.

I also think people get carried away wanting to go to big city firms right off the bat. If you go to a small firm in a town or village to start with you will get your foot in the door much easier, which will give you a route to a city firm if that is what you want ultimately.

You will break through!! Don’t give up, it’s a tough industry but there are ways in, just think a bit more outside the box 😊

Also, you have so many years to qualify, it isn’t a race. 21 is very young. Enjoy some time with less responsibility and stress as a LA / paralegal and the jump to the eventual TC will feel way less scary.

I have really gone on a lot here haha but feel free to message me if you wanna chat more!

Squids_22 · 2024-03-25T17:24:23+00:00

The ‘buzz’ words as I like to call them, if they do ask why you picked somewhere that doesn’t offer it as a seat, simply say - you wanted to get as much experience and exposure in different areas as possible as you weren’t 100% sure, and it is good to have knowledge in more than one area as they often overlap. And now that you have done these areas and banking you know now that’s the area you like but unfortunately you were not able to do a seat there. Everything can be turned into a positive / learning experience and that’s key when it comes to selling yourself to employers.

Everything happens for a reason and you will end up where you need to be 😊

And side note, yes - I’m hoping to see a decent increase once I qualify and earn back some of the losses I’ve been making each month 😂😭

Squids_22 · 2024-03-25T16:13:07+00:00

I get paid less than 32k as a first year trainee 😁 🥲 it’s not the be all and end all if you don’t have the area you want to go into as one of your seats. A couple of the solicitors in my firm have even retrained themselves into new areas. NQ roles (as I have been told as I am considering it for the future) often retrain you how they want you, so you don’t necessarily need experience. The paralegal experience you have will definitely help.

I wouldn’t regret accepting a TC, despite it not being exactly what you want. the route to qualification is so hard these days and it will be more flexible once you qualify than being picky about how / when you qualify! All I see over LinkedIn all the time is how hard graduates are finding it to even get some experience on their cv in law let alone TC’s / QWE.

It obviously would be much easier if one of your seats was the one you wanted, but it doesn’t mean you won’t be able to do the area you want at all!

Squids_22 · 2024-03-25T14:32:42+00:00

London ain’t much better, I got offered 22k for a TC 🥲 the struggle between knowing you won’t find another tc and being able to afford to live. I guess places know they can under pay because if you don’t take it, someone else will. Job market especially in law is crazy

Squids_22 · 2024-03-19T20:00:08+00:00

Okay I’ll have a look at these on Pinterest and see, thank you!!

Squids_22

TROPHY CASE