On being a prideful square peg

[fox_c]

One of the big decisions I have to make this year is if I am going to pursue qualification as an actual lawyer.

To recap, in these isles, you have to do a 2 year apprenticeship (called a training contract) with a law firm who at the end registers you as a qualified lawyer. No training contract, no qualification.

Step back another step and realise

Comments

[tashar]

There is absolutely everything to gain through networking. It's not shameful beggary.

If it's what you want, and your connections really, truly are enthusiastic about your qualifications supporting their firms/groups, then ask them to have that conversation with HR - just like your boss did when you had to spend an extended time in the US after your father passed away.

I'm glad your qualifications are favorably viewed by potential training contract firms - that's at least a good place to start.

I should be on Skype most (your) evenings, so feel free to ping me if you want to chat and vent/sort things through.

I would wish you luck - but you don't need it. I have a good feeling that things will proceed just right and work out well for you.

:)

[fox_c]

Yeah, that was a slighly facetious throw away comment, but it does sometimes feel like begging because I'm at that stage where established lawyers *know* that a TC is my next big hurdle.

It's funny what you mention about the partners talking to HR - that's exactly what happened the last go round where I thought I had it in the bag. . .and then didn't. Basically, HR ignored the partners instructions and rejected me anyway. See here and here. Not. Fun.

Will definitely ping you later in the week. We need to have a catch up anyway, right?

[tashar]

I kept trying to "like" your response to maera_danann's post - damn Fb. :-P Yes - we should catch up

[fox_c]

Scut work is hard going - some days it's easier when you see perceptible progress, other days you wonder where in the world you are going. I think I'm kind of in a similar place, doing scut work for one thing and wondering if I should start doing it for another. Either way, I'm still in "earning my stripes" mode, which is a really annoying place to be after 8 years, though I suppose it would help if I actually stuck with a particular path. My problem with many things, but particularly professionally, is that if I don't see progress, I get very, very frustrated.

[tashar]

Heh. You and me both. That's a facet of why I foundered in the last place of formal employment. Only part of it, mind. It was incumbent of me to finesse my way beyond that place of doing scutwork, never mind politics.

We really should Skype - hand-waving does a much better job of ferreting out nuances than nattering away like this - at least for me it does. :)

[tashar]

I had forgotten about the earlier situations - stupid HR types. *muttering*

Thinking about this a bit more: what specifically about the application processes are geared towards younger applicants, and causing HR-types to go cross-eyed from sorting you out in the midst of all the "round pegs"?

I'm sure the specifics, you already know and just didn't elaborate here. I'm finding it's worth it (even if the HR types ought to be able to think a bit) to put things in terms that people understand, wherever possible, even if it seems outrageous to have to go out of one's way to do so.