Career Clinic: I'm struggling to make a good impression

Don't be so worried. I think that all first trainees feel the same way - I know I did! By the time you are into your next seat, you will feel a lot more confident about your abilities. Don't lose faith.

FF -11 Feb 2010 | 14:52

Hang in there!

Totally agree. It's only four months in - you've got many years ahead of you to develop networking skills etc. I've been to events that actually teach networking to people who are already professionals and have been for years, so being a bit introverted at first is certainly no crime. Don't be cowed into doubting your abilities either - I'm not advocating arrogance, but have faith that you know as much as any other trainee and clearly your people skills are good enough to have gained a training contract. Don't be made to feel like you don't have what it takes by others - hang on in there and no doubt your opportunity to prove your worth will come.

Kismet -11 Feb 2010 | 15:16

Answers

"What can I do to ensure that I am successful?"

Be diligent. Carelessness isn't appropriate. Be enthusiastic. Even if you don't like it. Be robust. Speak up if you don't understand, record the time you actually spend working, and hit your targets.

"Are the above common feelings for trainees?"

Yes.

"Will it get easier as my training contract progresses?"

Yes, in some ways. But it will be hard again when you start your next seat, hard when you qualify, and so on. But stick to the rules above and you'll be fine.

Moley -11 Feb 2010 | 17:39

You are not alone

You make two points:

(A) you say you are falling short of expectations/do not have what it takes to be successful; and

(B) you say you are not showing enough of your personality.

As regards (A) – and as the above posters have already pointed out – these are very early days. It is not uncommon for first seaters (who have been consistent academic high achievers) to find the transition from student life to an office-based existence (and the associated demands) unsettling. Whether or not they admit it, many of your trainee peers will be going through exactly the same thing.

Moving on to (B), I appreciate that it is difficult to engage with your colleagues at a social level (and thereby "show your personality") if you are worried that your colleagues don't think you are good enough. Your instinct will be to emphasise that you are hard-working, committed, professional, etc. The absence of (B) is therefore, it seems to me, linked to (A).

Ultimately, the fact that you were offered a training contract, indicates that – in the eyes of your firm – you have what it takes to be successful. Don't forget that.

I suspect that, as you progress through your training contract and gain confidence, you will find it easier to balance doing your job and being more open around your colleagues. In the meantime, and if you honestly think that there are gaps in your know-how, educate yourself.

Hagar -12 Feb 2010 | 08:12

Are you right to worry?

Many trainees may well feel that they are inadequate. Truth is some are. There are probably 5% who are awful.

Being criticised extensively is not nice but is a pretty good sign; it means the firm thinks you are redeemable. The worst sign is that nobody ever asks you to do anything twice without explanation and you are left idle. This is generally because you are seen as worse than useless.

Not everyone is a gifted lawyer, and doesn't need to be. Personality makes up for a lot in terms of winning work, keeping clients happy etc. A tedious genius is fine in the back office but not in a bar with clients.

If you fail on both counts then you are doomed, so even if you think you are hopeless at the law put yourself about a bit socially. At least you might have fun while it lasts!

Cheesy Wotsits -12 Feb 2010 | 15:50

Cutting through the BS

Fact 1: law isn't difficult - you're not redesigning the space shuttle or carrying out brain surgery.

Fact 2: big law firms are hotbeds of incompetence - this is because law is a closed profession ("once you're in, you're in") which shields people from the competition they would face in other fields.

To really cut through the BS, though, you need to think about the billable hour concept - which actually rewards slow and moderately incompetent workers.

The ideal law firm trainee/associate is someone who is somewhat slow and makes a fair number of minor correctable mistakes. That's how the hours get billed: drafting and redrafting and clarifying and reclarifying and teleconferencing and reteleconferencing.

(One of the biggest moneyspinners is law firms messing up on some important contract and then - guess what - providing "litigation services" to sort out the resultant mess.)

Enter the real world. Look at the underlying economics. Disregard the stuff they put out for PR purposes.

If you really feel the need to gain a mastery of the law then become a law professor or a barrister. Don't do it as a solicitor, least of all a City solicitor.

Now relax.

Mark -14 Feb 2010 | 05:19

Oh my!!

With all due respect to Mark, who is of course entitled to his views and opinions (though I sincerely hope they are those of a "look at me trainee/junior associate" rather than those of a someone occupying a management/partners' office), I am shocked (if perhaps also mildly amused) by his comment: "One of the biggest moneyspinners is law firms messing up on some important contract and then - guess what - providing "litigation services" to sort out the resultant mess".

If a firm messes up on an important contract for a client, it is highly improbably that they will be looking to rake in additional fees from the "harmed client" by racking up fees in relation to litigation services!

