Submitting the Perfect Training Contract Application: Advice for Non-Law Students

May 30, 2024

Written By Ella Buckley

So, you’re student in a non-law degree. You’re pretty sure you want to become a solicitor; you’ve researched the process and now you’re looking for your training contract. These are essential to qualifying, but the application process can look intimidating at first. If you find yourself in this position, fear not! Here’s everything you need to know to ace your training contract application as a non-law student.

What is a training contract?

Training contracts are a two-year period of qualifying work experience. They usually take place at a law firm.

What’s the difference between the Solicitor’s Qualifying Exam (SQE) and a training contract?

The path to qualification as a solicitor in the UK takes four steps:

A degree in any subject
Qualifying Work Experience/Training Contract
SQE1 (an exam on functioning legal knowledge)
SQE2 (an exam on practical legal knowledge)

You can do your QWE at any time in the qualifying process. You can choose up to four different firms or organisations for your QWE, although many firms still choose to offer two-year-long training contracts.

How do I start?

The training contract application process is not much different to any other graduate job, although it is very competitive. It is as important as ever to make sure that your application is well researched and thought out.

Your application might include:

A CV
A cover letter
An academic transcript
Additional assessments, such as psychometric testing or interviews.

Take time researching firms and writing your application materials, and give yourself plenty of time to submit your application.

Research is key!

It’s essential to research the firms you are applying to. Ideas for what to research and questions to ask include:

What are some recent cases? Who led these cases? Who were their opponents?
Where does your firm rank in different practice areas?
What does a working day look like?
Even the ‘silly’ questions are important! Where are their offices? Can you see yourself living there for two years at a time?

Where do I start researching?

It’s always a great start to look at the firm’s own website, as well as directories like Chambers and Partners and Legal 500, which will give you useful information on firm rankings and recent cases.

Recruitment events are also a great way of meeting firms and employees in person (make sure you come armed with at least some knowledge about the firm). You could also reach out to current employees on LinkedIn with any questions.

Writing the Perfect CV

The average time an employer spends on your CV is seven seconds – here’s how to make yours count!

Make sure your CV is broken down into sections with subtitles for each role to make it easy to read.
Make sure you highlight key skills that the firm is looking for in the description (more advice on how to do this in section 8).
Tailor your CV for each application - place the most relevant skills and experience near the top of the page.

Writing a Compelling Cover Letter

Your cover letter should have an opening, a body and a closing sentence.
Pick out specific things from your research to talk about in your cover letter – maybe a case you are enthusiastic about, or a value you really align with.
Try not to use generic words or addresses like ‘to whom it may concern’.
It’s not an essay – don’t use overly formal language.

Succeeding in Additional Assessments

As well as the CV and cover letter, you may be asked to do additional assessments as part of your application, such as psychometric testing and interviews.

A few tips for additional testing include:

Have a look at common interview questions online, and research some of the assessment types. The most popular is the Watson-Glaser test.

Practice structured responses using the STAR (situation, task, action and response) method.

Exam technique is key - read all of the questions slowly and try and tackle the most difficult ones near the start of the exam. Allow enough time to review your answers at the end of the paper.

But I don’t have any work experience!

While legal work experience can be invaluable, plenty of the transferable skills legal employers are looking for can also be showcased in other experience you may have.

These skills include:

Teamwork
Problem-solving
Attention to detail
Time management

Make a list of the experiences that you might have had at university – academic, extracurricular, work experience, or hobbies - and the challenges you faced. These can be good for identifying strengths to highlight in your application.

Before you submit your application…

Seek feedback, even if it’s just to proofread. You could ask your university’s careers service, your tutors or your friends.

Once you’ve got feedback, make sure you use it. This can be as simple as extending your points, deleting unnecessary sentences, or using different examples in your application responses.

Submit with plenty of time if you can - make notes of key deadlines so you don’t miss them.

Follow up!

Following up is crucial! It is always a good idea to send a quick email to the firm within a couple of days to reconfirm your enthusiasm for the role.

Some final words of advice…

Make sure you have thoroughly researched the firms you are applying to.
Highlight your strengths and transferable skills in your application.
Research the additional assessments and interviews you may have and try and practice them beforehand.
Follow up on every application you send.

And finally….

Stay focused and consistent. You may experience many rejections, but all you need is one ‘yes’. Consider every ‘no’ as good practice for your next application. Good luck!

Non-Law Students