The Trainee Solicitor Conundrum – Where do I want to qualify?

As a trainee solicitor, you’re on the brink of making a crucial decision that will significantly shape your career: choosing where to qualify.

It’s clear that some trainees have their eyes firmly set on a particular area of law before they start their training contract. For some, that decision is made quite quickly during their training when they fall in love with a particular area and for others, the end of your training is fast approaching and that decision is still yet to be made. As I approach the final seat of my training contract, the daunting question of ‘where do I want to qualify?’ is something I ask myself on an almost daily basis.

I have been lucky enough to gain experience in three departments so far and I am due to start my fourth and final seat in the next few weeks. It’s clear that each department offers its own unique set of challenges and rewards and requires a slightly different skill set to excel.

As I consider my own future and where I would like to qualify, I keep coming back to the same key elements. These elements may also assist other trainees when facing the difficult (and scary) decision of where to qualify:

Your own interests and strengths

I suppose the starting point would be considering what areas of law you find most engaging. If you’re someone who enjoys advocacy, an area of law with a lot of Court presence may be attractive. If you love getting your head into strategies and the twists and turns of transactions, perhaps a more commercial area may suit you better. I’d like to think that we should also be playing to our strengths. It can’t be a terrible idea to find what you’re good at and run with it – can it?

The work environment

When you’ll be spending at least 9 hours a day somewhere, that place should be an environment that suits you. It’s no surprise that different areas come with distinct work environments. I personally enjoy being under pressure and working to various deadlines so perhaps a high-pressured field may be where I end up. On the contrary, would I prefer a slightly different pace with a lot of direct client interaction? This question often pans out like a game of table tennis in my mind.

Colleagues v Work

I believe it’s very important to distinguish between whether you like a particular team and whether you like that type of work. As much as we may bond with our colleagues, view them as friends and feel as though they make the days at work a joy, the unfortunate reality is that you’re very unlikely to work alongside those people for the entire duration of your career. It’s therefore important to really work out if, without that great department and those fantastic colleagues, do you enjoy the work itself?

There will inevitably be parts of each area of law that you enjoy more than others but if there is something that really grips you or makes your ears prick up, it’s worth exploring that a little further. You never know, it may become a niche.

Choosing where to qualify is a significant decision and, whilst it is possible to change your mind, it certainly feels a little daunting. I don’t yet know what the future will hold or me for how it will look but I am excited to find out!