DICTAadvice
Extra-Curricular
Get involved with everything you can. Studying law isn’t really like
being a lawyer. The closest thing you can get is participating in extracurricular activities - debating and mooting for the would-be barristers;
Law Clinic and arbitration for future solicitors. Only by doing the extracurricular stuff will you stay motivated, and remind you why you do what
you do. Take a look at all the extra-curricular activities affiliated with the
law school in ‘Boost Your Resumé’ on p.16.
Build up your experience. Positions that are more competitive, e.g. those
on the Law Journal Editorial Board, UBLC Executive Committee and Law
Clinic, tend to be quite difficult to obtain. If you’d like to take part in these
later on in your degree, work your way up by gaining experience with
extra-curricular activities that are more inclusive, like Bristol Innocence
Project and Howard League.
Try things that are out of your comfort zone. Don’t run away from
them just because they scare you. These experiences tend to be the most
rewarding. I (Nicole) have always been terrified of public speaking, which
is the reason why I forced myself to try debating this year. I’m still a little
terrified but it was an amazing experience.
Network with the students you work with. Students are often
involved in multiple projects, and personal recommendations will pay
dividends in breaking into other extra-curricular opportunities.
Be reliable. Respond to emails when you receive them and keep people
updated on your progress. If you have a smartphone, set it so your email
app notifies you the moment you get a new message. Also, keep in mind
that people are relying on you to get the job done, so do it and do it well.
Remember that you made a commitment, and you have to honour it.
Career
Get a Linked-In account and sign up for the Bristol PLuS Award
from the outset. The pre-set categories give you an idea of where the
holes are in your CV.
Keep your CV updated. Don’t wait until you really need it before finally
sitting down and writing it. The Careers Service is a good place to get
some tips and tricks on how to put together your CV (http://www.bris.
ac.uk/careers/advice/cvs.asp). If you need one to one help, make an
appointment with a careers advisor. Do all this at the very beginning of the
year, before you start getting any real coursework and more importantly,
before any extra-curricular or career opportunities start popping up.
Go to as many firm events as you can. They generally don’t give you
any more information about their firm but they do give you a real feel for
what the firm is like. Go your first year so you know what you’re doing
the second year when you start applying for vac schemes. Write down the
names of the partners, associates, trainees and grad recruitment you meet
for potential ‘name-