Breaking into law via the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) pathway will require you to gain two years of on-the-job training known as Qualifying Work Experience (QWE).
You can acquire QWE in either one continuous block over two years or split it into stages with up to four different organisations. In theory, you can gain QWE before, during or after you sit the two relevant SQE assessments and it can include time spent:
- on a placement during your law degree
- working in a legal clinic at a voluntary or charitable organisation such as a Citizen Advice Bureau or law clinic
- working as a paralegal
- on a training contract
With so much flexibility, you may be tempted to gain QWE by whatever means necessary and simply turn it into a box-ticking exercise. That would be unwise because a scattergun approach to QWE is likely to hinder your chances of securing a newly-qualified (NQ) solicitor job. Yet, this is your ultimate goal as an SQE Prep student! If you aspire to practice law in a commercial setting, gaining QWE by volunteering in a law clinic is, of course, an option. However, this will arguably add less value to your NQ CV. A better option would be to work as a paralegal with a City law firm or in-house within a high-profile organisation in the private sector.
Also, consider that many employers in the legal sector are still trying to familiarise themselves with QWE. So, ensure any hiring organisations you approach are on the same page as you. This will reduce potential future uncertainty about whether your employer can confirm if your day-to-day responsibilities will enable you to develop ‘some’ or ‘all’ of the competences required to practice as a solicitor, as prescribed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
For more information on QWE check out our FAQs.
Mapping out your QWE
Before actively starting your search for QWE, have a proper think about what ‘type’ of solicitor you eventually want to become. Asking yourself the following questions should help.
- What practice area(s) interest you the most and why?
- Longer-term, do you want to work in private practice (a law firm) or in-house?
- Where do you want to be based geographically speaking?
- How much relevant work experience have you already gained and what gaps do you have in your CV that need to be closed?
- Might you need a bridging role to help close any potential gaps in your experience / skills / sector insight?
Another pertinent question to ask yourself is what are your current ‘realistic’ options for gaining QWE? If you choose a training contract or paralegal work, you should aim to start researching potential employers. This includes relevant deadlines and any hiring criteria, such as minimum grades, that have been set.
Your research should also include asking about the approach to SQE Prep students. This is especially important for larger commercial law firms which have previously offered their future trainee solicitors funded places on the Legal Practice Courses.
Where to look for QWE
If gaining QWE via a training contract, any applications you submit will typically be made directly to the relevant law firm or in-house legal department. This would be using an online form or a CV and cover letter.
Websites such as CheekyLittleCareers.com, LawCareers.net and LegalCheek.com all regularly feature profiles of employers that offer training contracts. However, these are by no means exhaustive lists. It’s a good idea to have a look at hiring organisations’ own graduate recruitment websites and social media feeds for more information.
If you are planning to explore alternative ways for gaining QWE you will need to become more resourceful. With QWE and SQE both being such new concepts, using them as ‘key’ words when browsing job boards will throw up very few suitable roles. As such, during the current transitional period, using phrases such as ‘paralegal’ or ‘legal assistant’, ‘legal officer’ is likely to prove more fruitful.
Other roles connected to law that may count towards QWE include risk, compliance, regulatory, company secretarial jobs or even working as an outdoor clerk or judicial assistant. But again – if in doubt – please check with the employer in advance.
A title alone, however, is not massively helpful. The job description will reveal much more and offer clues as to whether or not a role is likely to count as QWE. It can also help determine whether it will enhance your CV as you get nearer to qualification. Meanwhile, the people specification should help you to determine your ‘realistic’ prospect of securing an interview.
Incidentally, the most popular online job boards include LinkedIn, Indeed and Monster Jobs. Also, legal websites such as Legal Week, The Lawyer and the Law Society Gazette all have job listings. The key with job boards is to ensure you are signed up for relevant alerts. Similarly, if you have identified target employers you should also aim to sign up for their job updates. This can usually be done by clicking onto their ‘join us’ or ‘careers’ pages.
LinkedIn as a job search tool
LinkedIn is now both an important job board and a powerful tool for professional networking. It enables you to connect with individuals who may one day turn into informal mentors or indeed employers.
If you aren’t already on LinkedIn it is very straightforward to get yourself set up with a basic account, which is free to access.
Simply visit the site, upload some details about yourself and then start to work on your profile. Also, ensure that under the ‘Settings & Privacy” your Job Seeking Preferences are set up appropriately. This includes letting recruiters know you’re open to opportunities. Lastly, make sure you have up-to-date contact details (you might prefer to use your personal email here). If no one can contact you, you’ve basically defeated the idea of a networking site.
LinkedIn is a business networking site so use a picture of you that looks professional. The site now has an “Open to Work” photo frame feature enabling you to let recruiters and others in your network know you’re looking for a new role. Whether you choose to add this to your profile photo is entirely your own choice. A more targeted approach is when you contact individuals in your network directly. This may prove more effective than telling the whole world you’re looking for work.
Use the summary section to tell potential connections, including recruiters, a bit more about you. Talk about your relevant experience and skills, why they’re important and how you can bring about change. Spend some time on this and if in doubt ask a family member or friend to read through your draft.
List all your previous work experience and internships in chronological order. The good news is LinkedIn will do this for you, you just have to enter your employer’s name, job title and dates of employment. Remember to include a short summary of your responsibilities and achievements. Don’t exaggerate in case a potential employer asks you to elaborate during an interview. If, however, you’re proud of an achievement don’t be shy, write about it.
Also, since LinkedIn isn’t supposed to replicate your entire CV you don’t have to include every single job. This is especially so for any that are now quite historic. The skills required for them are no longer of interest to future employers or the sectors they were in are unrelated to what you’re now looking for.
Once you’ve created an eye-catching profile your next job is to start connecting with people you already know. Before getting overly eager to hit that connect button with people currently unknown to you read their profiles first. Learn a bit about them via their profiles and recent posts. If you do decide to send a request to a prospective connection, ensure you add a personal message explaining who you are and why you want to join their network.
And remember networking isn’t simply about pestering contacts for work. It is also a great way to learn more about the legal sector. You can keep up with the latest trends and issues affecting clients – all of which will help to bolster your commercial awareness.
Using legal recruitment agencies
Many paralegal roles will be advertised directly by the hiring organisation. However, some will be handled by a legal recruitment agency. You should consider proactively registering with a good mix of well-known agencies that have a dedicated paralegal desk. You should also consider engaging with recruitment consultants on the back of a job advertisement
When working with legal recruiters the golden rule is appreciating their loyalty ultimately lies with the employer. Therefore, your initial conversations with them will form part of their screening process. This means it is vitally important you have robust responses ready for questions they are likely to fire at you regarding your experience and motivations for looking.
Thereafter, it is really important you continue to keep presenting the best version of yourself. Getting a recruiter to treat you as a priority candidate will enhance your chances of being added to the short-list of CVs sent to employers.
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