In support of National Apprenticeship Week
My interest in Law started off at high school when I completed a week’s work experience at Hoodvores & Allwood in Dereham. During my work experience, I had the chance to engage in all the different areas of Law and I got to see what goes on behind the scenes. I was lucky enough to attend client appointments, dictate letters, type up attendance notes and this is where my love for Private Client work stems from.
Whilst I was at College sitting my A-levels, I applied for a Business and Administration apprenticeship with Cozens-Hardy LLP on the government website; little did I realise this role was soon to be the making of me. I started at Cozens-Hardy in 2012 as a Business and Administration Apprentice and Lisa Taylor of City College, Norwich, tutored me. Lisa came to visit me every fortnight when we would review my coursework and discuss what route I wanted to take into law. Whilst I was studying for my Business and Administration diploma, I was fortunate enough to be appointed as an office junior, because I was very familiar with how the systems worked; this gave me great practical experience to support my apprenticeship. I covered for secretaries who were on annual leave and was a big part of the administration team. I covered several departments, including Family, Private Client, Commercial and Litigation. At this point I realised I loved being in the legal environment…
In 2013, my head of department, Michelle Collins, asked me to join the Private Client team as a legal secretary - an offer that, of course, I accepted with open arms.
My experience in Private Client has been second to none. I started off enrolling on a Paralegal qualification, which took a year to complete and allowed me to become an Associate of the Institute of Paralegals. I then furthered my studies by doing my specialist degree in Private Client Law, which enabled me to graduate and become a Fellow of the Institute. I am currently an Affiliate member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP); I am sitting my Administration of Estates exam in May and I continue to grow.
All of this was possible because I opted to do an apprenticeship. I want people to know that there are so many ways to pursue a career and my apprenticeship was the making of mine. I am very happy to be supporting National Apprenticeship Week and I am more than happy to answer any questions about how I got involved.
If you are interested in applying for an apprenticeship, I would start by clicking on the following link. https://www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/apprenticeshipsearch
Remember, anything is possible.