Over the past 12 months, I have had the opportunity to travel to many different Universities in the UK, meeting so many passionate and enthusiastic future legal professionals. Many of them have left their mark and some even took the chance and joined Express Solicitors as Litigation Assistants and completed our Graduate Scheme.
We always have at least one of our Trainee Solicitors attending, so you can find out first-hand what life is like at Express Solicitors practically and talk to them about how they managed to secure their TC/SQE. This is your chance to really find out about Express Solicitors from the employees themselves.
In this article, I will provide some advice on how to fully prepare for attending a graduate law fair, how to stand out, what a good conversation is, and how to follow up with that employer afterwards.
Preparing for the fair as a graduate?
Being a prepared candidate is beneficial, as you develop a purpose and a plan. Here are some tips to enhance your preparations:
- Have a hit list: look at the employers attending and select your top 5-10 that you are keen to speak to.
- Research & Purpose: make sure you know some general information about the firm, this will inform what you want to talk about and improve your conversation.
- Have a LinkedIn account set up: It doesn’t have to be a fully active account with lots of activity; even a basic profile is enough to be able to share with employers, which is good to have.
A candidate reached out to me before a fair in Liverpool, as she saw my post about Express Solicitors attending. She made a point of messaging before to ensure I knew she was coming to talk about the firm, as she was interested in us. This put me on notice to watch for her at the fair.
What is a good conversation and how to stand out from the crowd
Here are some tips for having a good conversation and to stand out:
- Ask relevant questions to what you want to know: e.g progression or culture,
- Use open questions so you can find out more,
- Do be patient while waiting to speak to someone,
- Smile and actively engage with the team,
- Don’t interrupt other students speaking to the employer,
- Don’t just take items off a table,
- Do not wear anything that could be seen as controversial or inappropriate.
Good communication is key for Solicitors and Barristers, so this is your chance to prove to a future employer how efficiently you can communicate your interest and passion in a salient manner.
How to follow up
Following up after you have spoken to an employer can be tricky as you don’t want to come across in the wrong way. Most firms will ask you to complete forms and email you after the event. I often offer them to add me on Linkedin, as an accessible way to reach out after a fair to discuss opportunities or advice.
When you are providing your email, take the time to make sure you have spelt it correctly. No employer wants bounceback emails, as you have put .com instead of .co.uk.
When it comes to Linkedin, a friendly message thanking the person for their time is always appreciated and it allows you to ask any questions you may have thought of after or ask about opportunities that are open at the company.
I hope you find this helpful and please do reach out if you would like any further information or advice. We look forward to hopefully seeing you at your University fair soon.