"I qualified a few months ago as a solicitor at a top 20 City firm, and am currently awaiting to hear if the firm I trained at will take me on as an NQ. Although I had great appraisals in all my seats, I may not get taken on due to the the reduced numbers the firm will take on as NQs this year.

"In the long term, I see myself at a large City practice similar to the one I have trained at, but having spent the last few months looking, I have found NQ positions at such firms few and far between due to recruitment freezes.

"Should I hold out until a vacancy at such a firm comes along and do something else in my time off, or should I take an NQ position at a smaller West End firm – or would this reduce my chances of making it at a City firm in the future?"

Click on 'Comment' below to post your advice in confidence – or click here to share your wisdom on the Legal Week Wiki, where no topic is off limits. Rate or slate your firm and its rivals with our ground-breaking insider's guide to City law.And remember, Career Clinic is only as good as the questions we receive, so email your career conundrums to [email protected] .

Click here to join the Legal Week Student Facebook group