5 things to ask your Training Supervisor

At some points, you may find yourself bogged down in the work you are trying to learn during your seat.  You may find yourself at a point where you're trying to sift through everything and forget to actually utilise the lawyers that you are assisting. Sound familiar to you? Well here are my five important things to always ask your training supervisor or any lawyer that you are working with:

1. Why? - a massive importance when learning.  You may have done something wrong, it's ok, we all do. But are you sure why you made that mistake and why the work is projected differently in practice? Always ask why in order to grab an understanding of the work you are producing.  There is no point in working on something and not knowing what it is for (They also love it when you show an interest).

2. Can I Come? - If your supervisor/lawyer is meeting with a client, ask to go! Why shouldn't you miss out on experiencing a lawyer give advice? Just because you haven't initially been invited, doesn't mean they don't want you to join them. It's the simple fact of if you don't ask, you don't get.

3. When do you need this done by? - A simple question, but if you don't ask, other work may take a priority and if that piece was urgent, you have a problem.  Always ask when the lawyer needs their work done by so that you can prioritise your work properly.

4. What would you consider to be the most challenging part of your job? - This might seem staged as such, but you've been given the opportunity to work, in most firms, four areas of law. You may as well weigh out the pros and cons for all of them!

5. How am I getting on? - A seat is six months long, even though it flies by it is still a long time.  Appraisals can be set for every three months, but I think it's a good idea to check up on how you're doing regularly.  Sometimes it can be easy to get stuck in a routine so just asking if your work is up to standard is a good idea  (Do get ready for a knife to the heart though if you're in a seat that is not to your taste). If the feedback isn't good, ask what you can do to improve.

So those are my five most important things to ask your training supervisor/lawyer.  This is all my opinion though and there may be something that works better for you, but I hope this helps!!