How to secure a vacation placement

How to Secure Vacation Placements

Vacation placements are a formal, structured programme of experience. These placements are not just about gaining work experience; they also act as a week-long interview which allows firms to use these vacation schemes to recruit potential trainees. It is also a two way process – do you like the firm and do they like you.

Vacation placements can last between 1-3 weeks and are usually 1 or 2 weeks long which can take place in the summer, Easter or winter. Depending on the size of the firm, it may be likely that you will rotate between different departments to give you a taste of the areas the firm specialise in.

When and how to apply
You should be applying during your second or final year. It is possible to apply in your first year however it can be very difficult and your best chances are to try small high street firms or sole practitioners. Applying depends on the firm, some require a covering letter and CV and firms use application forms. Make sure you check the firm’s website on their recruitment process.

Do not miss the deadline – Missing the deadline will more than likely result in your application going straight in the bin. It also shows that you’re unable to meet strict deadlines, an essential skill as a lawyer.
Be sure to check out lawcareers, training contract handbooks and specific firm’s websites.

Making Applications
- Be selective about which firms you apply
Firms will realise if you have sent them a standard letter that you have sent to other firms and could potentially be binned. There is nothing wrong with sending out mass letters but the more letters you send, the more likely you may mistakes i.e. addressing the wrong person, forgetting to change the name of the firm etc.

- Find out what area of law that interests you.
Find out what particular area of law interests you and match your interests to the firms that you are applying for. Do not send letters to firms that don’t specialise in the area of law your looking to work in.

- Avoid gimmicks

- Attention to detail
When applying for vacation schemes, firms are looking for ways to reject you. Common mistakes such as spelling or grammatical errors like specialize instead of specialise gives the firm a reason to not select you. Make sure you always address the application to the correct person (training partner, HR manager etc.).

- What to put on your CV
- CV should not be longer than two pages. If your CV is over two pages, adjusting the rulers and changing the font type can help fit onto two pages.

- Make sure you set out your CV in chronological order e.g. education, work experience, achievements and other interests.

- List all results at all levels of your degree.

- If you drive, mention you have a full clean driving licence.

- Do you speak any foreign languages? Even if it is basic make sure to put it down.

- Give two referees one of whom should be an academic referee.

- Avoid gimmicks or photos.

- Proof read! Get someone else to proof read your CV – sometimes they can spot errors that you may have missed initially.

- Don’t lie on your CV! Firms will know if you are lying so if you haven’t done it, don’t put it down.

- Covering letter
The covering letter should evidence why you should be taken on the vacation scheme. Make sure you mention your predicted / actual degree results e.g. ‘I am currently on course or predicted a 2.1’.

- Why are you interested in law? Why are you applying to this particular firm?

- Research the firm and explain why you want to work there. Check to see if the firm has been in the news recently for the work they have done, look in Chambers Guide or Legal 500, firm’s website and also speak to trainees and partners at law fairs.

- Highlight your skills and strengths then match these to the firm.

- Avoid spelling and grammatical errors

Use good quality paper so that it looks professional. Using 110gsm quality paper would be suitable.

So what are recruiters looking for?
- Academic ability usually a 2.1 or above. If you get 2.2 then you may want to realistically look elsewhere. Some firms in exceptional cases will accept a 2.2 – possibly get a legal secretary or paralegal job and work there for around 18 months or so and see if they are prepared to offer you a training contract.

- Good oral and written communication skills

- Team player
Teamwork is an essential skill that recruiters are looking for and Lawyers must rely on each other as well as support staff to reach the necessary goals. You need to show you are a team player and that means interacting with everyone in that office. They would also be looking to see if you participate in team events and meetings.

- Analytical skills
Lawyers are required to digest and review large volumes of complex cases. This can include identifying the central argument, structuring and evaluating arguments to reach conclusions

- Commercial awareness

- Local connection
If you know someone who works in the legal sector this may be an easier way to get onto a vacation scheme.

- Passion for the law

- Flexibility

- Understanding of marketing

- Client care

Obtain as much work experience as possible
Try and obtain work experience in different sizes of firms and also the types of firms e.g. a large commercial firm, small high street firm, CPS, in-house placement and local council. This will help give you an idea as to what type of firm will be best for you.

Consider voluntary work which could have a legal angle such as victim support, Citizens Advice Bureau, probation work etc.

It is also handy to get onto some of the clinical modules that your university might offer. Modules such as law clinic, mooting, law in the community, law in practice and innocence project.

Non legal work experience can still be useful and think what kind of transferrable skills you can apply. For example, working in a call centre gives you good oral communication skills or if you work in a bar you’re likely to work under pressure and long hours.

Overall, this is just a guide and as long as you cover as much as possible then you may stand a chance of obtaining a vacation placement.

Hi Olivia,

What I would recommend is applying only to the firms that you are genuinely interested in working for. There are advantages and disadvantages of working in large firms. One of them being that you are more likely to be paid alot more than your average high street firm however the downside to this is that your likely to work alot more hours. Another thing on top is the bigger firms have thousands of employees so if your looking to move up the ladder quickly your best bet is regional firms rather than city firms as these would have less employees in their office and they also take on just as big case loads as their city partners which in turn will allow you to shine and use your skills and knowledge within a small group as opposed to a group of 100 in city firms.

My advice would be to gain experience in different areas of law rather than placements specifically for commercial or company, recruiters like to see a bit of variation to see that you have worked in different areas and gained different experience.