Hello! My name is Alice, and if you have been a follower of the Birmingham Solicitors’ Group for a while, then you may recall that I wrote an article a couple of years ago entitled ‘A Day in the Life of a Paralegal’ BSG Bites 9: A Day In The Life of A Paralegal – Birmingham Solicitors’ Group (birminghamsolicitorsgroup.org)

Well, I am happy to say that I have now started a training contract at the same firm, and I am just finishing my first seat in the Asbestos and Occupational Disease team, and am about to join the Court of Protection team for my second seat. 

Like many others, the journey to becoming a trainee solicitor has been long and arduous, with a few setbacks along the way. It is probably the most highly anticipated part of someone’s legal career (if they are choosing to go down the training contract route) and whilst I was preparing myself for my numerous assessment centers and interviews, I always wondered: what will it really be like to be a Trainee Solicitor? 

Although I am only in my first seat, here are a few points I have picked up along the way:

1. Self-doubt is always present. Despite having a good few years of paralegal experience behind me by now, the feeling that you are ‘not good enough’ to be a trainee is a constant voice inside your head. This is not a pressure that has been put on me by my firm or team. However, I believe that if you care about your job, then imposter syndrome will likely be present no matter what stage your career is at!

We are told early on, sometimes whilst we’re still in education, that training contracts are like gold dust. I don’t dispute this, and certainly feel incredibly lucky to be developing my legal career at my firm. However, sometimes I have to remind myself that just because I have been given a wonderful opportunity, it does not mean that I am not deserving of it!

2. Initiative is best. As a trainee in a new team, you want to ensure that you are making (and maintaining) a good first impression. I have found myself trying to be constantly mindful of the type of work that my wider team are doing. This includes not only client work, but also internal and external projects that may be in operation to assist the team, or the firm. Saying ‘can I get involved in that?’ without having to be asked, will certainly show colleagues and supervisors that you are keen and proactive.

3. Prepare to be social. Luckily, when I was a paralegal I had the opportunity to be involved in many internal and external networking opportunities (such as the wonderful Birmingham Solicitors’ Group!). However, when you become a trainee, your social circle at work expands very quickly. All of a sudden, you have your trainee cohort, your old team (if applicable) your new team and your future teams etc. The trainees tend to know the most people in the firm at any one time, which can create wonderful opportunities for social occasions and networking. Linking to this, another top tip would be to lean on your trainee cohort if you can. You are all going through a very similar experience together which creates a special kind of bond. I’m certainly lucky to have such a close-knit group of trainees in my cohort, but there are lots of wonderful networking groups out there who support junior lawyers if this doesn’t apply to you.

4. Be a sponge. Completing a training contract is all about experiencing different areas of law. I personally come from a family law and contentious probate background, so moving to work with personal injury claims was a completely different world. As a trainee, you will receive a lot of information in a short space of time about your new areas, and you only have 6 months at a time to try and familiarise yourself as much as possible. My advice is to try and soak it all in (like a sponge!) and do your own research about the area whilst you have the capacity to do so. Also, do not be afraid to ask questions – a trainee is certainly not expected to be an expert (hence the name).

5. Time flies! As cliché as it sounds, time really does fly during your training contract. As soon as you find your feet in an area, you are then swept away to your next seat. This is unavoidable (and usually means you are just annoying your current seat!). Before you know it, you will be considering your qualification specialty, and the training wheels will be coming off. My top tip for this is just to enjoy every moment of having the word ‘Trainee’ in front of your title whilst you still can!

If anyone is nervous about applying or starting a training contract, please be assured that this is normal. It is likely the Partners/Directors in your firms were trainees once who were also going through the exact same emotions. Overall, my training contract so far has already allowed me to get involved in multiple exciting opportunities such as engagement with client files, networking opportunities and social events. Despite only being one seat in, I am extremely looking forward to the next year and a half before qualification.

Maybe in a couple of years’ time you will hear from me again with an article on what it is like to be an NQ Solicitor – watch this space!

By Alice Jeavons, CSR Officer of Birmingham Solicitors’ Group and Trainee Solicitor at Irwin Mitchell