4 Alternative Careers For Law Graduates

These days, competition is fierce within the legal profession. Training contracts and pupillages are gold dust.

The Bar Standards Board found that 35% of all UK/EU domiciled graduates enrolled on the BPTC in 2011-2013 gained pupillage since completing the BPTC. There have also been new proposals by the SRA for all qualifying solicitors to undertake an entry examination– called the Solicitors Qualifying Examination.

Increasingly, many graduates choose an alternative career to law. If you want to pursue a different role outside your degree, listen closely.

Banking and Finance

Many graduates consider moving into the banking and finance sector. Having a law degree often means you have the ability to analyse large amounts of information and facts. You’ll also be able to handle working to tight deadlines.

Opportunities can be found in banking too – but you’ll need to prep yourself for online applications, interviews and assessments, and gain experience within the field.

Civil Service

If finance isn’t your thing, consider the government’s Civil Service Fast Stream. They employ approximately 420,000 people all over the country within a range of roles like finance, diplomacy, health, science and technology. They also employ up to 1000 graduates each year.

The Fast Stream is basically a leadership programme to help you develop your career and eventually be a key leader within the civil service.

The civil service has recently changed its method of application to two online questionnaires, an E -tray and video interview. Once you pass the online assessment, you’ll be invited to attend an assessment centre. This is then followed by a final selection assessment.

Don’t let that put you off though! It can help develop your skills and experience within a field of your preference and set you up for a rewarding career within the civil service.    

Police

The police offer roles that you can contribute to. If you never like to turn down a challenge and have excellent problem solving skills, then consider signing up. It can be a physically demanding role but a rewarding career nevertheless!

The police have different entry routes. They range from volunteer roles, if you want to get a feel of working with the police, to vacancies and job opportunities within your area.

For graduates the police also offer a fast track programme that trains you up to the rank of inspector. Applications for the 2017 Direct Entry Inspector Programme are open and you have until 10^th March to get them in.

It’s a good opportunity to help, protect and serve your community, so don’t be afraid to consider it.

Teaching

With a degree in law, you can consider teaching in further or higher education. Further education opportunities are open to graduates and they teach special subjects to students in college or who are 16+. Teaching higher education means you can teach as a university lecturer, but bear in mind that most university lecturers need to qualify with a Masters or PhD.

You’ll also need to consider that there may not be a lot of opportunities to teach law at secondary school level, and primary school. That’s not to say you can’t teach at these levels at all; the opportunities are merely fewer.

The qualifications you’ll need to gain to enter the teaching profession will depend on what type of teacher you want to be. So once you decide what level you want to teach at, you’ll need to dive in straight away by gaining the relevant qualifications and experience to make it to the finish line.

You might think about applying for the Teach First Leadership Development Programme, which involves intense training and real class room experience to work towards your Post Graduate Diploma in Education. Once you complete the programme, you’ll be a qualified teacher.

Rest assured there are many opportunities outside law for you to consider. The world is your oyster!

Inspiring Interns is a graduate recruitment agency which specialises in sourcing candidates for internships and giving out graduate careers advice. To hire graduates or browse graduate jobs, visit their website.