Customs have siezed everything!

[Steel]

Delster - It is a nightmare, I have applied to every firm in the directory (for the second time). Some are coming back now with interviews but even then it is soul destroying. I interviewed for 2 major commercial law players down here 6 & 4 weeks ago but have heard nothing (sob). I am starting walk in''s next week.

Thank you for responding!

Linda W- Thanks for your sympathies!

 

[Steel]

[I am so sad I will not have the pleasure of opening the double boxed wrapping from the vendor. I love that bit

. But as you know, customs had that particular pleasure

]

The beautiful boxes are now laid out and shortly will be opened. Fingered crossed.

PS. DH is working tomorrow but has promised to take time tonight to capture pics of the little earring jackets in position. He is such a trooper.

 

[Pandora II]

You poor thing!

I had a nightmare with the emerald sidestones for FBIL''s e-ring going AWOL between Switzerland and Italy for SIX WEEKS!

Finally customs contacted the jeweller to say they had them - I was doing my nut as FBIL was champing at the bit to get the ring finished and I couldn''t find a matching pair of emerald pears in the same size/colour anywhere (the setting was custom-made to fit those exact stones.)

Grrr - I don''t post things now unless I have to. Too much worry and stress!

 

[Steel]

Date: 11/23/2007 5:49:13 PM
Author: Pandora II
Grrr - I don''t post things now unless I have to. Too much worry and stress!

Thanks Pandora,

I am sorry you suffered too. It is such a TRAUMA!
If I remember correctly, you are in the UK. I travel over at least once a year (ooh, I know it is hardly going to rack up those frequent flyer miles

) and although you have a much better selection of jewellery, at better rates than us it still is a shame that we do not have the same access to quantity and quality of products as the US.

Here is hoping for future improvement.

 

[surfgirl]

steel,is it sorted out yet?

 

[Steel]

Date: 11/23/2007 8:26:11 PM
Author: surfgirl
steel,is it sorted out yet?

Hi Surfgirl,

The drama is over but the trauma remains

.

DH and I caused a fuss and we got the parcel that day with a full apology. Customs even offered us a cup of tea while we waited for them to get everything ready to take home. I was too disgusted to accept. In retrospect I should have said no but asked to take the tea bag home, at least I would have got some compensation. Well - work with me here, surely compensation in the form of a tea bag is better than no compensation? Hum, yeah, you are right I am hanging by a thread on that one...

 

[Delster]

Date: 11/23/2007 4:20:15 PM
Author: Steel

Delster - It is a nightmare, I have applied to every firm in the directory (for the second time). Some are coming back now with interviews but even then it is soul destroying. I interviewed for 2 major commercial law players down here 6 & 4 weeks ago but have heard nothing (sob). I am starting walk in''s next week.

Thank you for responding!

Linda W- Thanks for your sympathies!

Oh that sucks Steel!!! Definitely do the walk-ins, it''s all about the networking in this game... What stage are you at? Do you have your FE-1s?

I was thinking about you last night and about how you said you might have to go up North. Are you fixed for the extra subject requirements (English Land Law etc.)? I also remembered a thing I was at a few years ago over in England and there were some folks there from the College of Law. They were talking about how hard they get it to place any Irish students on their LPC - the English firms just don''t wanna take anyone who isn''t local. As in, Liverpool firms won''t even hire someone from Manchester. They don''t wanna train them up only for them to up and leave, you know? They want you to stay for your whole career... Of course London is the exception to that rule but the competition for places there, ugh! I think you''re dead right to stay down South if you can at all. Fewer hoops to jump through to get qualified and then after if you want to transfer the qualification down South...

Wishing you lots of luck on the walk-ins next week! Knock ''em dead tiger!!!

 

[Steel]

Date: 11/24/2007 7:16:50 PM
Author: Delster

Oh that sucks Steel!!! Definitely do the walk-ins, it''s all about the networking in this game... What stage are you at? Do you have your FE-1s?

I was thinking about you last night and about how you said you might have to go up North. Wishing you lots of luck on the walk-ins next week! Knock ''em dead tiger!!!

Hi Delster,

Its so nice to have a sympathetic ear.

It can feel so lonely looking in from the outside

.

I have my BCL, done all 8 FE1''s and the Irish exam and I volunteer at FLAC. When I first started to look, I rang all the local firms and was shocked by the amount of people who outright refuse an apprentice, and those that take them are booked up with neighbours children, relatives or friends children. You really have to be in the know. Sadly I am not.

It is also difficult for me because some apprentices find their Solicitor through friends of their parents or their parents own Solicitor. I had to leave home at 16 and haven’t spoken to my parents since I was 18 so its even more difficult. Not only do I have no contacts I have absolutely no contacts!

I know I would be a great Solicitor and very happy in that role I just need a chance. Please keep your fingers crossed for me.

RE going up north, I have done the extra land law modules for the bar, not for the UK system. I will have to consider going up if I cannot get an apprenticeship before my FE1 time limit runs out.

 

[Delster]

Yeah I'm in the same boat with the contacts situation. I actually have one of the 'legal' surnames and when I introduce myself you should see how quick the little ears prick up... and how quick the disinterest sets in once I set them straight that I'm not in any way related to the lunimaries!

Gosh I can't believe how tough you're having it, yikes! I'm so sorry it's being so hard!!! When I graduated apprenticeships were easy to come by. Seriously, they'd even take you on without your FE-1's and you'd work for them as a paralegal while you did the exams. But that was the heyday of the computer degree and not so many people were doing law. I guess it's all changed now and there's a lot more law graduates, not to the mention the open graduate entry scheme too. It's a whole other ball game these days.

You sound so dedicated and committed to the career I can't imagine why they're not jumping over themselves to hire you!!! I really admire you for volunteering at FLAC, that's something I keep meaning to do.

Is there any chance you get those friends' parents who have contacts to do a little contacting for you? Even just saying you can name-drop them when you call in to people? It's amazing how far flattery of the "so-and-so recommended you to me because so-and-so thinks you're marvellous!" can go. Would you even think of doing legal temping to get your foot in the door? I know that's easy for me to say but I do know some people who did it and enjoyed it and got on well.

Listen I'm meeting a friend for lunch sometime in the next week or two and she works in a high profile firm, I'll ask her if she has any tips.

Don't give up!!!! Get all fired up and keep fighting!!!!!

 

[firebirdgold]

Um, you know, not to be paranoid or anything... but maybe you should check that you still have diamonds?