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Solicitor apprentice: ‘Will taking a gap year after qualifying kill my career?’

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By Legal Cheek on

15

Wants to travel


In the latest instalment of our Career Conundrums series, a solicitor apprentice seeks readers’ opinions on whether taking a gap year upon qualification would harm her career.

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“I am a Solicitor Apprentice nearing the end of my first year at a mid sized law firm. Since I haven’t had the ability to have a gap year and go travelling and gain life experience, I wonder, would it be harmful to my career to take a year out upon qualification? Will I be less appealing to firms if I have taken a gap year immediately upon passing the SQE? Or will my six years’ experience negate that? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.”

If you have a career conundrum, email us at tips@legalcheek.com.

15 Comments

Youth is wasted on the young

You won’t have this time again.

Be young, travel, explore, enjoy life.

Once you start working the only prolonged period of leave you will have is your qualification leave (4-6weeks) and then career breaks in between jobs etc.

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(34)(5)

Bazza

Agree. You’re only young once. A year off to travel is nothing in the grand scheme of things.

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(3)(0)

Going on an adventure

Depending on your personal circumstances, it could be worth waiting until 1-2PQE. There will be more jobs to come back to and you’ll be able to save up a bit more for your trip.

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(6)(9)

NQ in the same boat

I am also considering travelling for a few months. NQ jobs seem few and far between but I’m ready for a change of scenery.

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(5)(1)

Take a break whilst the NQ market picks up

I wasn’t retained last year Sept and I took time off and found a role come January 2024.

A well deserved break after the TC is needed.

It may also give some time for the NQ market to pick up as it is very much dead for the foreseeable.

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(8)(5)

Monica

Do it. Easy choice. You might not get another chance. Go to South America.

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(13)(0)

Anon

Respect yourself and go for it. Happy travelling!

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(9)(0)

Dye Pah

I thought a “Gap Yah” was something you took between school and University!

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(1)(3)

Biglawlawyer

Life is too short! You will be working for the rest of your career! Enjoy it! In fact I would recommend taking a random sabatical here and there! Only partners who have a narrow minded approach would grown up on it!

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(7)(0)

Anon

Go for it! You will never have this valuable time off again, save very exceptional circumstances.

Working is only one part of our lives, and there is so much more to life than it.

I see many fresh faced graduates who go straight from law school into full time work and they are restless. You need to get it out your system and enjoy it while you’re young.

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(4)(0)

Anon

I qualified after completing the SQE as a solicitor apprentice. A year later I requested a sabbatical, which the firm agreed to. I took 10 months off, best decision and everyone I worked with was very supportive – go for it!

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(4)(0)

Associate at proper big firm

Why not? If you are rejected for taking a year out then that says a lot about the law firm that rejects you.

Why not combine it with other cultural skills to amass a real learning curve whilst away… i.e. learning to cook well, learning a new language etc…

Travelling is wonderful, but preoccupying yourself whilst there is the best tip.

Have fun!

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(4)(0)

Alan

Travelling will not have as much of a negative effect as playing at being a lawyer as an unqualified “apprentice”.

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(0)(14)

Anon

Do it! I did it and it helped me to secure an NQ job in a Top 50 law firm whereas I was struggling before. It provides you with life experience and lots to talk about at interview stage.

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(1)(0)

September 2024 NQ

Honestly, just do it. It’ll be years (if at all) before you get a chance to take that kind of time again. Maybe use it your advantage, add a language or new skill (such as a sport) to your arsenal.

It won’t hurt your career and if anything it can give you something to talk about at interviews so you don’t come off as a robot who just works.

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(1)(1)

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