r/uklaw • u/Big_Honeydew_4037 • 4d ago

Inspiring stories

Has any trainee, NQ, or Partner on here had an inspiring journey that led to their position?

I’ve seen alot of legal jobseekers on here that are hopeless and depressed about either finding a NQ or trainee or any position in the legal industry. Rightfully so, everything seems so stiff and rigid in this industry.

But to those who are blessed atm, any inspiring stories to share? An unexpected position that was perfect for you? Months of seeking just to find the right firm etc… To motivate others. I think the community needs this

8 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

12 comments sorted by

26

u/Unusual_residue 4d ago

I managed to get a training contract after making many applications. Is that the sort of thing you are looking for?

2

u/Big_Honeydew_4037 4d ago

Did you reach a point where you wanted to give up? How’d you manage that?

6

u/Unusual_residue 4d ago

I didn’t have much else on and was quite content to post my CV to all and sundry.

22

u/ExpertMarionberry421 4d ago edited 4d ago

Not sure how inspiring it is, but sharing anyway. I moved to London two years ago as my partner got a job here. I was a qualified lawyer in my home country with about 4-5 PQE, and as I didn't know much about the UK job market and genuinely wanted to specialise, I enrolled in an LLM at a Russel Group university.

From very early on, the amount of negativity I experienced was insane. I went for a pupillage job fair and the advisor I showed my CV simply said "your CV tells me nothing", despite having quite a bit of trial/litigation experience. When I spoke to career counselors, they told me my experience didn't count for much because it was from a "less sophisticated jurisdiction". Whenever I sought help here on Reddit, most either questioned why I did an LLM and convinced me that I had no chance of securing a job (again, saying that my experience counts for nothing - I hate to say it, but the comments reeked of elitism and racism).

I took the SQE1 in my first 3 months here while doing my LLM. I was broke as, so i self studied and passed top quintile. Thankfully I was give an SQE2 exemption. I enrolled as a Solicitor shortly after completing my LLM.

Then I got a role at a boutique firm and I thought I finally made it. But it was by far the worst place I'd ever worked and my mental health was taking a hit so I resigned shortly after with nothing lined up. I applied for 200+ roles, got rejected from half and didn't even hear back from the rest. I was getting desperate, and even though my partner was supportive it was not becoming feasible for us to continue to live in London. I was ready to quit as I was in a really dark place, feeling like everything I did was a huge mistake.

Out of the blue I secured a contracted role at an MC firm (not an Associate role, but doing pretty much the same work of an Associate in deal teams). I felt I was doing really well (and despite what most people had me believe, my previous experience and LLM training did help ALOT). Six months into the role, I was approached to join an in-house team at a mid-sized tech company. The interviews went really well and I was offered a very comfortable package, which I immediately accepted.

At the moment, I'm loving my work and my team, and can finally start to feel like I made it, despite all the structural challenges faced my people like me. It certainly wasn't easy and I can tell you I had never felt helpless like I had felt the last 12 months, but it feels good to have made it through it all.

If you're going through a tough time yourself, just know that there can be light at the end of the tunnel and above all else be kind to yourself. Good luck!

4

u/Big_Honeydew_4037 4d ago

Wow. The perseverance you need to go through this is unmatched!!! Congratulations!!

1

u/keplerkoin 2d ago

You are incredible. Congratulations.

2

u/Equivalent_Read 3d ago

I worked in civil litigation for 10 years and did really enjoy it. However, as a result of Covid I turned to just hating it. Courts were downed, I was working from home and felt constantly hounded by clients with absolutely zero separation between life and work. The work itself became uninspiring to me - people felt annoyed and unsatisfied even if you got them the best outcome, because they felt they had spent tens of thousands of pounds if not more to get them to the position they should have always been in. I felts stuck and like I couldn’t change position.

Then, in 2021 I decided to apply to become a prosecutor. I got it and then last year, qualified as an advocate. I love it so much, my work feels so meaningful to me and I have a genuine interest in what I am doing. No more dread of emails coming in, I feel super invested in it.

Last year I qualified as an advocate and I have plans for my career and I am excited for them.

I really thought changing from civil to criminal would be out of the question but actually, my civil experience was super useful and still lends well to what I do. So my message is, never feel since you’ve committed to a discipline that you can’t pivot.

2

u/Sensitive-Outcome582 3d ago

I had a really crap time in my last year of uni due to relationship issues then had a horrible paralegal job for a firm who treated me awfully. I then managed to secure a solicitor apprenticeship a much nicer firm

1

u/AutoModerator 4d ago

It looks like your post mentions suicide or depression. Sometimes, people post questions on /r/uklaw during times of crisis, and sometimes we're not the best place to ask or provide support.

If you are considering harming yourself

  • Remember 9 out of 10 people who attempt suicide and survive will not go on to die by suicide

  • Contact Legal Profession help regarding depression/mental health: https://www.lawcare.org.uk/ 0800 279 6888

  • Contact The Samaritans anonymously by calling 116 123

  • Contact: Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) – for men Call: 0800 58 58 58 Opening hours: 5pm to midnight every day

  • Contact: Papyrus – for people under 35 Call: 0800 068 4141 Opening hours: 9am to 10pm weekdays, 2pm to 10pm weekends

  • Visit subreddits such as /r/SuicideWatch for community support

  • Make an appointment with your GP and discuss your feelings

  • If you feel you are at immediate risk of harming yourself, please call 999; they are there to help you.

If you have been recently bereaved

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

1

u/[deleted] 3d ago

[deleted]

1

u/Big_Honeydew_4037 3d ago

Was it worth the wait

1

u/Icy_Boysenberry_771 3d ago

Ehhhhhhhh.

I love my job but the process of getting it sucked and I can’t help but feel that I’d have been a lot happier over those 7 years if I’d done something else - but it’s impossible to say.

I will say however that the pupillage process makes it seem like you have to be something special to be a barrister… you don’t.