The legal job market has always been competitive pre-recession and certainly in the current economic climate. So trying to calculate the odds of getting a training contract or pupillage is unhelpful. The essential aspect to grasp is that you have to compete often with national and international graduates with strong academic backgrounds and legal experience. So as well as aspiring toward your dream career as a lawyer it is also worth considering alternative careers in the legal sector. There may be a positive alternative either in the short or long term. A great way for you to start the process off of evaluating alternatives would be to attend our Alternative Careers For Law Students event on the 26th of November 2009 – check out full details here.

Also take advantage of handouts developed with law students in mind such as the Alternative Careers in Law 2009. These sit on CitySpace under My Career Workspace (Year 2009-10) -> School Specific Information -> Law -> Career Guides.

It would also be advisable to book an appointment with a Careers Consultant who will have knowledge/expertise of the legal sector but also of the wider graduate market.

Remember to keep an eye on Future Lawyer in the coming weeks for video interviews with those who have followed an alternative path.

Marlon Gray is Senior Careers Consultant at the Centre for Career and Skills Development at City University London.