A top tip for all aspiring solicitors is to make yourself present at as many Open Days as you possibly can. Open Days can enhance your chances of securing a Vacation Scheme and later a Training Contract. Here are our top 5 reasons to start applying for Open Days – this really is your chance to put in a personal best performance.
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1. This is a chance for you to demonstrate your personal best
Graduate recruiters deal with hundreds of applications from high-calibre graduates every year. What better way to make yourself stand out from the crowd than to actually meet your future employers?
Dress smart and make sure you know who the graduate recruitment team and the graduate recruitment partner are. The more research you do about the firm the more you will have to contribute, and the more of an impact you will make.
2. They offer a useful insight into a firm’s culture
Open days offer a fantastic opportunity to really get to know the firm, meet trainees, associates, partners and the graduate recruitment team. Each law firm has a unique culture, and it’s absolutely critical that you select one that works for you.
3. They provide the opportunity to ask questions
Open days allow you to visit a firm at one of its offices, interact with employees, ask questions and further your understanding of what life as a solicitor is really like.
4. It looks great on your CV
The fact that you have attended an open day shows that you have a keen interest in law and that you have used your own initiative to further your understanding of the profession. You can add any open day you have attended to the Work Experience section of your CV.
5. It’s fantastic from a development point of view
Open days consist of skill sessions and workshops which are specially designed to improve your commercial awareness and negotiation skills. This is an opportunity for you to really refine your skills and thus attending an open day will put you in a much stronger position when applying for a vacation scheme.
Key takeaways: the benefits of attending a law open day
Law open days give you the chance to meet partners, associates and trainees across departments. You’ll be able to ask questions, and you can use the answers to inform you if law is the right career for you. Plus, you’ll get an insight into the specific firm, which will help you decide if you’d like to apply for a vacation scheme there.
Most of the time, open days also include a formal training session on the skills you’ll need to win a vac scheme and, ultimately, a training contract. So, getting in there early will help you get ahead.
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