How to Overcome Rejection from Law Firms

Article written by Leah Minett, Birkbeck University, LLB Law.

Securing a training contract is no easy feat: the process can be incredibly challenging and time-consuming, and is often met with a large number of rejections before you eventually find the right firm for you. Many graduates go through years of recruitment cycles before securing employment, so it’s important to learn how to deal with rejection, and use it to better your future applications. Below are a few top tips to help with overcoming training contract rejections. 

Accept the rejection

It can be very easy to feel disheartened, or question why the firm you are so desperate to work for has rejected you, but it’s important to accept that the decision is final, and cannot be changed. Sitting and over-analysing why you have been rejected will not help you in any way, and will only lead to further frustration and disappointment. Do not reach out to the firm to try and change their mind, just accept that, at this moment in time, you were not the right fit for the firm, and the firm was not the right fit for you. Allow yourself time to accept this – it’s OK to feel disappointed, but make sure that you pick yourself up again and don’t lose hope. 

Ask for feedback

Depending on the size of the firm you have applied to, it may be possible to gain feedback on your application. This may also depend on how far through the application process you got before being rejected (for example, if you were rejected after an assessment centre, you are more likely to receive personalised feedback than if you were rejected at the first stage of the online application form). Getting feedback is an incredibly useful tool to assist you in improving your applications for the next cycle, as you will be hearing directly from Graduate Recruitment teams on how to better your chances of securing a training contract in the future.  

If you are offered a feedback call, make sure you go into the call with questions ready, to ensure that you make the most of the time that you are given. Make sure that you leave the session with a clear picture of how to improve for next time, and most importantly – make sure you take notes. It’s very easy to forget minor details when on a call, but these details could make the difference on whether or not you secure a training contract next year, so make sure that you write everything down and utilise this opportunity as much as possible. 

Review your application

One really useful tool to improve your chances next year is to review your application after you have been rejected. Sometimes it’s best to wait a couple of weeks until the initial frustration and disappointment have subsided to ensure you are objectively reviewing it with a clear mindset, but going back and reviewing is crucial. Make notes of anything that you feel you could have improved in your application, so that you can make sure these points are strengthened in the next application cycle. For example, if you notice spelling/grammatical errors on your application, or you realise that you have not highlighted certain strengths well enough within your application, make sure that these are the points that you focus on in greater detail next time around. 

Obtain relevant experience

While it may feel disappointing to have to wait a whole year before reapplying for training contracts, why not use this time to better your chances for the next application cycle? It is important to use this time to obtain relevant experience that will enhance your future application. For example, if you are a recent graduate, you could try to secure paralegal or legal assistant work for the upcoming year, which will significantly increase your chances of getting hired next year. If you can’t commit to a full-time job, consider smaller things that could make the difference. Maybe you can volunteer one day a week to gain experience, or learn a new language in night school to give you something interesting to discuss in your interview. It’s important to see this extra year’s wait as an opportunity gained, as opposed to a delay to your career path. 

Use your network around you

Using your support network after being rejected from law firms is crucial. Consider any friends, colleagues, LinkedIn connections or other people you have in your network that may be able to help you in securing some work experience that will enhance your future applications. Speak to your careers advice department at your university, who are on hand to support you and offer advice on how to improve your applications.

Pick yourself up and try again

It’s easy to feel deflated after being rejected. Most current trainees have been in exactly this position at least once or twice before securing their current role. While it’s OK to let yourself feel frustrated and disappointed, it’s important not to give up. Take the time to accept the rejection, reflect on what you can do differently next year, and pick yourself back up and keep trying. By the next recruitment cycle, if you’ve taken on board feedback, used the year to better yourself and gained experience to add to your CV, the application cycle will feel far less daunting the next time around.