Career advice required – Law – I have never got off the ground - Long post

xapprenticex

Never say never, if you want to do law then go for it, a door will open.
People with not so great lives will tell you you cant do it and that you're nothing special, thats fine, let them say what makes them feel better about their circumstances but dont let them bring you down.

not talking about anyone in particular but if the shoe fits, by all means, wear it.

missbiggles1

xapprenticex wrote: »

Never say never, if you want to do law then go for it, a door will open.
People with not so great lives will tell you you cant do it and that you're nothing special, thats fine, let them say what makes them feel better about their circumstances but dont let them bring you down.

not talking about anyone in particular but if the shoe fits, by all means, wear it.

That's ridiculously naive "advice" - akin to telling no hope X Factor rejects that they should "follow their dream!"

xapprenticex

missbiggles1 wrote: »

That's ridiculously naive "advice" - akin to telling no hope X Factor rejects that they should "follow their dream!"

I've spoken on this matter, I have nothing left to say.

OP, imo, find the few good posts act on them and move on, you wont get much that's useful here.

Tiddlywinks

Law_girl wrote: »

5As, 3Bs and a C for GCSE, and AABE for A level are not terrible grades. Not stellar but they are good grades. Yes, the LPC was difficult but, not to make excuses, I was experiencing difficult circumstances and I got there in the end. At Uni I was awarded a prize for outstanding academic performance, while working and having a social life so I think on the purely academic/intellectual side that demonstrates that I am capable.

I think you'll find that a very large section of the graduate population also managed to work, study and socialise in the lead up to achieving their degree.

I find it odd that you feel that simply doing what is expected and required of you gives you 'bragging rights'.

TBagpuss wrote: »

I think that you my have to lower your expectations. You mentioned in one of your posts that your grades are 'not terrible'. You're right. They're not terrible. In fact, if you compare the with average A level results, they are pretty good. But if you compare them to average A-Level for law students they are on the low side of average.
Similarly having a 2:1 and LPC pass are achievements, but they are achievements which everyone else looking for a training contract or paralegal work will have achieved, or exceeded.

^ OP - This is what you need to grasp - it's a very competitive profession - there's a glut of graduates all vying for positions... the winners will be those that stand out from the crowd.

persa

A C in GCSE maths would probably rule you out from a lot of accountancy training schemes. Not all though. For some, the degree would be enough.

I suspect your biggest problem with entering accountancy would be managing childcare in the initial years. Most training contracts are structured wth the expectation that in the run up to exams, you just give up your right to a social/family life. Hard to do that when you have a little one.

Try looking into some of the smaller accountancy firms near you to find out if they offer a training scheme and if so, what it entails. With your circumstances, you're looking for a very specific contract. Small and local (so more likely to overlook the average results and train you at a nearby college). Definitely not Big 4 or mid tier, you wouldn't meet the criteria.

Small firms generally offer terrible salaries during training contracts, but if you pass your exams first time and gain some good experience, you can upgrade to a much better firm on qualification. Some simply wouldn't consider you for a training contract, but would consider you as an experienced hire if you first qualified elsewhere. Doors which are shut now could in theory reopen later.

If you like problem solving and not maths, look into tax rather than audit or management accountancy. You don't need to be good at maths to be a good accountant.

PS to go down this route, you will need your husband fully behind you. Accountancy training contracts are brutal.

PlutoinCapricorn

Do you tailor your CV and covering letter to fit each job you apply for?

Law_girl

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

I think you'll find that a very large section of the graduate population also managed to work, study and socialise in the lead up to achieving their degree.

I find it odd that you feel that simply doing what is expected and required of you gives you 'bragging rights'.

I am not 'bragging'. A poster asked if I thought I could cope academically with the exams in accountancy and I responded.

I received an award for outstanding performance in one module and collected it on stage at graduation. I did not achieve that as some do by devoting 100% of their effort to the task. I took part in many extracurricular activities, socialised and worked, for food, not pocket money (no grant/student loan). That is evidence of being capable academically.

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

^ OP - This is what you need to grasp - it's a very competitive profession - there's a glut of graduates all vying for positions... the winners will be those that stand out from the crowd.

I grasp that well enough to have mentioned it myself in my opening post.

Law_girl

PlutoinCapricorn wrote: »

Do you tailor your CV and covering letter to fit each job you apply for?

Yes, I do this.

missbiggles1

Have you thought of trying to teach Law and (presumably) Business Studies?

PlutoinCapricorn

Sorry, you said earlier that you tailor your applications: I meant BOTH CV and covering letter.

There is a fine line between being realistic and being negative:

I think that telling someone that they can be whatever they want to be and do whatever they want to go is feel-good nonsense, pink & fluffy and unrealistic, not only in terms of demand but also requirements and how well someone meets them.

People who tell you to forget it because you won't get in are not necessarily trying to drag you down, get in your way and stop you from realising your dream! There is such a thing as standard distribution, where many people have ability, fewer have aptitude, fewer still have a talent, and the percentage of gifted people and geniuses is very low.

You have responded to some points with patience, politeness and good answers, which is something in your favour. In my general experience, there is a shortage of people who are both good at administration and willing to do it, and these people are often introverts.

It is an interesting point about your name: do you put your original nationality on your CV? Do you speak with a strong accent? (I love the SA and Zim accents myself). Do you use LinkedIn and ex-pat networks?