Your Options
The decision making process you went through to select a law firm for your training contract may have been rigorous, it may have even been slightly haphazard or simply been based on which firm actually offered you a training contract. It is now time to make another important decision - to stay at your current firm or to move. It may be that the decision has been forced upon you, for example there may be no openings in the department of your choice, or you may simply have decided that it is time to move to a new firm for whatever reason. In any event, this is a crossroads in your career and the options which lie ahead are potentially both exciting and numerous.
For those qualifying this year is likely to be one of the most testing time for newly qualifieds. The economic downturn combined with the sheer number of trainee solicitors coming up for qualification means that competition is likely to remain tough with a number of "strong" trainee solicitors being unable to secure their first choice position. Our advice would be to keep your options open and consider all the alternatives in the event that you cannot secure your preferred position on qualification. There may be opportunities in a different geographical location, or in the short-term contract sector, which will enable you to build on your skill set and develop as a lawyer.
The sheer diversity of opportunities in the market can be overwhelming and it is often difficult to work out what really are the differences between those options. So let us briefly look at your options on qualification.
