Lying About My A Level Grades
Discussion
musclecarmad said:
Marty Funkhouser said:
Should I? I am in the process of applying for Training Contracts and what are the chances they'll actually check??
Has anyone been asked to prove their grades? Ever?
Of course people check - 100% so. especially now law firms can be very picky about who they take on.Has anyone been asked to prove their grades? Ever?
Good luck with your career - law is quite saturated at the moment.
bonsai said:
Wait a minute, how are you applying for training contracts now? One of your threads from a few weeks back (although that was as your alter-ego st_files) was asking whether you should pack in your current job to become a solicitor. Do you not need to do a conversion course first? I could well be mistaken but I thought that's how it worked?o
I am applying for Training Contracts starting in September 2012.....Edited by bonsai on Friday 4th June 09:55
Alex97 said:
I thought you wanted to be a barrister and not be a "desk bound" solicitor?
Well, as it probably evident, I am finding out a lot about this route into the law and have decided to go down the solicitor route for a few reasons:1. It would appear to offer greater chance of success - the route to becoming a solicitor is tremendously hard, apparently the route to the Bar is much harder still. I cant really afford to follow a pipe dream completely as I do need to 'pay the mortgage' in future.
2. It would seem English law is becoming more commercialised and you can study to represent people in court once qualified as a solicitor anyway.
3. The Bar course is very expensive.
At the moment I'm applying for training contracts (and being completely honest!) and hoping that I can get one prior to starting the GDL in September.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Well, I have been thinking a lot about it and (with the obvious caveat that I have yet to commence studying so am basing this on a completely outside view on the areas of law) am looking at family, employment, criminal & IP.I realise that these may not be the most lucrative areas (so I've been told) but I think they are the areas that are most likely to interest me. In my training contract applications I'm making sure I'm only applying to firms that practice in these areas (still searching for criminal practice - the CPS isnt doing training contracts this year according to their site).
daveparry said:
What about, like me, I left school at 15 having passed no exams, joined the Royal Navy spent 24 years as a marine engineer having passed many career and professional (RN) exams that did not produce a nationally recognised certificate. Then left RN and did HGV driving, generator and CHP servicing and now commercial boiler servicing. The upshot is in this current financial crisis I find myself for the first time in my life Unemployed and having to fill in application forms......when it comes to education ????????? qualifications ???????? It has never been a problem before but it is now! do i lie, not something i want to do but i do want a job.
Well, I can only speak for the training contract applications I've been filling out, most of them have a section where you can explain why your crap grades at school (in my case) or lack of qualifications should not be held as indicative of your suitability for consideration.
princeperch said:
Marty Funkhouser said:
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Well, I have been thinking a lot about it and (with the obvious caveat that I have yet to commence studying so am basing this on a completely outside view on the areas of law) am looking at family, employment, criminal & IP.I realise that these may not be the most lucrative areas (so I've been told) but I think they are the areas that are most likely to interest me. In my training contract applications I'm making sure I'm only applying to firms that practice in these areas (still searching for criminal practice - the CPS isnt doing training contracts this year according to their site).
I trained at a firm where we did a bit of everything, property, private client, litigation etc. Moved to another firm where I did some insolvency litigation, and then moved this year to work for this GLS, which is the best job I've ever had.
PS GLS?
Edited by Marty Funkhouser on Tuesday 8th June 22:48
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Cheers for the advice Tonker. Thats pretty much my thoughts. I have got about 30-40 applications in so far and I still have plenty to go. I am willing to do the TC pretty much anywhere thats reasonable to get to from Oxford. My A level grades are crap & I have a 'modern' degree. I missed the deadline to apply for vacation schemes as I only made the decision to leave work in mid Feb (deadline was end of jan).I have almost 15 yrs in advertising so am making sure I apply to the likes of Olswang that have a advertising/media practice and am applying to pretty much every firm I can. Like I said, the only places I am avoiding are the corporate finance/tax/banking firms as I have no interest in that type of law.
I realise that TC's are phenominally competitive but I can only do my best and cross my fingers. The more I think about it, the more I wouldnt want to start the GDL without a TC.
princeperch said:
If you don't train in London, be prepared for 2 years of not a lot of financial fun....
£1x grand didn't stretch very far for me when I was a trainee, it's mont to month living to a certain point - so I wouldn't go getting that porker on HP just yet...
That said when you qualify things get better. At the firm I trained at, NQs were on about 32 odd grand, which is ok but nothing special. My salary more than doubled when I qualified, plus good pension (whilst it still exists), and more importantly, the people I work with aren't
- which you will find from day one the vast majority of partners are.
I know - city firms seem to offer anywhere between £30-40k 1st yr trainee, regionals seem to range from £20-25k. There are pros and cons to both. Ideally I'd do 2 years to qualification at a top London firm and then decide if I want to move. The reality will more likely be taking any offer I can get!£1x grand didn't stretch very far for me when I was a trainee, it's mont to month living to a certain point - so I wouldn't go getting that porker on HP just yet...
That said when you qualify things get better. At the firm I trained at, NQs were on about 32 odd grand, which is ok but nothing special. My salary more than doubled when I qualified, plus good pension (whilst it still exists), and more importantly, the people I work with aren't
- which you will find from day one the vast majority of partners are.It all feels like the end of school again - trying to make long term career affecting decisions without really being in full grasp of the facts - I have no idea of what practicising family/criminal/IP law will be like and whether or not its for me. I just have to give it my best shot and see what happens. It would have been much better to have made this decision last October and then I could have at least (hopefully) have got some experience on vacation schemes.
Edited by Marty Funkhouser on Wednesday 9th June 10:37
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