Instead of thinking about how to 'super size' the client's invoice, I suspect any reputable firm will be thinking about (1) if the client is going to sue them (let alone pay any outstanding invoices!); (2) whether and/or how to inform the client of the error; (3) whether they need to inform their insurers of the error; (4) other transactions involving the client that may be at risk as a result of the risk (i.e. relationship issues).

Additionally, there's what I would have thought is the all-too-obvious conflict of interest issue related to firm X's litigators trying to assist firm X's lawyers who made the mistake - surely the client would have to be told that they should seek INDEPENDENT legal advice??? While I agree that it's the drafting, redrafting, and (seemingly endless) conference calls that help firms rack up fees, the suggestion that law firms regard 'messing up' as "moneyspinners" is laughable at best, ill-informed and advised at worst.

Dorothy Gale -15 Feb 2010 | 16:50

Stick in

Most trainees will doubt their ability at points during their TC. When that happened to me I tried to concentrate on getting the basics right.

Work hard and show willing, take time to proofread things, think before you ask a question, and try not to make the same mistake twice. When you have something valuable to add, don't be afraid to do so.

Concentrating on those things helped me get my confidence back and gain the trust of the fee earners I was working for. And once in that situation it is much easier to show some personality.

Also it is worth remembering (assuming you are doing a four-seat traineeship) that you will have a clean slate in two months' time - people do talk and you'll carry a bit of whatever reputation you are currently forging, but unless you are having a real shocker then your first 2/3 weeks in your new seat will count for more than a few whispers that you struggled a bit previously.

As people have said above it is very much early days for you, and a lot of trainees only come good late on their TC. Good luck.

Junior Lawyer -15 Feb 2010 | 16:59

Don't be so sure it is you! Ask around, it might be that you are more intelligent than your boss and he is belittling you by trying to force you into a negative mindset. Watch you don't suffer low self esteem or lack of confidence as a consequence ... You are probably doing a lot better than you think - especially if personality is all they have to go on. Lawyers and personality - hmmm.

ANON -15 Feb 2010 | 17:19

Agree with Dorothy Gale re Mark's post (in fact the OP can probably safely ignore Mark's post altogether). Also agree with ANON above - unfortunately, if your boss perceives you as bright and popular s/he may well be trying to put you down because of their own insecurities and inadequacies. Unfair and pathetic but all too often true. Seek solace and support from your fellow trainees - they may well come to you in the future when they are experiencing a similar thing. Good luck.

Anonymous -16 Feb 2010 | 09:28

Give it time

I have a lot of sympathy with you. I had a good academic career, then started my training contract and hated it. Like you, I started in property, and I worked for a partner who thought excessive criticism was character building. I resigned towards the end of the seat but the training partner changed my mind.

My next seat was litigation, which I never wanted to do. I thought it was the end of my legal career. Fifteen years later, as a partner in litigation, the horror of my first boss is the stuff of dinner party stories.

We all have different talents. You might not 'get' property, but my guess is that you'll soon find an area that you love. Loving what you do usually stops you making mistakes. You'll be fine if you stick with it.

Hounsfield -16 Feb 2010 | 17:08

Hmmm

"It has also been mentioned on a number of occasions that I am not showing enough of my personality. I have to admit that I do sometimes go into myself."

Maybe you're just more introverted than those around you and they cannot cope with it. I was told repeatedly in my training contract that I was not sufficiently enthusiastic, despite the fact that I felt happy and enthusiastic, and found the work very interesting.

I was told that you appear more enthusiastic if you grin and practically jump with joy every time anyone gives you any work to do (even though they prefaced their request with "this is going to be really boring, but...") - however, you may need to practice a bit if cheerleading doesn't come naturally to you. You should also ask a lot of questions - even if you understand what they want you have to think of something (it makes the associates happier).

Or you could just wait for your next department. I went from being considered "lacking enthusiasm" to "incredibly enthusiastic" due to the change in seat - I hadn't actually altered anything that i did. It's (sadly) all a matter of perception.

TH -19 Feb 2010 | 13:18

Relax

Law is full of people always telling you to smile, love that you are working hard and making them richer and that if you don't there's something wrong with you. You can be relaxed, happy with your job and confident that you are not getting things wrong, but still, they tell you to smile and, to quote House of Pain, jump around. What it really comes down to is that people want you to be like them. They love that they make loads of money from you working hard for hours on end and it eases their guilt if you seem enthusiastic. In all seriousness, it's easily fixed, just smile lots, tell them you're really excited by the matter/case you're on and that it's been really interesting. They'll soon say how much you've improved as a lawyer even if nothing else has changed. Ridiculous but true.

Associate -19 Feb 2010 | 17:14