Career Clinic: Am I drifting towards disaster?

You need to separate your evident lack of motivation towards your career choice from the important quality of having initiative with respect to the work you do as a trainee. Initiative is something you will improve on as you go further into your training contract. The more cases you work on, the more work you do will give you more experience that you should be able to apply well in the future. As to whether you were mistaken to follow your peers in university into a legal career - that's an easy mistake to make. What really matters now is that you quickly decide whether there is a chance that you can make a success out of your chosen career option by being motivated and asking yourself whether you really are interested in the work you are doing. Be proactive - ask your supervisors for feedback with regard to work you are doing and talk to your peers about how they are using their initiative to do their tasks better.Re-entering the legal profession will be difficult for you - especially if you don't end up completing your training contract at your current firm as subsequent employers will want to know why this was the case.Finally, the skills you will have acquired to study (and practise law) are transferable skills that will be a great draw to employers in other sectors. So, if you do end up changing career paths, you will be prepared for it.

trainee -23 Aug 2007 | 15:45

Some people feel this way when they start out and some don't. In my experience, it doesn't make very much difference to whether they end up enjoying it or being any good at it. Whatever you do, don't leave without doing your research and figuring out what else you might prefer. There is no harm in having a legal qualification and it opens a lot of doors. It is also a lot easier to explain to a recruiter in two years' time that you stuck it out but it really didn't suit you than it is to say now "whoops, I've made a terrible mistake that has cost other people lots of cash".

Anonymous -23 Aug 2007 | 16:37

Yes everyone feels that way at first. I am willing to bet that all your peers are also feeling inferior/inadequate, and just like you they don't want to say anything about it, and so everyone is in the same boat, appearing to be well on top of things and worried that they are the only person that actually isn't.The answer is in the last bit of your post - the key is to ask questions. If your peers know what they are meant to be doing it can only be because they have asked a lot of questions. Always pipe up early if you are unsure - if you try to forge ahead then you will feel even more silly trying to ask questions later on in the game by which stage you really ought to know. Never ever be afraid to ask.

Junior associate, City -23 Aug 2007 | 16:38

Your fellow trainees do not know any more than you. Take advantage of your status as a trainee to ask your supervisor 'stupid' questions. It is better to ask the question than end up making a huge mistake. Stick with it and hopefully you will get a few decent supervisors during the course of your training contract who will look to develop you.

Solicitor, Regional Firm -23 Aug 2007 | 16:39

Don't worry - it is completely normal to feel as you do when starting a new job! And do not be put off by other trainees' bravado. I too used to be intimidated by the apparent confidence of other trainees and their stories of the amazing work they had done, but realised after a few months that bravado was really all that it was. Everyone more senior around you will doubtless appreciate that it will take you a while to settle in and will also probably be more than happy to answer any questions you have and provide guidance - if they are not, then maybe it is not the right firm for you.I would therefore really encourage you to raise your questions and concerns with your supervisor or other more senior trainees or lawyers and sit tight for a while. If in a few months you still feel the same, then maybe it could be time to reconsider.

Senior lawyer in City firm -23 Aug 2007 | 16:41

How can you expect to know what to do straight away? Don't worry, you will pick it up. My advice is to make friends with a more senior trainee who has already done a seat in your group. Do this soon because in time you will be expected to know stuff and the longer you wait the worse you will feel.

Anonymous -23 Aug 2007 | 16:48

During the first six months of my training contract I thought I'd made a HUGE mistake and that I wasn't 'cut out' to be a lawyer. Having taken the CPE route into law, rather than law degree didn't help as I felt 'inferior' to and less knowledgeable than those of my colleagues who had gone down the law degree route. I felt like a clueless dumb blonde - being female in a male-dominated shipping law firm in the City didn't help either!My first seat was a disaster, followed by two slightly less disastrous seats, followed by my final seat in shipping litigation, where I finally came into my own, got offered a post-qualification job and realised that contrary to my original (wrong) impression, not only was I cut out to be a lawyer, I couldn't imagine doing any other job...Cliched, 'happy ending' maybe and one which your story may not necessarily have, but don't give up before you've even begun! Do you know how many would-be trainees would kill to be in your shoes?Find a junior assistant you can confide in / trust to be your 'mentor' (if you are not allocated one by your firm) and ask as many questions as you need to to ensure you make a good impression on the partners / lawyers you work for and who will probably give your appraisal at the end of your seat. It's better to ask lots of questions at the outset and do a good job, rather than muddling your way through, resulting in an unimpressive end-product. This is much more likely to be commented on / remembered by your superiors than the fact that you asked a lot of questions / needed some guidance at the outset.Two years is not a long time and you will be a qualified solicitor before you know it. Even if you then decide not to pursue a career in law, you will have that professional qualification to your name and it will look good on your CV (not to mention avoiding the stigma of having given up so easily / quickly) whatever path you decide to take afterwards...Good luck!

