Dealing With Rejection

During my second year of University I started to apply for both work experience placements and training contracts.

It's commonly known that training contracts are essentially 'gold dust' when kick starting a legal career. The problem these days is that law students graduate in the masses however there are exceedingly less training contracts available.

From my own personal experience, I made 100+ applications for training contracts and in return only received 2 interviews. Many times I received the typical response letter, along the lines of 'sorry your application has been unsuccessful'. It's a long, hard road and you will receive a lot of rejection, but you will always get there in the end if you put your mind to it.

Being turned down can feel like a knife to the heart time and time again, so here are my main tips on dealing with rejection:

Don't take it to heart - I hate to sound like the bearer of bad news, but if you take it to heart you will forever be down in the dumps. For a lot of people they will receive many rejection letters and sometimes no response at all. Law firms have a lot of applications to sift through and it was just this time round that you weren't successful.

Learn from your application - Some firms do offer feedback on your application. If you're given this option, take it! You may find yourself in a position where your application is continuously not being considered so this could be a really big help. If you don't have this option, read over your application yourself. Check to see whether there are any accidental spelling or grammar mistakes. Another typical problem is that the application isn't tailored to that specific firm properly, this may be something that you need to improve.

It's not just you - The reality of the application process is that there are hundreds of other applicants that are in the same boat as you. They too have also made an excruciating amount of applications and have been rejected a number of times. We all go through it.

Keep your eye on your goal - Facing rejection can put you off applying for further training contracts and positions, but you need to keep focused on what you want in order to become successful. Perhaps set a target of one application a week instead of loading yourself with 20 in one night, right before the deadline.

Take a Break - If you're not near a particular deadline for any application, take a break for a week or so. Some applications can take absolutely ages and can make your head hurt for a while! Taking a break from it will stop the stress and allow you to come back to it with a fresh mind and new perspective.

There is a light - It may seem like you'll never get the training contract but trust me, you will get there!

I know the deadline for most training contracts is coming up soon, so I thought that this would be helpful if ever you have an unsuccessful application. Good luck!