Graduate salary

[Skull]

I was considering it, but since I already did an undergraduate degree, non-law related, going to the bar was just too much of a financial risk.

The following only applies if you are not already a law student:
Also, I'm sure you are aware of this, but if your exam results dating back to GCSE are anything less than fantastic, be cautious, because they can be as picky as they like when offering even mini-pupillages.

The Bristol based firms really appeal to me. Good salaries, great work life balance, wonderful city. Rejected

Yes the financial risk is a big barrier to an awful lot of people. There are people at university who, at least academically, do better than me, but they didn't want to take the risk of paying the (self-funded) £10k Bar Vocational Course and then not being guaranteed a job at the end of it.

Of course if you're lucky enough to get a scholarship from one of the inns of court it can completely take the risk out of it.

So I'm feeling quite optimistic. A gap year and another year doing the BVC to weather our economic crisis and hopefully things will be on the up when I start working.

 

[Johnny Girth]

Given that I am going ahead with it, any advice?

Probably nothing that isn't just common sense really. The bigger firms will want to see that you have clearly thought through your motivational reasons for doing law - they'll want to know that you have a good idea what the work involves and why you think it'll interest you.

Those of you that are on around £30,000 or more in the north (maybe £40,000 inner London) how many hours do you generally put in, into work?

For me it varies greatly. When busy it can be as many as 70+ hours a week which is pretty rubbish.

However, a normal non-busy week is only about 45-50 so it's pretty manageable. Shame we don't get overtime but when qualified there's a 20% bonus if you reach your 2000 chargeable hours target for the year. Busy departments will make that easily

 

[Skull]

Probably nothing that isn't just common sense really. The bigger firms will want to see that you have clearly thought through your motivational reasons for doing law - they'll want to know that you have a good idea what the work involves and why you think it'll interest you.



For me it varies greatly. When busy it can be as many as 70+ hours a week which is pretty rubbish.

However, a normal non-busy week is only about 45-50 so it's pretty manageable. Shame we don't get overtime but when qualified there's a 20% bonus if you reach your 2000 chargeable hours target for the year. Busy departments will make that easily

That's one of the reasons I definitely didn't want to be a solicitor: target hours. I think it's a lot to do with your personality though.

 

[Cookie-Monster]

But for an oil company you must get a pretty large sum anyway for basic??

not necessarily, I dont want to turn this into a thread about salaries but I started there after working for 2 years post uni and started on £30k.

things have changed considerably in the two years i've been there but basically the big money goes to the traders and most major and minor oil companies have a large number of staff on not monumental amounts of money.

 

[Django x2]

Started on £28K but perks and other nice things top it up to near on £40k

 

[N9ne]

Don't do 11 hour days, I've done them before and it's awful, just don't!

It's really not bad if you have the weekend off. I've done 7am to 6pm 5 days a week before, and it still gave me plenty of time in the evening and weekends to enjoy life!

 

[Liefrich]

I want to be a barrister. Obviously the starting salaries vary but I'm expecting a pupillage 'salary' of between £25-£40k (Pupillage is the first year of work after qualifying as a barrister).

I hope you realise only 1/5 of the BVC students get a pupillage and of those only 1/5 of them actually get accepted fully as a barrister in the chambers. Such a difficult job to do unless you are very well connected. I hope you have excellent academics at the very least, good luck!

 

[Raymond Lin]

I want to be a barrister. Obviously the starting salaries vary but I'm expecting a pupillage 'salary' of between £25-£40k (Pupillage is the first year of work after qualifying as a barrister).

Er...

Barristers are self employed, they don't get a "salary". As a pupil, when a friend of mine did her's she was on minimum wage practically, i don't think she was on £25k, otherwise she wouldn't have to live in a studio flat with her bf in Balham for £600 a month. And when you complete your pupillage, then the more cases you do, the more you earn. That is after deduction of paying for insurance, licence, rent, chambers fee, paying the salary for your Clerk and of course, VAT (if you are so lucky).

We have however gotten fees from barristers going to a 1 hour hearing and the bill came to like £100 + VAT (simple case), his chambers must be round the corner, so no travel costs. Then we get a bill like £5k from QC for doing an Advice on a multi million pound claim. That Advice had his hours on, he spent Tuesday on it and Wednesday morning....not bad for a day and a half's work !

 

[Skull]

Er...

Barristers are self employed, they don't get a "salary". As a pupil, when a friend of mine did her's she was on minimum wage practically, i don't think she was on £25k, otherwise she wouldn't have to live in a studio flat with her bf in Balham for £600 a month. And when you complete your pupillage, then the more cases you do, the more you earn. That is after deduction of paying for insurance, licence, rent, chambers fee, paying the salary for your Clerk and of course, VAT (if you are so lucky).

