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With the latest group of trainees qualifying at the Firm, we sat down with some of our recent qualifiers to see what steps they have taken to prepare themselves for qualification.
Joe Wickham has qualified into the Commercial & Regulatory Disputes team in London, having completed seats in the Transactional Real Estate (Exeter), Commercial & Regulatory Disputes (Exeter), Corporate (London) and Disputed Wills & Estates (London) teams.
Alex Ricketts has qualified into the Commercial & Regulatory Disputes team, having completed seats in the Disputed Wills and Estates, Commercial & Regulatory Disputes, Transactional Real Estate and Agricultural Property teams, across each of the Exeter, Bristol and London offices.
Kate Julian has qualified into the Commercial team in Exeter, having completed seats in Commercial & Regulatory Disputes, Specialist Real Estate, Commercial, and the Transactional Real Estate team.
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How are you feeling about qualification?
Joe: I’m really excited to get going! A Training Contract is a challenging but rewarding process and I am looking forward to taking all of the experience and skills I have gained into my new role as an NQ.
Alex: Eager to take the next step forward in my career.
Kate: Excited! Being conscientious I tend to feel anxious around times of big change, but the quality of my training and support of my colleagues have fostered a great deal of confidence in my own ability to competently navigate steep learning curves.
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How did you decide which area you wanted to qualify into?
Joe: I have always been very interested in the world of business and, therefore, the interplay between law and business in the Firm’s Business Group really appealed to me. Additionally, during my training contract, I felt that the tasks I was completing in litigation seats (drafting correspondence, document reviews, lengthy research tasks etc.) were more suited towards my skillset and came more ‘naturally’ to me; I was also keen on the strategic aspects of litigation matters such as assessing which way forward is the best for a particular client’s circumstances. Therefore, Commercial & Regulatory Disputes was an ideal area for me to qualify into given its business-oriented and litigious nature.
Alex: I chose the team based on a number of factors, including my experience in the team, the practice area, the sectors covered and the nature of the work. I really enjoyed the disputes work and the mixture of litigation and arbitration work undertaken in the team.
Kate: I didn’t come into my training contract with a strong sense of where I’d end up, so it was a matter of gradually getting a feel for my preferred client types, tasks and team cultures; and my priorities for a rewarding career long term. Commercial (my penultimate seat) aligned with all of those preferences: business clients, complex drafting tasks, and variety of subject matter to keep it interesting for the long term. Though this approach may seem formulaic, the key indicator was more a gut feeling. I felt truly comfortable throughout my Commercial seat (despite high levels of intellectual challenge) and busier spells rarely felt like a slog- I think that comes down to a natural fit and genuine interest in the work.
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What do you anticipate the biggest changes will be on qualification?
Joe: An increased level of responsibility on matters.
Alex: The biggest noticeable changes are a combination of increased responsibility, an expectation that you become the ‘holder of the facts’ on a case, alongside responsibilities for billing (and the associated financial targets).
Kate: Increased responsibility generally, encompassing more client contact, more matter/ financial hygiene management and more decision making. The prospect of this change seemed daunting at first, but the steps I took to prepare soon put me at ease.
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What have you done to prepare qualification?
Joe: I have attended an internal training session on billing and financial management and will re-read my Dispute Resolution LPC notes!
Alex: Among other things, I have contacted several of the Firm’s NQs to ask them for their top tips when making the transition, as well as taking the time to brush up on my chosen qualification practice areas.
Kate: Gone on holiday! It’s important to take breaks around transitional times and get yourself in a good headspace, ready for the next challenge. I also arranged internal training on billing (a key development area in the transition from trainee to NQ) and proactively sought the guidance of my supervisor and mentor.
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Who has helped you to prepare for qualification?
Joe: My supervisors and Training Principal – they helped to make sure I had all of the administrative parts of the qualification process in place in order to qualify.
Alex: Our trainee principal, the HR team and other NQ solicitors have helped with the transition and have ensured that we are equipped to tackle our new roles.
Kate: My supervisor in my final seat truly tailored my learning experience to prepare me for qualification, by seeking out opportunities for me to carry out more complex drafting and run my own matters wherever appropriate. My mentor (allocated to me in my final seat) met with me to discuss what I perceived to be the key challenges on qualification and brainstorm action points to ultimately make qualification easier. My colleagues in the Commercial team helped in making me feel sought after and included, both during the interview period and after, in inviting me to team socials and knowledge sessions prior to my NQ start date. Finally, my family and friends have been my foundation and without their support- not only during my training contract, but throughout my life- I wouldn’t be in the position I’m in now.
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Do you have any key tips for people approaching qualification?
Joe: Just to choose the area of law to qualify into that feels right for you (even though it may not be the area you thought of when you started your training contract!)
Alex: Take care to ensure that all of the training contract paperwork is sorted in good time in order to avoid any delays in being admitted as a solicitor. Also, take the opportunity to enjoy your final few months/weeks as a trainee and look for any final opportunities to learn new skills from other teams before qualification.
Kate: Enjoy the moment. You work so hard to get to this stage, so be sure to mark it before turning to the next challenge. Also, utilise your support systems both in and out of work – that is what truly got me feeling ready.
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