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From young Arthur becoming the legendary king, Frodo venturing beyond the Shire to save Middle-earth and Shrek leaving the swamp to rescue Princess Fiona and embrace who they truly are, some of our favourite stories follow a similar pattern.
The narrative structure is known as the Hero’s Journey, where an ordinary person embarks on an adventure, overcomes challenges and returns transformed by the journey. While often associated with myths, sci-fi and fantasy, many real-life challenges follow a similar path, including a legal career.
Looking back at my own path into law, I noticed how it follows similar stages:
1. Call to adventure (deciding to do law)
You decide that you want a career in law. You may be attracted to helping people, challenging yourself, or the continuous learning. Becoming a solicitor can feel like standing at the bottom of a mountain with no clear route to the top.
I often see questions online like, “can I become a solicitor with X grades?“, “is it too late?” or “am I good enough?“. These questions crossed my mind too, but I soon learned that self-doubt creates obstacles before you’ve even begun. In reality, your background and timing matters far less than your commitment to the journey.
2. Meeting the mentor (support network)
Often, the best people you can speak to are the ones who have already walked the path that you want to follow. The people who encouraged me helped me realise that there was no reason why I couldn’t succeed too.
- If you work at a law firm, open up to your colleagues about your journey. Senior members of your team can help you gain experience to bolster your CV, while trainees and NQs can offer practical advice on applications;
- If you don’t work at a law firm, attend open days, careers fairs and networking events. Speaking to current trainees can give you a first-hand account of what the profession is actually like and help you to identify which firms are right for you.
3. Trials and challenges (applications)
Applying for training contracts was a humbling experience! It’s rare for somebody to get it right first time. The only way to improve your applications is with reflection and practice.
My top tips are:
- Tailor every application to the firm you are applying for. You can get a strong feel for the firm by looking at their website, looking at partner profiles to see who their clients are and what work they are doing if they are in an area that interests you, and reading Legal Cheek and Chambers Student;
- Prepare for psychometric tests using free online resources. Check YouTube for videos offering explanations about the different types of tests and to see people taking practice tests.
4. Approaching the cave (assessment centres)
As an introvert, I found group exercises particularly daunting, so I spent the most time preparing for them. There’s an old cliché suggesting that you can volunteer to keep time or take notes, but these are some better ways to show the skills that assessors are looking for:
Listening skills: Praise and build on other people’s ideas;
- Team-working: Refer to people by their names and encourage quieter members to contribute;
- Leadership: Help the group stay focused and encourage them to feel confident in reaching a decision;
- Commercial awareness: You will often be asked to make a business decision, so read the news beforehand to contribute a real-life analysis.
5. The reward (training contract offer)
You finally receive the telephone call with your training contract offer. This moment is long-awaited so you haven’t thought about what comes next!
- If you’re relocating, think about your lifestyle outside of work and where you would like to live. I commute to the Bristol office from Gloucestershire as I enjoy martial arts and there are some great places for training near me
- Our Early Careers and Knowledge teams will provide ample resources to prepare you for your first seat. However, it can be helpful to look at your university notes to refresh your memory of some of the key legal principles
- Connect with current trainees on LinkedIn, introduce yourself and ask them about the seats they have completed. Current trainees are often excited to meet members of the next cohort and share their experiences; this can also provide valuable insight into the culture and day-to-day work of the firm you’ll be joining
- If, like me, you completed the LPC and need to study the SQE2, take a short break before recapping your LPC notes using the SQE syllabus. SQE2 exams are closed book and cover a high volume of content; giving yourself a head start before the course begins means that you can focus on the skills part of the assessment without being completely lost on the knowledge. Check out Alex Peltiez’s blog for more tips on how to ace your SQE2
You don’t need a magical sword, a ring of power or a talking donkey to begin your journey. To be the hero in your own story, all you need is determination to take the first step and the resilience to keep going when the journey gets tough. You shall pass.