I am an international and first-generation student from an Asian background. I completed the first two years of my undergraduate studies in France, where I studied Politics. Therefore, I had very limited knowledge about the UK legal industry when I first moved to London in September 2023. Furthermore, as nobody in my family was a lawyer and I did not have any mentors in the profession, I was not certain about how to start my research and build the skills necessary for a successful legal career.
I started my journey with AS by attending AS Culture events, which allowed me to build my confidence and grasp the basics of networking in a professional environment. These events also inspired me to apply to City firms as I was able to interact with and learn from people with similar backgrounds as me.
I subsequently joined AS First, which provided a helpful introduction to employers’ expectations and actionable advice on how to improve my CV ahead of the next application cycle. Thanks to AS Aspire, I transformed the knowledge I had gained into a clear and efficient application strategy.
I was fortunate enough to be selected for the AS/BCLP Academy through which I benefitted from one-on-one coaching calls with AS coaches and from an AS-exclusive Open Day at BCLP. Through this programme, I learnt how to research and distinguish law firms, while linking them to my motivations and background. The AS/BCLP Academy played an essential role in helping me secure a Vacation Scheme and subsequently a Training Contract with BCLP.
Through the AS Access Programme and the Mentoring Scheme with bp and Norton Rose Fulbright, I developed other skills necessary for a legal career, namely my commercial awareness, legal research skills and attention to detail.
Finally, actively participating in a AS Headstart session enabled me to ask all my questions in a safe environment, get rid of my doubts and worries and approach my vacation schemes with the right mindset. Therefore, I converted my three vacation schemes into Training Contract offers.