We have however gotten fees from barristers going to a 1 hour hearing and the bill came to like £100 + VAT (simple case), his chambers must be round the corner, so no travel costs. Then we get a bill like £5k from QC for doing an Advice on a multi million pound claim. That Advice had his hours on, he spent Tuesday on it and Wednesday morning....not bad for a day and a half's work !

I put inverted commas around 'salary.' I understand how the profession works too During pupillage year you are guaranteed earnings by your chambers, which at all the places I've done mini-pupillages in has been £24-40k, though there are places where the pay is much lower (the criminal bar). For the benefit of the people here without knowledge of the profession I called it a salary, because frankly I doubt many here care about whether it's an award or guaranteed earnings or a salary.

Practising at the bar is a difficult career path to pursue, but it's certainly not impossible.

 

[waspy88]

I put inverted commas around 'salary.' I understand how the profession works too During pupillage year you are guaranteed earnings by your chambers, which at all the places I've done mini-pupillages in has been £24-40k, though there are places where the pay is much lower (the criminal bar). For the benefit of the people here without knowledge of the profession I called it a salary, because frankly I doubt many here care about whether it's an award or guaranteed earnings or a salary.

Practising at the bar is a difficult career path to pursue, but it's certainly not impossible.

Keep your spirits high mate, if you have done mini-pupilages you are pretty much sorted. I was going through the BVC stage when my life changed and I had to quit. I was offered a pupilage starting at around 22K in Manchester.

As someone has mentioned life as someone getting to be a barrister can be extremely tough as there are so many qualified barristers working at the CPS and MoJ. As long as you are confident and have a stable financial base you will do very well in the long run.

 

[Nitefly]

Apparently it's easier to switch from being a solicitor than a barrister than going straight for it. If being a barrister still appeals to me, I may consider the change later on when I have some savings under my belt.

 

[Raymond Lin]

Apparently it's easier to switch from being a solicitor than a barrister than going straight for it. If being a barrister still appeals to me, I may consider the change later on when I have some savings under my belt.

You can be a Solicitor from doing a BVC but not the other way round.

 

[Skull]

Keep your spirits high mate, if you have done mini-pupilages you are pretty much sorted. I was going through the BVC stage when my life changed and I had to quit. I was offered a pupilage starting at around 22K in Manchester.

As someone has mentioned life as someone getting to be a barrister can be extremely tough as there are so many qualified barristers working at the CPS and MoJ. As long as you are confident and have a stable financial base you will do very well in the long run.

Thanks!

Because one of the inns have given me a scholarship it removes the financial risk of actually dong the BVC so I can get on with it with slightly lower stress levels.

 

[Nitefly]

You can be a Solicitor from doing a BVC but not the other way round.

I meant in terms of getting pupillages etc. If you have already had a career in law, it looks much better on your behalf. Apparently.

 

[Raymond Lin]

Thanks!

Because one of the inns have given me a scholarship it removes the financial risk of actually dong the BVC so I can get on with it with slightly lower stress levels.

If you already have a scholarship then you already have half a foot in the door, do well on it and you should get a pupillage, and then things should pretty much work themselves out !

 

[GlasgowTitan]

Was earning £6.60p/h in a budget supermarket for 11 months after graduating, though just been offered grad place at £33k with said supermarket...

 

[Bes]

The average salary for mechanical style engineers from loughborough university is 23-24k.

I would think the average for the country as whole graduate salary is 15k due to the crap that Derby/Lincoln/Sunderland/Sheffield Hallam (there are so many poo unis - more bad ones than good now...) spew out every year, who only get 12-13k salaries, completely negating the point in getting into debt as Tesco pays £12.5k now.

I am 100% sure the average graduate salary is NOT anywhere near 25k!!!!!!!!



Doctors (medical) start on about 30k iirc, it soon shoots up full doctor wage in a year or so

Hey, I went to Hallam and graduated 3 years ago on 22K + bonuses

Nah I do agree my course was a complete mickey mouse affair- half the people there couldn't even write properly! Crap "uni"...

 

[Basher]

Started on £27k out of uni. 12 months on I'm on just shy of £39k based in Birmingham.

I also went to Hallam.

 

[Raymond Lin]

Started on £27k out of uni. 12 months on I'm on just shy of £39k

I also went to Hallam.

I am in the wrong job ! What do you do?

 

[Basher]

I am in the wrong job ! What do you do?

Product Development Manager for a large ish Managed Services Provider based in NI.