A graduate desperate for a training contract has resorted to holding up a sign outside Chancery Lane tube station.

Bilal Rauf, who has a 2:1 in Law from UWE Bristol,  finished his LPC at ULaw in September. He has applied to over 100 firms for a training contract or paralegal position but none has offered him an interview.

The commendably persistent job-hunter said that, rather than giving up, he "decided to innovate and try something different". So for two days in September Rauf stood at the top of the escalators in Chancery Lane tube station with a stack of CVs and passed them out to commuters. In an email he told RoF, "I handed out around 30 on each day and have received some phone calls, tweets, InMails on LinkedIn and Emails which has been brilliant, however I still have no lead YET".

    Rauf, underground but not out 

RollOnFriday may have uncovered one reason Rauf's applications have not met with much success. In another innovation, he included a sachet of coffee in the envelope when he replied to interested firms. Though no firms have yet admitted that they mistook his correspondence for an anthrax attack, it may be that many of Rauf's résumés were destroyed as a safety precaution.

Rauf says he will "continue to fire on all cylinders" and is clearly very keen. He is still looking for a training contract or paralegal work, so if you're in a positon to interview Rauf and haven't already got his CV after mistaking it for the Evening Standard, contact him now at [email protected].
 
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Comments

Anonymous 03 October 14 08:26

I think I have identified why he is struggling, particularly if he is applying to London firms: "who has a 2:1 in Law from UWE Bristol."

Anonymous 03 October 14 08:54

...and while City firms talk the talk on diversity and innovation, what they really want is an uppe middle-class cookie-cutter Oxbridge law graduate who won't do anything out of the ordinary unless it entails more fees and no adverse headlines.

Anonymous 03 October 14 09:45

Should have stood outside Blackfriars, Moorgate or Liverpool Street to target law firms. Presumably would have come across more barristers where he was...

Anonymous 03 October 14 12:39

A more productive use of his time would be addressing what is wrong in his CV, e.g. a lack of extra curricular activities, voluntary work etc.

Anonymous 03 October 14 14:49

Good on him, at least he's trying - he obviously can't rely on Daddy's contacts. It would be nice if someone did at least offer him an interview. He certainly has got humility and determination.

Anonymous 03 October 14 15:11

This isn't actually innovative. I've seen at least 3 articles in the last month about people using this same "innovative" technique. Takes guts though, I'll give him that.

Anonymous 03 October 14 16:17

it's innovative in the same way that a Big Issue seller is innovative. I don't think it shows anything other than desperation, I mean it isn't exactly hard to do what he did. Harsh but true. I wish him well, however.

Anonymous 03 October 14 17:01

Anon at 13:49: What good would contacts in the condiment industry do him anyway? Maybe he's more of a Heinz or HP man anyway.

Anonymous 06 October 14 12:12

He needs to be more digital in his self-marketing. Why not use YouTube as a forum to discuss topical legal issues/ interview members of the profession. This may generate more interest.

Anonymous 07 October 14 13:38

"Why not use YouTube as a forum to discuss topical legal issues/ interview members of the profession. This may generate more interest"

I doubt it. Who in their right mind would watch that drivel?