Hi, my name is Sana and I graduated with a law degree from the University of Sheffield. I will be undertaking the Spring Vacation Scheme at Norton Rose Fulbright this April! I’m currently carrying out the Legal Practice Course at the University of Sheffield and hope to secure a training contract within commercial law.
My Background
I attended a local comprehensive school for most of my education, and by the time I finished A-levels I was the only Asian female in my sixth form. I come from a working-class background with parents that don’t have any professional qualifications but have always instilled in me the value of education and how it can truly change your prospects in life. Because of those values, I’ve always strived to make the most of the opportunities that education has given me. This has included the opportunity to participate in extra-curricular positions, carry out work experience and attend insight/open days at major law firms.
My Experience with Strive
Whilst at university I had come across a number of invaluable diversity schemes but Strive has really stuck out to me for its unique values – it truly wants to place candidates in the best position with their current qualifications and future potential. I emphasise the words ‘current’ and ‘future’, as unfortunately a lot of schemes filter out candidates at an early stage based on unalterable factors like grades, when really those candidates are the ones that might need the most help! The genuine diversity of candidates on the Strive programmes truly reflects its ethos too.
On a personal level, I have found Strive to be invaluable in securing my VS. I had one of the Strive founding members spend time giving me so many tips, answering all of my questions and making sure I went into the Assessment Centre with confidence. I don’t have the best grades, but from the help that I was given by Strive, I went into the Assessment Centre realising that I needed to present myself just as well as I did on my application, and that I deserved a place on the scheme just as much as any of the other candidates (subject to being well-prepared, of course).
What to do if, like me, you don’t have personal connections in the legal profession?
For candidates in a similar position as myself who don’t have personal connections in the legal profession, I would strongly recommend attending open days and networking sessions on campus. When you meet someone (possibly an alumni of your university), follow up with a thank you email if you managed to get down their details/asked to add them on LinkedIn. You can also go onto ask them questions on how they navigated the journey to securing a TC. So many trainees/associates are open to sharing their experiences and advice which definitely bridges the gap in knowledge that you may have missed out on because of the absence of personal connections.
Concluding Remarks
Finally, don’t be afraid of going for opportunities that you think are too competitive. You’d be surprised by which firms show an interest in your application, as long as you put forward a strong application and make the most of your positive qualities (be that grades, work experience or your resilience in being successful with a certain opportunity despite your disadvantaged background).