My 10 Open Day Experiences
Why I did it:
Strategy
In my first round of application cycles, one of my rejection emails recommended that I apply for an Insight Day, which got me thinking about my application strategy. The reasoning behind this goes with the fact that if I have not had any interaction with the law firm, how would my response be convincing and genuine? The person who is reading it on the other side simply could not put a face to the response.
Identifying gaps in my experience
Coming out of my first round of my application cycle I have identified two areas that I lacked and thereon wanted to improve: (1) Formal work experience and (2) roles of responsibility.
I discovered the Shearman & Sterling work experience scheme on YouTube two summers ago. Paul Gascoyne, Senior Recruitment Manager, mentioned what counts as formal work experience, which includes doing 4, 6 or 7 Open Days – initially, I thought that it would be an impossible task. (See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OryUsQzv2u4.)
Consolidating my reason for pursuing a career in a City law firm
I had never actually been to London or considered it as a place to establish my career until August 2019 when I attended my first Open Day. This meant that I often questioned whether I would actually like it. The London lifestyle, the City and the reputation (“loneliest city in the world, 2017”) – it’s all a myth to me. I kept questioning myself about this. I had interacted with people in the legal profession in Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham and formed an opinion about these cities, but not London. I found my answer the moment I stood out of the door on my first Open Day
“Demonstrate your value in interviews and during Vacation Schemes” - The Corporate Law Academy (TCLA)
I read a post by TCLA on how to become better at doing this, one of which includes becoming ‘comfortable in uncomfortable environments by attending lots of law firm events and open days.’ It concludes that:
‘…doing these things won’t immediately get you a training contract. But you might just find that you are heading into interviews knowing that you will be OK - whether you receive an offer or not. It’s having that state of mind makes you a more desirable candidate.’
Why I didn’t do it - myths busted
There are a couple of questions that came up with regard to applying to Open Days in my second year:
Can I afford to travel to London?
Train tickets are quite expensive, even with a railcard, and that is definitely been the biggest deterrent for most cash-strapped students. But I took the risk and found out that you get reimbursed for up to a particular amount . So a message to all my northern uni friends who don’t have the privilege to just pop over to the law firm at 10 am in the morning: DO IT!
Is it worth the effort?
It was fairly tough at the beginning, especially with the physical challenge of the whole experience: waking up at 5 am, getting the train at 7 am and arriving back to York at 9 pm (because it’s cheaper) – the bus driver starting to recognise me as well – being the only one on the first bus running. But as I got to my 8th Open Day, everything seemed to be easier, it became a comfortable routine of mine. I’ve transformed so much, especially with my time management.
What I gained from this experience:
Confirmed that I really like London as a workplace and a place to live.
Consolidated my motivation for pursuing a legal career in the City. This experience will allow my response in interviews to be much more convincing and genuine.
Finding the Legal Cheek panel events much more relatable - I’m attracted to a legal career because of the immense opportunities it presents and this would not have been clear without first walking around the commercial centre in London.
How I approach Open Days:
I have heard people complaining that Open Days does not give you the full experience. But I think it is the mindset and approach that will make this seemingly short experience more long-lasting and effective.
There are three steps that I made sure to follow before turning up on the day:
Step 1: The research
I propose to you, instead of attending the Open Day with the mindset of learning about the firm on the day, know the firm well enough before turning up. Knowing the firm before allows you to develop a more in-depth and meaningful analysis as to whether you like the firm or not as you develop this professional relationship with the law firm. It will also improve the quality of questions you ask on the day so that you can navigate past what is already available online.
I know it can be time-consuming, hence I’ve scaled down the two main things that you need to know:
Basic information - number of employees, offices around the world, areas of expertise
Application process - Training Contract, Vacation Scheme, online tests(?), international/client secondments.
Otherwise; here’s a checklist of what I do:
-Firm’s grad recruit website is a must
-Legal 500- clients, experience, head of practice
-And much more, but this is not the focus of the article.
Step 2: Have an agenda and adopt a proactive mentality
The nerves were incredible on my first Open Day because I knew I would be interacting with professionals and the Grad recruit team and everybody else, including the security guards greeting you, and to be completely honest I even treated it like an interview. But if you have done the research of the firm, attending an Open Day is more about getting your name across to the people at the firm. Remember it’s a two way process, for those who are unsure what law firms and work environment you like, this is the time. But also don’t forget to enjoy the day and relax. It gets easier the more you do it.
Step 3: What to bring on the day
Firstly, your research document, mine normally has around 25 pages and there is no way that I can remember everything (the deals and clients) on the day. I tend to print it out and add to it throughout the day (post-it notes are great). This will be particularly helpful when it comes to speed networking with departmental reps/trainees.
Setting yourself internal deadlines before the day:
I normally set myself a deadline to finish the research the day before and have at least considered and drafted my response for the application so that I can print them out at the library (forever grateful for York Law School printing subsidies.) I learned this trick from Chris White, Founder of Aspiring Solicitors at the HeadStart to Vacation Scheme Workshop, who told us as much as a prop it may seem like, having a folder saying ‘XYZ law firm Open Day - 1 January 2020’ looks much more impressive and prepared.
My second set of documents is a list of questions:
I think it’s always wise to think of some questions beforehand, especially for those who aren’t very good at small talk. I used to have a list of questions directed to specific groups of people that I might interact with on the day and would put them under subheadings for members from the grad recruit, trainees, associates and partners as I conducted my research. Hence, when I got the chance to speak to a COO of a law firm at an Open Day, my mind was blown away. I have always emphasised the importance of asking the right question to the right person- this exercise will help you to address precisely that. And with more experience you can become more accustomed and more strategic as to the questions you ask.
Things to do afterwards:
Consolidate your research.
Have a folder and put all those notes you made and skills exercise worksheets all in one place.
And finally, if you are a confident networker, send those LinkedIn connections requests or emails.
I tend to pick up a lot of technical/legal terms, recommended readings (The Big Short is bound to come up, spoilers, I’m sorry), professional development points (such as “How to build a rapport”) on the day and I’m just intrigued to find out more about it and what they mean because I care about personal and professional development, so I’ll normally do that after an Open Day.
Main benefits
If you are still not convinced by the benefits of putting yourself out there and being memorable to the people in the firm, consider this. It’s really the people that you meet on the day. One of the main benefits was meeting some incredibly helpful trainees who were willing to have a look at my applications when I felt very lost as to what the firm was looking for and actual application writing tips.
I hope this article is helpful and will encourage some of you to attend an Open Day. I know that some of the points I’ve made above might seem a bit over the top in terms of preparation, so please adjust the suggestions according to your schedule and commitments.
Once again, half of it would not have been possible without Aspiring Solicitors.