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Old 27-05-2020, 12:05 AM
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Originally Posted by Unregistered View Post
I'm not a senior. But here are the laws of the post-pandemic world, well, what I make of it:

1. If you're in corporate, go to litigation

2. If you're in litigation, go to litigation

3. If you're from a SME, apply to a smaller SME.

4. If you're from an international SME, but on the Singapore side / do SG work, you're still the same as (3). Working on a few matters here and there or assisting - same as (3).

5. If you're from an international SME, but do international work, apply to MBFC T1.

While the world is indeed your oyster and you are advised against a weak mindset, excuses about the economy aside, they'll still prefer that you were retained and finding a new job than otherwise. I'm sorry guys, just being practical.

This Covid sucks for everyone, and prejudices a lot of good and talented trainees. But this is my two cents. You're not screwed if you're not in a SME or international office of an international SME, slightly screwed if you're in a Singapore SME and very screwed if you're from a small SME.

The truth of the matter is that there are more candidates than there are jobs out there. Much, much more, given that retention rates amongst the mid sized have fallen, and some firms not retaining at all
Add that to the glut.

Now's the time to tap on who you know rather than what you know. Hope everyone gets out fine.

If you still have Part B though, don't worry market will get better. If you need a job this year, this is a bad time. Be realistic about your options. The firms who have retained have limited spaces. And the firms who have retained 0 have absolutely no space and may cut costs/people. It is all a numbers game, dollars and cents.
And of course I say this with the obvious that the only thing your employer will look at / bin is where you trained at. Good grades help, but only to an extent since you are now dealing with the practice of law and not (mostly) what an academic thinks.

They will look at (i) where you trained at as an indicator of your usefulness (ii) what your bosses thought when they didn't retain you (iii) your reasons (iv) your practical track record. You can have a FCH and lose every case, or a 2.2 and win every case you work on. Might be luck, or might be you have something the other guy doesn't.

Of course, if the place has a poor track record of retention the question on everyone's mind would be why you doomed yourself.
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