In-house Shipping Lawyer -23 Aug 2007 | 16:50

When I was a trainee I remember saying to myself several times, as a trainee, (including crying in the loos) "I am so stressed, I just don't think I will ever know how to do this". And, of course, everything just clicks into place at some point. The question is not "can I do it?"; rather, "do I really want to do this?". An entirely different matter. Good luck. As all the above have said, even if it doesn't work out, doors will open with the qualifications you have.

Old in-house lawyer -23 Aug 2007 | 17:02

Relax. Everybody may look as though they know exactly what they are doing but appearances can be deceptive. Not even the partners know everything all the time (otherwise why would they get trainees to do research for them?). If you cannot speak to your supervisor for some reason or other, try asking a helpful junior associate in your group (if s/he is not too busy).

associate -23 Aug 2007 | 17:03

You will come to realise that some people are skilled in the art of bullshit, and talk such a good game that they may actually come to believe they know what they are talking about. In time you will also realise that the people who naturally possess this skill are inevitably widely disliked. However, it is still a skill, and if you master it, learn to use it in a controlled way you will make a more successful lawyer for it. But the best wines take the longest to mature, and as a first seat trainee, your best bet is just pleading ignorance, smiling, and accepting interesting work with gusto.

magic circle -24 Aug 2007 | 10:38

Firstly, you're probably not as bad as you think. Don't compare yourself to other trainees. 'magic circle' is right - there are a lot of bs merchants in this job - the fact that the difficulties in doing the job well worry you instead of being something you try to talk your way out of bodes well for your future career, not badly. Secondly, there are no stupid questions from a trainee - even if some associates don't realise this - keep asking questions, no matter how people behave towards you - this way a) you learn, b) you'll do the job better and c) you'll cover your back (if something goes wrong the associate will have to explain why, when the trainee asked for guidance or information, he didn't give it). Thirdly, law isn't the be-all and end-all, but you might like it so give it time, and even if you don't, getting qualified looks good on your CV so now that you've started something that is very hard to get (training contracts are coveted as the many requests for help from applicants on this website attest) it'd be a shame not to finish. If when you qualify you still don't want law, then you can just do something else, having improved your CV.

Anonymous -24 Aug 2007 | 12:43

Perhaps you should have thought about your career more carefully before you took a TC away from someone who actually wants the job.

Searching for a TC -24 Aug 2007 | 15:24

Just because you want the job more doesn't mean you'd be better at it.

Trainee -24 Aug 2007 | 16:40

You are lucky 'to follow your fiends into law' and land a TC with a City Firm. If you feel that you have made a mistake, change your career. Now is the time and not years later. Law is a versatile profession which you can use as a good base in life.

Anonymous -24 Aug 2007 | 16:48

As someone who got similarly sucked into law for want of something better to do, all I can say is: stay until you qualify. And then leave, because it doesn't get any better. It's still just as boring, and the hours get worse. My brain has rotted.And certainly don't feel any guilt about taking someone else's training contract place. Sod it - you're obviously better than them.

US Associate -24 Aug 2007 | 17:18

In my 10 years post qualification experience (the last 3 years mentoring people and as a trainee supervisor) a first seat trainee (fortunately I tend to supervise 3rd or 4th seat trainees as I'm a litigator) that thinks they know everything is a) scary, b) dangerous and c) a claim waiting to happen. A trainee might be expected to know or find out what the law is, but you'll discover that most of what is done in practice is about tactics, case management and knowing through experience what to do next to progress as claim or transaction. A trainee doesn't have that experience and gains it by being given work on larger transactions or cases and being given smaller things to manage under supervision and progressing to bigger tasks and bigger files. Personally if a trainee isn't asking lots of questions, my first thought is that they haven't understood. Having confidence to ask questions is the first thing to learn and it's important not to forget - there's no such thing as a stupid question - even when you're 10years pqe. People who assume they know the answer without checking or bouncing the idea off a colleague, unless they really have done it before are a liability.

Associate top 25 firm -24 Aug 2007 | 22:26

I accept the point that someone accepted on a TC is "obviously better" than those still searching, in terms of hitting the key points required. But I don't accept that this makes them a better solicitor or a better choice for the firm when they get cold feet and don't continue on. I didn't mean to criticize you for taking someone's place, everyone is out for themselves after all, but I'd be interested to know if you hadn't have got a funded ride through the LPC would you have taken the gamble and done it anyway or thought twice about your career choice them?

Searching for a TC -26 Aug 2007 | 11:38

Look,no-one knows what they are doing when the first start as a trainee. The lawyers you are working with do not expect you to be a master in international banking, litigation or corporate finance. What they do expect you to be is bright, enthusiastic and willing to learn and apply a bit of initiative. As a trainee you are supposed to ask questions. It is a million times better to ask questions (which shows that you are seeking to learn more about an issue) than to blunder onwards and get something wrong. Don't worry too much and have a bit of faith in yourself. It will all come together.

