Training Contract Application Forms Why firms use application forms Preparing your answers The questions Researching firms Get your Application Form Assessed     Why firms use application forms Many law firms ask applicants to fill in an application form when applying for training contracts, open days or vacation placements. This form enables Human Resources to gain a concise overview of an applicant’s education and work experience in order to judge their suitability for interview and potentially a training contract. Your application form is your primary personal marketing tool and is often the first contact you will have with decision makers at the firm. Your aim is to provide a comprehensive summary of your career and education that is concise, easy to read, attractive and appropriate to the firm. Spend time getting your application just right as it may be your first and only chance to impress the firm. Application forms are designed and created by personnel professionals with each question focused on specific selection criteria and competencies. Not only do they provide a standardised and speedy means of sifting applicants they are also designed to allow you to quantify your experience, personal characteristics, interests and motivations. On your application highlight relevant skills you have gained that will interest them and ensure that you understand what the firm needs so that you know what sort of message to give on your application. Application forms are designed to make candidates think very hard about themselves and their suitability to the firm and role as a solicitor. Constructing a good case and presenting it clearly on paper can take a lot of time and effort so ensure you do your research and spend as much time as possible on your applications. All application forms consist of two broad sections: Biographical Information - to include education, work experience, contact details etc. Competency Based Questions - questions designed to assess your skills and experience Top What firms want Good oral and written communication skills Analytical and Reasoning Skills Initiative Personal Impact Resilience Teamwork Commercial Awareness Planning and Organising Preparing your answers Give yourself plenty of time (1—2 days) to complete your first application form thoroughly. Use concise and positive language. Fill all forms in neatly and precisely to the firm's instructions. Be honest. All firms check references. Stress your past accomplishments and the specific skills used to achieve these. Provide evidence of your skills that reflect the firm’s requirements. Don't draw attention to your negative points or lack of experience. Leave out any references to unrelated hobbies or memberships of clubs unless they can impress Make sure your application is up to date - firms become frustrated (and may give up) if they cannot contact you quickly Ensure all dates are accurate including month and year with no gaps, or explain why there are any gaps If handwriting your application, take a photocopy and practice. Don’t forget a Covering Letter! Top Researching firms Before applying for training contracts you should spend as much time as possible researching firms to maximise your chances of a successful application and also to find the best firm for you. Each firm may be looking for different qualities in their trainees but all firms will be looking for applicants who are highly motivated with well-thought out and thorough reasons for pursuing a career in law and more particularly with their firm. Once you have an idea of what your important factors are for selecting a firm use websites and directories to further your research. You can also do your research at careers fairs, by reading firms' brochures and websites, talking to any contacts in the legal profession, attending open days, vacation schemes and so on. Keep up to date with legal news in the press – and look at online archives to search news stories on individual firms. Use all these information resources to get an impression of the sort of trainee that the firm are looking for and the skills they most admire or cite as necessary for success.   Competency based questions All questions asked are trying to assess whether you possess developed communication skills and you have the ability to use speech to express ideas and give information or explanations and produce grammatical, well expressed, easily understood and interesting text. As a lawyer you will often need to explain very technical legal matters to a client in a way they understand, business colleague to business colleague. The role of the solicitor is to simplify and explain legal procedure for businesses. You will also need to produce clear and concise written material such as correspondence, reports and instructions which have no margin for error. Some of the questions asked on your form may seem irrelevant to you, even bizarre but trust the factthe firm have had many years experience recruiting trainees and know what they are doing. Answering these types of questions can be time consuming but they must be completed to the best of your ability. When answering competency based questions on application forms you need to think about demonstrating and highlighting key skills. Skills are an essential element of any work or study experience you have completed, it is not enough simply to know about the law. Solicitors take trainees' legal knowledge and intelligence for granted firms will expect you to have the necessary additional skills to meet the demands of a solicitor. In our training contract guide LawBritannia has provided you with some frequently asked application form questions and we explain clearly the types of ways in which you can demonstrate you have the required skills and answer the question effectively. We have also include some words and phrases to help you write confident and concise answers. Top   Please tell us about a time when you were faced with a major challenge and how you were able to overcome it Please provide details of any positions of responsibility that you have held Describe an occasion when you communicated your ideas effectively to influence the outcome of a situation Please tell us about a time when you worked as part of an effective team. What do you think made the team effective? Please give an example of a difficult decision you have had to make. Why do you want to become a solicitor? Please explain why you are seeking a training contract with [this firm] Please mention anything further which you think is relevant to your application

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