A new business has launched to help aspiring lawyers bag training contracts - in return for 3% of their first year's salary.
Students on RoF say that Employ Ability has been posting flyers on campus encouraging students to get in touch. It claims to be staffed by experts in the admissions process, and to provide model answers to application questions, interview prep and coaching on psychometric testing. So outgoing and socially-adjusted undergrads will be able to fool large firms into thinking they are borderline Aspergers drones who will happily bill 15 hours a day without complaint.
The business makes much of the fact that it doesn't charge anything up front. If candidates end up with a training contract, they cough up 3% of their first year's gross salary: around £1,200 for big City firms. So it manages to sidestep the charge of ripping off desperate students. But the implication is that students will pay even if they would have got the job anyway, or if they get a training contract years down the line after endless paralegalling. It is also unclear who these 'experts' are, and how happy would firms be to find out that applicants were using this service.
One of the services EA offers is advice on demonstrating commercial awareness. Which is somewhat ironic given that its own business is so opaque: it's not incorporated, no names are given on the website and there isn't even a telephone number. Maybe things are less murky once subjects sign up. Or maybe customers will only communicate with shadowy figures in alleys, and be required to leave a paper bag of used fivers at a pre-arranged drop-off point if/when they are successful.
A spokesman emailed RollOnFriday to say that it was a new business with only a handful of advisors, and so far hadn't really had any reaction from firms.
Tip Off ROF
Students on RoF say that Employ Ability has been posting flyers on campus encouraging students to get in touch. It claims to be staffed by experts in the admissions process, and to provide model answers to application questions, interview prep and coaching on psychometric testing. So outgoing and socially-adjusted undergrads will be able to fool large firms into thinking they are borderline Aspergers drones who will happily bill 15 hours a day without complaint.
The business makes much of the fact that it doesn't charge anything up front. If candidates end up with a training contract, they cough up 3% of their first year's gross salary: around £1,200 for big City firms. So it manages to sidestep the charge of ripping off desperate students. But the implication is that students will pay even if they would have got the job anyway, or if they get a training contract years down the line after endless paralegalling. It is also unclear who these 'experts' are, and how happy would firms be to find out that applicants were using this service.
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Or just spend a few quid on Amazon |
One of the services EA offers is advice on demonstrating commercial awareness. Which is somewhat ironic given that its own business is so opaque: it's not incorporated, no names are given on the website and there isn't even a telephone number. Maybe things are less murky once subjects sign up. Or maybe customers will only communicate with shadowy figures in alleys, and be required to leave a paper bag of used fivers at a pre-arranged drop-off point if/when they are successful.
A spokesman emailed RollOnFriday to say that it was a new business with only a handful of advisors, and so far hadn't really had any reaction from firms.
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I cannot possibly agree more. Remarkable lack of awareness.
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I work in grad rec at a City firm, and if my team found evidence of a candidate using this sort of service he or she would be binned on the spot.
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FFS.
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Grd recruiters- Start realising that your online methods DO NOT WORK and seem to hire a majority of wankers with very few truly passionate and humble. Get off your high horse and starts doing your job- it takes blood, sweat and effort for students to jump through hoops but you merely bin the ones who don't tick the boxes because you cannot be arsed to do your job.
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Cheap dig ROF.
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EA: Whilst careers advisors can help you with the basics, we offer very specific help. In terms of the application itself, we can take the information you give us and draft the answers for you. In terms of interviews and assessment days, our advisors have first-hand experience of the type of exercises, questions and tests involved. We know exactly what interviewers and assessors are looking for and have numerous coaching methods that ensure you demonstrate those skills."
Aside from writing your application for you (and if you can't do that you really won't get a TC), there is nothing they offer that isn't offered by a decent careers service. BPP, UoL, Kaplan etc all have ex legal grad recruiters working in the careers service who do exactly what this company claim they offer.
This is along the same lines as Gwyn Day's money making scam - avoid at all costs and get the advice for free. All Unis and law schools offer extended careers access to alumni too so even those still hunting shouldn't be fooled into this.
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