Solicitor, In-House -26 Aug 2007 | 17:41

Everyone feels the same way at first, but beware of those who never admit they don't know what they're doing - they're cruising to a crisis and will probably blame someone else when they do. None of this law stuff is instinctive - you've just got to learn it and remember it. Be prepared to say "I don't know how to do this" to your supervisor who should take you through it or at least point you in the right direction.

Associate, US Firm -28 Aug 2007 | 11:49

Try not to make any rash changes of plan now. Everyone feels overwhelmed by it all at some point during the training contract. Learn the following phrase "this may be a dumb question, but...." (in my experience of hearing this, it never is). If you have time, try and read up on your seat area. It' won't help much practically but you'll feel more confident. Each seat will be different.

Associate at Regional -28 Aug 2007 | 16:41

Cut and Run. Burger flipping at McDonalds can offer you a less demanding job if your not upto it....

Stanley -28 Aug 2007 | 16:51

I wouldn't listen to Stanley, he can't tell the difference between 'your' and 'you're'.

Anonymous -29 Aug 2007 | 16:39

Stick with it. I did a CPE and trained at a magic circle firm. I disliked my first two seats and wanted to leave the law. I then sat in litigation, loved it and the rest is history. It can take some people quite some time to settle in and find their feet. I am sure you will succeed.

Litigation associate, large City firm -29 Aug 2007 | 16:41

Don't listen to "Stanley" - probably one of many whose only reason for living is commercial law. Sad. Stick with it and you will be fine. If you are tenacious, you will succeed, no matter what you do. If it doesn't work out, SO WHAT?! People talk about law as if it is the be-all and end-all. It certainly is far from that. Having a legal qualification will allow you to perform well in many different fields. Contrary to what a lot of extremely highly-strung lawyers think, life isn't too be taken too seriously. Don't worry about what the legal "sheep" mentality dictates - do whatever you feel like doing and you will be fine.

IB VP -30 Aug 2007 | 13:12

It's a job. Jobs are rarely immediately easy. Your colleagues are probably bluffing, every new starter does. You'll only feel comfortable if you feel competent - this means making sure your decisions are correct so get peer review by asking questions and asking for assistance. Junior lawyers who don't ask questions make senior lawyers nervous. Junior lawyers who ask questions and learn get respect.

Inhoused -31 Aug 2007 | 14:03

I have one week left of my training contract and I remember meeting with my intake pretty much every day at the start. People were a bit more honest and everyone said they had no idea what they were doing.I'm sure its exactly the same at your firm but people are just more reluctant to say it. My main advice is this; if you like the job, stick with it. If you really think you could never enjoy this career then leave. But I'd only do this if I had a better option in mind because qualifying as a lawyer is good on your CV and you can always move direction after your contract ends. Also, stop worrying, appearing confident even when you don't feel it can be half the battle!

Norton Rose -03 Sep 2007 | 11:07

I did a similar thing to you. At a good uni everyone was applying for training contracts. It seemed like a sensible and 'safe' thing to do with the added benefit of a paid extra year as a student. Plenty of time for me to research what I 'really' wanted to do later... But there wasn't somehow and I was in my 30s before I finally got out, with (I felt like) many missed opportunities down the line. That's not to say you're the same as me - many of the posters have pointed out how you can hate one seat and love another and law may well be right for you. But do spend some serious time thinking about it now before you get caught by the long hours and used to the good money. Life really is too short to spend in a job you don't enjoy in an organisation where you don't feel you fit in and the cultural fit isn't right. Go with your gut - is it just new-job nerves or is it something more than that? Do you like the people and the way the firm does things? Having said all that, I was so nervous in my first few weeks as a trainee that I found I couldn't concentrate on even the simplest of tasks and made some dreadful mistakes (like spelling the client's name wrong - I still squirm about that one). Part of the shock was that I'd never 'failed' at a job before and fully expected to succeed at this one too - which might be why no-one is admitting how they feel. Fortunately, I had a very good supervisor who realised there was more going on and the 'happy' ending was that I finished the first seat scoring top marks in all appraisal areas. You will feel differently after the first 6 months and there is a great deal of satisfaction to be gained from that. Good luck with your decision!

Ex-lawyer -04 Sep 2007 | 18:37

Young lawyer, we all learn through mistakes (I'm still making them and I have 15PQE) and you are brave enough to admit it publically. Stick at it, see how it goes over the next few years. I don't think it's as if you have an alternative career offer now. If you are struggling still after a few years and you think a private practice career is not for you, then consider your position at that time. Your experience will not have been a waste, quite the opposite, there will be plenty of different things you can do. I also think you will be just fine and you will have found your niche. All the best to you. M.

May -05 Sep 2007 | 18:30

I feel exactly the same having just started my training contract (regional). You are mostly certainly not alone. I also feel that I cannot approach anyone for help and I have tried. The comments here (bar a few!) have been helpful. All I can say is best of luck to you and try and stick it out for the 2 years - then make an informed decision. That is my plan anyway!

Anonymous -19 Sep 2007 | 23:34