Commercial knowledge, sound advice and lockdown anxiety: the LCN 2021 user survey results are in

Each year LawCareers.Net conducts a user survey to gather feedback on the tools available to those seeking a career in law and to assess the mood of those entering the profession.

We are pleased to report that nearly 90% of participants judged the LCN site as either useful or very useful, praising, in particular, the accessibility of the training contract directory and the prevalence of commercial awareness information.

One student described LCN as their “first port of call”, while another non-law student described it as “an intuitive and user-friendly website which compiles key information and links in a clear and concise way.”

Responses showed that job seekers value ease of navigation and a variety of content in the tools they use to prepare for employment. However, they also reflected on how the past year has affected us all.

As well as information hubs, candidates relied heavily on law fairs to prepare for applications and get to know firms. Unsurprisingly, therefore, covid-19 was a worry for participants. In fact, not being able to meet firms in person was the second most pressing concern reported with regards to pursuing a legal career during coronavirus. Candidates also feared that they wouldn’t have access to the necessary career information to achieve their goals.

Despite candidates’ understandable covid-related concerns, one user said LCN was their “go-to resource for everything and the quality of content has not lessened due to the pandemic.”

Even as lockdown and spatial restrictions are eased, it is important for job seekers to be prepared for a continued focus on virtual events. We cannot assume these will cease after lockdown and to do so would be to deny the investments and advancements businesses have been forced to make. Numerous firms are set to continue with virtual seminars, interviews and schemes, citing their efficiency and accessibility as reasons to do so. You can find tips on attending virtual law fairs on the LCN site, as well as information on virtual vacation schemes. Candidates should also use all tools available to research firms and to keep abreast of relevant current affairs. Our news and commercial awareness hubs are great places to start.

The chief concern however was that firms wouldn’t be hiring new trainees. Although true that some firms paused trainee recruitment, many firms continued with their 2020 recruitment strategies and are now looking to return to normal following the latest government announcements. We expect to see the number of trainee roles available begin to rise again.

There will also be positives repercussions for some, with certain areas of law booming and the possibility of more flexible working on the horizon. The good news for current candidates is that they stand to benefit from the technological advances (eg, video chat, remote working) that many businesses have fought to implement over the past year.