Attending one of our law events? Read Charlotte's blog to find out her tips for the day!

Name: Charlotte Evans

University: Queen Mary, University of London

Course: Law

Events attended: A Day in the City

Why did you apply?

I was made aware of the event through my university Law department and thought I would apply given my interest in a career as a City lawyer. After reading about the event online, it stood out due to the fact that you were able to visit and speak to members of two different law firms in one day. I also wanted to have the opportunity to take part in the various structured exercises that would be similar to those expected of you at interviews as I had no previous experience of this.

What were your goals for the day? How did you set out to achieve them?

My main goal was to get a feel for what working in a big city firm was really like and decide whether I would be suited to such a career path. I decided the best way to do this would be to speak to as many people as possible and find out why they enjoyed their job and what advice they would have for me coming into the profession now.

I also wanted to get stuck into things like negotiation exercises. I hadn’t had a lot of opportunity to do things like that before so I made sure I had read up on both firms to get an idea of what practice areas they specialised in and what they would want to offer their clients. I also did a bit of reading up on how the City operates and how to think about issues from both a clients and firms’ perspective to come to the best solution.   

Tips for the day?

1. Research – it might not be an interview but I found that having some knowledge about both firms really helped when asking questions.

2. Don’t just talk to people about work – it sounds strange but I actually made some really valuable contacts through conversations completely unrelated to the event.

3. Join in –everyone else is in the same boat as you and are just as nervous. Just may sure you keep up and you’ll be fine.

What did you learn?

Don’t try to be clever, just be honest about why you’re there and be yourself. You’ll be surprised at how much more valuable the event will be!

The event this year is due to take place next week! Applications for for our City law for ethnic minorities in June are now open!