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Learning Hub

This is the place to come to make the most of your application to Clyde & Co. Top tips, insights and advice that’ll put you in the best possible position.

What we look for

You don’t have to be the finished article to apply for an early careers role here. That said, we do look out for a few essential traits. We look for self-starters, people hungry to succeed – people who are ambitious to develop their career.

The expectations and standards are high and you’ll be working at pace. Develop your experience and career with a stimulating variety of work and the opportunity to work alongside some of the most talented lawyers in their field.

Meeting the Early Careers Team

First things first, our early careers team is the central point of contact if you require support through the process. They are experienced and incredibly friendly, but not there to do your application for you. We want to see the best version of your own capabilities.

Networking at careers events

Networking is incredibly powerful. It creates relationships with people who can help you throughout your career. Remember, these relationships are long-term. The more you invest the more you’re likely to benefit from them. Start with people you know, and always be honest. It can be daunting, but also incredibly liberating.

Research

Spend time researching our firm. This website is a good start. But it’s also useful to attend webinars, read articles, law fairs and insight days to get a real feel for the culture of any firm you’re applying to.

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5 The Application Process

We know the application process can be a bit nerve wracking. Knowing what to expect and how to navigate it helps to settle any apprehension. Here’s how it works*.

*This is the most common application process, but it can vary by country. Please visit the early careers page for the country you’re interested in working in for full details.

Step one

Explore the programme specific information throughout this website to understand which opportunity is the right one for you. Attend an Insight Event to find out more about it.

Step two

For all programmes, you’ll need to make your application online via our online system. At this stage you’ll just need to complete your basic personal information. There are no lengthy written tasks for you to complete here.

Step three

Following your online application, you’ll be invited to complete our online assessments. There is more information on this further down this page.

Step four

If your results of your online assessments suggest you have what we look for to be successful here, then you’ll be invited to the final stage of our process – the Assessment Day (virtual or in-person, dependant on the programme).

Our online assessments

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3 Cognitive tests

Our Critical Reasoning Questions assess your problem-solving and decision-making skills. These skills are measured through several different types of questions, giving you a great opportunity to showcase your ability in this area in many ways.

Our Verbal Reasoning Questions assess your ability to work with verbal information and to critically evaluate passages of verbal material. Like the Critical Reasoning Questions, there are lots of different question types, so you’ll get the chance to showcase your ability in a variety of ways.

Both of these assessments are time recorded, not time limited. You can spend as long as you like on each question. However, both your accuracy and the amount of time you take to respond will contribute towards your overall score, so please complete each assessment as quickly as you are able.

Students should use the Prep Hub (Prepare: How to approach Assessment - Cappfinity Preparation Hub) as this contains practice versions of the test.

Digital simulation test

You will find a variety of question types, including some video and written responses. It’s important you answer these honestly, so we get to see the authentic you. Some questions will present you with different situations and challenges that you might face as a trainee here. Others are there to find out your motivations for applying here.

Find a quiet space with a neutral background or utilise a blurring function if this isn’t possible. Test the camera and mic on your device and check your internet connection prior to your interview. If you find yourself having technical issues, please contact the early careers team as soon as possible at [email protected].

The assessment is not timed, so please take it at your own pace. However, there are some video interview questions where you will be given set time to prepare and then record your response.

Try to use this stage of the process as an opportunity to understand more about your future role here and if our values align with your own.

Regardless of the outcome following this assessment, you will receive a personalised feedback report via email.

Top tips for the digital simulation

Understanding your strengths

We appreciate everyone is on a different path. And that some people will not have any law firm experience. That’s okay. When completing your application, make sure you include all the skills, experience and knowledge you’ve picked up from any law and non-law activities. We’re interested in your transferable skills and what makes you suitable for a career here.

Assessment centre

The assessment centre is designed to see how you can navigate certain situations often found at a law firm. There is nothing you really need to prepare for on the day, just come as you are and be your authentic self. You will be given a workshop to attend that’ll help you understand what to expect on the day. We strongly recommend you make use of that time so that nothing is a surprise later on.

a woman in a black coat and yellow scarf

Emma Winyard-Church

First Seat Trainee, London

“I have been impressed by the wealth of speaker and panel events hosted by our practice groups and inclusion networks. Listening to a survivor of the 7/7 bombings who went on to become a Paralympian and attending a talk with the first black British captain of the England rugby team have been inspirational. As a first seat trainee, I have also attended a real estate networking event at a leading financial institution on my own. At Clyde's you really are encouraged and trusted to get involved with networking from day one to learn from experienced professionals across disciplines and sectors.”

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Thursday, April 24, 2025

5 Minute Guide to Kickstart your LinkedIn Journey by Sana Medileh

Hear from Sana Medileh who is an Early Careers and Employer Brand Advisor at Clyde & Co. She has extensive graduate recruitment and teaching experience. Read on to learn from her 5 Minutes Guide to Kickstart your LinkedIn Journey.

Read More - 5 Minute Guide to Kickstart your LinkedIn Journey by Sana Medileh

Monday, October 14, 2024

6 tips to make the most of your internship

Hear from Kwabena Boakye-Dankwa on his top tips to make the most of your internship.

Read More - 6 tips to make the most of your internship

a man and woman sitting at desks with computers

Development support

Your development is driven by your desire to take the many opportunities we have here. We work on a 70:20:10 principle, in that most of your learning happens when you’re hands-on with tasks. But we won’t leave you to figure it out alone. The other two parts of that equation are achieved through a collaborative environment and access to excellent training courses. Once you begin life in your early career here, you’ll have access to a learning curve like no other. You will have made a commitment to working in law, and we’ll be committed to giving you the best chance to be successful.

Skills development

As a lawyer, you’ll need to develop a range of skills. Having spent several years studying, the realities of a law firm can be quite different after education. Here are some of the selected skills we’ll help you to develop.

Resilience

Building resilience and mental agility doesn’t happen overnight. To help, there are free training courses you can take on platforms such as LinkedIn that can prepare you for dealing with change, uncertainty and disappointment.

Developing Resilience

Time management

There are many ways to manage your time, the important thing is to find what works for you. One of our favourites is the pomodoro technique. This approach helps you chunk your time and regularly rewards you.

Pomodoro Technique

Attention to detail

Some of us are big thinkers. Others prefer the detail. Whichever you are, there will always be times where you need to spot the tiniest of discrepancies. That requires focus, awareness and the ability to communicate. There are plenty of resources to get to grips with spotting the all important small stuff.

Attention to detail

Communicate with confidence

Communicating with confidence is not always comfortable for many of us. There are lots of ways to cope with the anxiety that sometimes creeps up when it comes to public speaking, or talking with a more senior teammate or manager. Open this graphic to help you understand what goes into confident communication.

Learn how to communicate with confidence

Networking

Honing the craft of networking can open a lot of doors for you. Our top tip here is to be aware of the events and opportunities to network. And don’t be afraid to say “Hi”. People love to help people. Especially here. So, make the most of it.

View some networking tips

Morning routine of a trainee solicitor

We love giving our trainees the opportunity to create their own content and share their experience and our Instagram account is a great place to find the latest content including hearing from trainees, apprentices, paralegals, solicitors and even partners.

Have a look at this video of George Grammer-Taylor, one of our trainee solicitors currently sitting in their pro-bono seat, showing his Clyde & Co morning routine.