Nice people thread part 4 - sugar and spice and all things

lostinrates

neverdespairgirl wrote: »

Getting pupillage or a training contract is a nightmare. It's a horrible experience, and grim as all out. If it's any consolation to your son, everyone hates that time!

OH took 4 years of applications to get pupillage, and then got one at the set he most liked out of the whole Bar. But it was a depressing time before he got it.

This, this, this (and why I was nagging him via you FC to start a couple of years ago).


DH got his early, then, approaching the end of the course said ''this is not the law I want to do''. We panicked, because as you know, the bills for lpc/cpe are not small, so we had to take that from our fund, ''buy'' him an out of his contract, to see him not employed....

that's how we ended up in Milan. He started making speculative applications, and one phoned the day they received his app and said, we could use you, but only if you are prepared to do this as a junior in Italy for a couple of years before the TC in London.

Which actually, was great for us at the time. We wanted that. He then got interviews and offers pouring in, because that firm were on his cv, but the firm that took him to Italy happened to be his first choice firm. For DH because of the payscale at the firm and the fact we had fewer ties and I needed to stop trying to work etc the time delay at the beginning, with a fancy title made up just for him because he filled a niche for them, was worth the delay to qualification.


Th otherthing to consider is some of the interviews are vile. The place DH ditched was awful. The senior partner happened to recognise dh's name from other lawyers in the family, and he hadn't liked them. He dug about on dh and also happened to know my father, and not liked him. DH's fourth interview there (it was meant to be a three stage process,) was because the senior partner wanted to exert some revenge.

He told DH he had known his (dead)mother and that she was a Bull''poop''er. He said he knew his father in law some years ago and he too was a bull''pooper. He then went through everyone heard of in dh's family saying they were bull''poopers. And then said...says here on cv you did well in latin and ancient greek...tell me what is bull''pooper in Latin? What is it in Italian? And frnech. This went on for about 45 mins, while dh was a bit shocked....

They were astounded when dh turned the contract down, and told him he is the only person ever to have done so. They asked why and he said they were rude, sweary and not very friendly. They changed their website and branding to include the word ''friendly'':rotfl:


Its a REALLY stressful time, but FC's ds has a good cv, and DH assures me the potential. So it really is just hanging in there, making applying a ''job'' and going through and applying to verything in his interest area AND IMO the interest areas around or complimenting that thinking of a move after qualifying back into interest area.

edit: having read sss's post (were you someone else here, I remember someone with a maltese connection through marriage I think?) its not uncommon, but a lot of people give up searching. A few of dh's peers at college weren't ever intending to practise law but were adding another skill to their existing careers in things like engineering. Many, many, many, set sights high and end up in a different ara of law.

I'd never advise someone to do what dh did, but it worked for him because he was not proud to try and rush qualification...easier when you are older and not too desperate for money and not old enough to have too many commitments, he just had me and the cats.

We've been saying for years there is a massive problem though with over supply, not for the insudtry but for the students spending huge amounts of money, its not a cheap decision to make, and really, the best thing to do for a solicitor potential is to secure the TC before studies. Then they usually pay your fees, they recruit two years in advance and you don't have a gap.

lostinrates

Generali wrote: »

I got a little frisky with a bloke that tried to steal my bag. I don't think he'll be doing that that again..

What a strange response to theft. FWIW I'm sure you're gorgeous, so maybe don't give up hope on him calling you.

vivatifosi

That interview sounds dreadful lir. Fir sounds better off out of there. If they didn't think he was from an honourable family, why did they make an offer? Strange people....

lostinrates

vivatifosi wrote: »

That interview sounds dreadful lir. Fir sounds better off out of there. If they didn't think he was from an honourable family, why did they make an offer? Strange people....

He would have been miserable there. I don't know whether his reposnse to interview, he was polite and didn't get emotional, but drew back a lot, showed he could work underpressure, or whether the senior partner wanted to make him a punching bag for two years.


Its a really stressful time, and dh has loads of stories. My persoanl favoruite is from when he decided he should hand deliver applications so they didn't go missing in the post. he went into one large firm and gave his application, and was told to push the switch by the door to let him self out. They didn't mean the electricity mains in turned out.:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

At least he made an impression.

sss555s

michaels wrote: »

SS55 and Viva - problem is can the BBC justify the spend for such good coverage when there are so many other sports?

I'm sure it's a pure business decision. If they wanted to cut back they could have cut the qualifying footage.

The BBC have done a fantastic job with F1 and I'm sure the viewing figures are as high as ever. This has made F1 coverage a valuable contract which would have interested Sky to splash out on.

They will also have a big outlay on the Olympics next year but I'm not really sure how the revenue per viewing figures thing works.

lostinrates

Its sad about f1 on the bbc. But it might be good news for DIY shops sales figures. Nothin gets done by my dad when that stuff is on.

neverdespairgirl

sss555s wrote: »

I had a really nice holiday in Malta recently.

They say you either love it or hate it but i love Malta.

Anyone else been to Malta?

I've been a couple of times - my uncle's wife is from Malta. I think it's lovely, can't see why anyone would hate it!

Glad you had fun.

neverdespairgirl

GDB2222 wrote: »

If you've ever watched motor racing at the track, you'll know that it's 1000% better on TV.

I don't intend to do either, though.

lostinrates

and another thing about TCs is when you accept them you can't really look for others...you're meant to tell everyone you are in interview with you are sorted. That's why dh had to recind contract before actively looking again. He asked his boss if he could still go to interviews if he went to milan to try and get an earlier London contract and they were ok with that, but told him not to accept anything but to use it for experience. DH's recruiting partner said he recruits partners, not trainees....so expects to offer people a ''job for life''. One of the reasons dh likes the firm is the trainees are treated ''as part of the firm'' not as people who can use a photocopier.

vivatifosi

sss555s wrote: »

The BBC have done a fantastic job with F1 and I'm sure the viewing figures are as high as ever. This has made F1 coverage a valuable contract which would have interested Sky to splash out on.

I've heard this morning that C4 offered the same as Sky and in spite of Bernie's saying he wanted to keep it on terrestrial, let it go to Sky instead. I wonder if there is a link in there somewhere with News International's attempt to buy into the whole of F1? (NB: I've had to retype that sentence several times to take any threat of libel out, but its fair to say I'm far more cynical than what I've typed would suggest).