Ruby, English with Proficiency in French student, applied to the Career Mentor Scheme to gain advice and guidance in the next steps of achieving her career goals. Through the scheme, Ruby was matched with a Law graduate from the University of Exeter who is now a Partner at Fieldfisher LLP with over 15 years of experience in the industry.
Ruby tells us more about her experience below:
What objectives did you achieve?
Ruby achieved all of her objectives including:
- Increased knowledge of job hunting resources in this sector
- Received help to improve CV
- Increased knowledge of sector entry requirements
Ruby also achieved a personal objective of securing a legal training contract with a London based law firm.
What were your highlights of the scheme?
- Hints and tips to improve my written applications
- Visiting my mentor at his offices in London
- Having constant support through the application process
What did you find most useful from the mentoring experience?
- Help in determining my preferred area of law
- Insight into the legal recruitment process
- Gaining confidence in my interview technique and answers
- Making a new connection in the legal sector
What message would you give to a student thinking of applying for the Career Mentor Scheme?
I would strongly recommend the Career Mentor Scheme to any student looking to get into law. The process of securing a job in the legal sector can often be challenging and intimidating, and there is a huge amount of competition for training contracts. My aspiration was to secure a training contract in London however, as an English student, I began the process with limited knowledge of law and the legal sector. I wanted to gain as much support and information as I could and the Career Mentor Scheme gave me this and more.
My mentor had significant experience of the recruitment process within his firm. He was able to give me useful hints and tips to improve my written applications, as well as an insight into what recruiters look for in a successful cover letter and CV. Although my meeting with him was informal, he asked me many similar questions to those I was subsequently asked in interviews which made these interviews less stressful and gave me confidence in my answers. Talking to him about my skills and career aspirations also helped me to narrow down on specifically where I saw myself within the legal sector, which I feel directly contributed to increased success with my applications and interviews.
My advice to any future mentee’s would be to make the most out of this opportunity by thinking about your objective before commencing the scheme, and keeping your mentor up to date with your progress throughout so they can give you appropriate advice and support.
I now feel that I have a valuable connection within the legal sector, and I know I can return to my mentor with any queries as I progress through my legal studies and training. I am very grateful for the time my mentor put into the scheme and the interest he showed in helping me build my knowledge and confidence. I believe his help was significant in helping me secure the training contract that I wanted.