‘While I respect the firm’s selection process…’
A law graduate has expressed their disappointment on LinkedIn this week after being rejected from a role as an immigration paralegal at Irwin Mitchell. They told their LinkedIn connections, “I am surprised by the outcome and wonder if my application received due consideration.”
The unlucky graduate, whom Legal Cheek have decided not to name, began their post by explaining their relevant qualifications, namely “six months of relevant experience and proficiency in two additional languages, Persian and Turkish.” Unfortunately, this was not enough to land an interview for a paralegal role at large national outfit, Irwin Mitchell.
The poster questions whether the firm adequately considered their application for the role before turning them down. They also gesture to some doubts about the firm’s commitment to “the principles of diversity and equality”, suggesting that these principles “may not have been sufficiently considered during the evaluation process.”
The poster tagged the firm’s LinkedIn page, ending their post with a sarcastic “Special thanks to Irwin Mitchell!” and included a screenshot of an email from the firm informing them that their application won’t be taken any further and individual feedback would not be provided.
In an exclusive comment to Legal Cheek, the frustrated graduate said:
If a candidate with … six months of related experience applies for an immigration role and possesses multilingual abilities, they may still not be considered for an interview. This raises the critical question: what qualifications or elements must a CV include to warrant consideration?
If someone with minimal but relevant experience and strong language skills struggles to secure a role in a law firm … this creates a cycle where individuals are unable to break into new opportunities due to the lack of initial consideration.
They went on to discuss their concerns around diversity and inclusion:
The hiring process also raises questions about fairness. How does the firm approach applicants to ensure equality? Does diversity mean selecting candidates from various racial or cultural backgrounds, or does it involve offering everyone an equal opportunity to showcase their skills? True equality lies not in appearances but in ensuring a level playing field for all candidates.
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