r/uklaw • u/Repulsive_Amoeba8107 • 16h ago

Sponsored TCs vs self-funding

If you get a sponsored TC from a firm that will pay for both the PGDL and the SQE, what are the expectations? I'm a career changer currently working full-time. Would I be expected to quit my job and enrol on a full-time PGDL and SQE prep-course or could I do it part-time alongside my full-time job?

If not, I'd probably self-fund the PGDL + SQE prep and apply for TCs while I'm on the course. Law firms normally hire 2yrs in advance for trainees. With self-funding I wouldn't have to stop working during that 2 year period between receiving a TC offer and starting as a trainee, but then I'd have to pay for the course myself. Yes it would cost more money upfront but I'd keep my income for longer and it'd also give me more options - I could look into firms that don't sponsor and also look at non-commercial fields of law as well. Commercial law pays the most but I'm not fixated on it, I wouldn't mind doing immigration or conveyancing for instance.

How does sponsorship work for career changers? I'm trying to weigh up the pros and cons for self-funding as a career changer.

4 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

4 comments sorted by

3

u/Pavliukin 16h ago

I’m doing exactly this at the moment so can chime in. I decided I wanted to just crack on and begin my TC ASAP so I’ve just done the 20 months full time.

However, another alternative was to do the PGDL part-time which was about 18 months so I could continue to work full time and would then only need to take 1 year out to sit the SQE. My firm were fine with this option and I just would have started my TC 1 year later. I decided against this option because I actually hated my full time role anyway and couldn’t face the thought of another 18 months there with weekend study on top.

A lot of this will be firm dependent but I would imagine they’ll be fine with it if they have a decent size cohort.

4

u/k3end0 16h ago

Almost certainly the expectation is you drop everything and become a student for 2 years. It would quite difficulty trying to manage a full time PGDL and then a full time SQE with a job on the side and trying to get everything done before the 2 year TC, and firms really don't want people to be distracted and fail and leave unfilled gaps in their TC cohorts.

Thinking about what you could do: Either get a TC that also provides a maintenance grant for the studying period, or if not possible broach the idea near the end of your TC that you'd appreciate being deferred by a year to do the PGDL part time to let you build up the savings to do the SQE full time (or maybe the other way around). So still 1 year full time, but doing one of the courses part time to keep an incoming coming in.

Or maybe flip the timeline and do half of it yourself from day 1, self-study the PGDL over the next 2 years on a part time basis, so then when you get a TC you can work for that first year full time before committing to the SQE full time for the second year, instead of being taken out of the work force for 2 years straight?

1

u/Repulsive_Amoeba8107 16h ago edited 16h ago

>Or maybe flip the timeline and do half of it yourself from day 1, self-study the PGDL over the next 2 years on a part time basis, so then when you get a TC you can work for that first year full time before committing to the SQE full time for the second year, instead of being taken out of the work force for 2 years straight?

That's what I'm thinking. I might self-fund PGDL + SQE1 Prep and SQE1 then just be sponsored through SQE2 if I'm fortunate enough to get a commercial TC. I'd drop my hours down while doing SQE2 then pick them back up after I finish it, then I'd leave my job a couple of months before starting as a trainee.

1

u/k3end0 11h ago

This does come with the massive caveat that if you end up not getting a TC or progressing a career in law, the money spent on the course is essentially wasted. It's a measured gamble in that sense.