Matt Oliver
Matt is a former FTSE 100 lawyer and accredited career coach who founded Trainee Solicitor Surgery in 2009. He’s helped over 300 aspiring solicitors secure training contracts at top UK and US firms, drawing on 10 years of legal practice and 16 years of coaching expertise.
Matt shares free, trusted advice in his articles and offers expert one-on-one coaching for those who want tailored support from someone who has been on both sides of the process.
Posts
If you’re looking for a good, up to date book to help you with the training contract recruitment process there is a new book on the block: “The Complete Guide to Getting a Solicitor’s Training Contract” by Sarah Cave Sarah is a solicitor herself, so knows her stuff on this. Here’s the quick book summary:…
I asked some experienced graduate recruiters a question I often hear…. In your experience, which factors differentiate an excellent application from a good application?” Paula McMullan, Graduate Recruitment Manager at Gide Loyrette Nouel LLP (London), had this to say: A great application is one where I can tell that the person: has taken the trouble…
I was recently pleased to help out with the design for a new eBook authored by City solicitor Luke Murphy. It’s aimed at giving students and graduates a leg up into the legal profession. It contains some great advice around some job search and career progression strategies you need to know. I thoroughly recommend you…
One of the things that candidates for training contracts and vacation schemes are most commonly advised to do is to research the firms they are applying to. However, one of the most common things I see that lets candidates down with their applications is a lack of effective research. This does not mean candidates are…
If you are to stand any chance of securing a vacation scheme place or training contract you must identify the law practice areas you are most interested in before you make your applications. To do this you must develop solid foundation knowledge of ALL the different practice areas in which you could potentially train. This…
I caught up with a couple of graduate recruiters to ask them a question we hear all the time from students as the summer holidays descend. In your experience, what is the best way for a student to spend their summer holidays in order to strengthen their case for a training contract in the future?”…
There are lots of incredibly inspiring and informative career-related events that will undoubtedly help students and graduates wanting to succeed in their pursuit of a career in law. However, I am regularly surprised by how often they are under-utilised by candidates struggling to get that job offer. A Lack of Pro-activity There are some incredibly…
Samantha Hope is the Graduate Recruitment Manager at leading national law firm, Shoosmiths. Matt Oliver caught up with Samantha and asked her some of the questions sent in by TSS readers. The Interview MATT: What would you recommend candidates do over the coming months to ensure their applications are as strong as they can be? SAMANTHA: The…
Simon Price has inspired over 2500 law students across the country via The Modern Lawyer workshop. It’s a unique peak performance and employability workshop about how students can think strategically about their career and maximise their potential. I caught up with Simon and asked him to share some of his wisdom. The Interview Matt: When…