Having finally completed the long and hard years of education, you find yourself one step closer to realizing your dream of becoming a solicitor. You are now in the stage of hunting for training contracts and, like many fresh graduates, you wish for that stage to be quick and short.

Grabbing a training contract for solicitors in the UK is one of the best things that could ever happen in your professional like. There are plenty of graduate training jobs in the UK. Here are a few tips on how to find one for yourself and help you get started with building your career.

  • Look at the right places. – Making a decision on the career path you want to take is a great step towards an interesting and, more importantly, bright future. There is, however, the question of knowing where to look. There are many law firms in the UK and you can send your training contracts and resumes to as many of them as you please. This early in your career, it will do you good if you are not too picky. Sure, it would be great to land a law training contract from a big and established firm, but if a small firm opens the doors for you, walk in and learn as much as you can to gain experience.
  • Getting grants. – The Legal Services Commission (LSC) provides funding to support new legal aid solicitors’ training. The grant covers tuition expenses for both the Professional Skills Course (PSC) and the Legal Practice Course (LPC). However, the Legal Services Commission does not accept applications for grants directly. A Training Contracts Grants Scheme (TCG) must be secured. Applications should be submitted to the various solicitors and not-for-profit organizations.
  • Graduate Diploma in Law. – As the name suggests, a graduate diploma is a postgraduate diploma offered in the UK. The diploma is taken after successfully completing a Bachelor’s Degree. Getting a graduate diploma is an essential first step if you wish to pursue a career in law, but do not have an undergraduate law degree. The Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) is a conversion course that basically converts your non-law degree to take you to the next step: Legal Practice Course. The course will give you a solid knowledge on the fundamental principles governing many areas of law. It will also help you develop the skills you will definitely need such as legal reasoning and understanding the language of law. There are many institutions in the UK that offer graduate diplomas.
  • Legal Practice Course. – It is the vocational stage for becoming a solicitor in the UK. The course is offered as full-time or part-time to thousands of students who are looking into getting a training contract. Its goal is to have you prepared for your trainee solicitor practice. The Legal Practice Course (LPC) teaches you how to apply the academic training you have learned during your law undergraduate studies or graduate diploma to real-world issues. It emulates the nature of work encountered in actual practice, following a specific set of clients through a case study.
  • Creating your resume and cover letter. – Cover letters are optional. However, taking the time to create them, and attaching them your resume and your application sends a very good impression to the employer. The resume is a very dynamic piece of paper. The deal with resumes is that they either help you or harm you. That is exactly why they should be well-written. Review and rewrite as necessary. It would even help if you printed out a copy so can you see how it actually looks. Bear in mind that your qualifications, skills and talents are your key selling points to getting a training contract. Having all those essential personal information in your resume is very vital. At this point, modesty should be taken aside. Highlight the things about yourself that need to be highlighted. Be sure though, that the things written in your resume and cover letter are true. It is also important for you to be concise, but avoid being too wordy and keep your resume short.

Remember that the competition out there is tough and fierce. Finding training contracts for solicitors is not as easy as you would hope it would be. Have faith in yourself. Allow your qualifications to do the talking for you. Trust in your abilities and, at the same time, work hard to achieve your most potential and get qualified. You will realize that, not long enough, your dreams of having a career in this field is slowly unfolding right before your eyes.