Was it something I said?

I recently had the pleasure of undertaking work experience. I had also (perhaps foolishly) applied for pupillage. Having not heard a peep, I carried on regardless. I was therefore on my very best behaviour; I tried to make erudite comments, be interesting, engage with members and the other mini-pupils, was always exceedingly prompt and thought I had put on my best show. Indeed, on barrister even enquired as to whether I had applied. "Aha!" I though, a good sign!

Apparently not. Within 24 hours I had yet another rejection slapping me in the face, but to rub salt in the wound, it was from the very chambers who were so kindly sending me to the Outer Hebrides every day for some case or other. And with 3 days of placement left. How quaint.


Was it something I said?

Mini-pupillage: does it mean anything?

This is a quick post, really to illicit what people think more than anything else.

I had previously applied to all and sundry for mini-pupillages, hoping to bolster my thin CV. Fortunately, I was offered some more. Of those that did not reply, I thought no more.

I have, however, been offered one for next year (as this year was full) out of the blue, some months after I applied in an email whose language that was fairly complimentary. The set in question is quite high ranking, and not fancying my chances I hadn't even applied this round of OLPAS/Hellgate. Other sets that have turned me down have tended not to offer something so far away, or flatly said "sod off".

Do prestigious sets offer mini-pupillage to all and sundry? Or should I let this inflate my self-opinion, just a little?