My darling beloved readers,
Hello and how are you?
I realise that I have disappeared from here for the past
three months but all for a good reason. I have missed writing these blogs so
much. Writing this and sharing my journey with you always gives me immense
pleasure. So you may be wondering where on earth have I been and what have I
been doing with myself? So let me tell you. When exams were over I truly believed
that I would fail and have to retake again but fortunately the stars were
shining down on me and I passed J
(*woooo hooooo) So when I found out about passing I realised that now was the
time to buckle down and begin hunting for a real job in the big outside world
and let me tell you now as you already probably know that is no easy feat.
Finding a job, applying and then securing a job is one of the toughest things
ever. Some people don’t want you because you are too young and inexperienced
and other people don’t want you because you are over qualified with your
fabulous degree. Most likely those that do want you just want free labour out
of you but not all of us can do this. How is one meant to pay bills, rent,
food, travel etc working for free? On the other hand if one lands a really good
work experience/internship the benefits are immense.
After graduation I was approached by the Graduate Internship
Programme. This consisted of five training days and then was secured by a month
of internship with an organisation in your chosen field. At the time of
applying for this I had also come across another advert which was more local to
me but for a period of three months within a law field. Both were voluntary
positions. No other applications I had made for paid work had been successful
and this was mainly down to me being lacking in experience, so with no other
alternative options I began looking at voluntary work. Even applying for retail
positions I would be rejected due to my degree. So coming back to my two
options I decided to apply for the three month internship and see where fate
would take me. Luckily the law firm I applied to offered me an interview the
day after the Graduate Internship started so to keep my options I went to GIP
and in all honesty I was not very impressed with some of the things I was
hearing and on top of that they could not even confirm with me that I would be
placed within a law field. I thought it would be best to wait and see what
would happen at the interview with the law firm.
The next day I went to the interview which was relatively
relaxed. It is a small and young firm. After a ten-fifteen minute chat I was
given a tour of the building and went on my merry way being informed that they
would get in touch with me to inform me whether or not I had been successful.
Surely enough within two days I was contacted and told that I start on Monday
at ten. I faced a dilemma whether or not to go for the GIP which was a shorter
period of internship or take a risk and give up three months to work for free
within a real law firm that was conveniently local. After a great debate I
decided to take the plunge and commit to the three months.
It has now been more than three months and it has been such
an experience nothing I have ever done can come to this. I have loved every
single minute of it! There have been plenty of times where there has been
office drama but hey no matter where you go you will always face such nonsense.
People will gossip and complain and twist things to make other people look bad
or to make themselves look better. People will be masked in a sheep’s clothing
whilst inside they are really a wolf. But as you know my darlings that is life
and I have experienced a lot of this type of nonsense. I share my journey with
you so that I can inspire and advise.
Despite the silly gossiping/moany people it really has been
wonderful. At this firm I have learnt so much. I have been trained right from
scratch and also thrown into the deep end but learnt to swim and survive
quickly and as you all know I am a survivor. Now in my fourth month I have
taken on my own cases and have also be given a full time working contract.
There is a lot to learn but the wonderful thing about is that everything you
learn you put into practise But this is not as easy as you think. Procedures
take ages, gathering evidence and case files and dossiers take ages.
Furthermore, having clients constantly on your back wanting an update all the
time is hard work more so when you have them lying to you about what is
happening on their side.
So you’re probably wondering where it is I've landed this
fabulous internship, well, the firm is called Nieko Solicitors, and yours truly
(Me – that is) is learning all about prison law. Fun stuff! It is probably more
difficult doing this than having done the LLB. Learning whilst on the job is
tough. Mistakes will be made, and the work will take long because the majority
of time you are lost in a world of paperwork and procedure. The first three
months were ok, it was easy learning and straight forward but as time goes on
and we enter the next phase of work which includes investigations, written
representations and a tonne of procedure it becomes more and more confusing. But
like I always say nothing is ever easy and hopefully in time the procedures
will become clearer. Working in a close knit environment is not easy with some
people only out for themselves. This makes learning a difficult task indeed.
Prison law is not exactly what I had in mind when I graduated. I had applied to
many teaching assistant positions to embark on a teaching career but all to no
avail. Teaching and mentoring whilst I was a Student Ambassador was extremely rewarding.
This particular field I have now found myself in is not that rewarding. The
cases, the clients are exactly what you’d imagine them to be. It is everything
you read and hear on the news. It is dark, threatening, dismal, horrific and
one must have a skin made out of rubber to withstand all the information one
receives.
The timescale to learn is short, you must be quick thinking and
even quicker to put things into action. I am surrounded by fellow colleagues
who have done their LPC and completed the Bar and to be honest compared to them
I just feel dumb and inadequate to do the job. Now how many times have you
heard that one before? Learning procedure is not something they teach you on
your degree it is something you have to research and learn all by yourself.
Like everything else it is not easy but anything that is difficult requires
that extra bit of effort.
There are no coffee making moments here, there are of course
routine photocopying, faxing etc but that is a minuscule part of the job.
Undertaking fee earning work has great benefits, I have my own clients and I am
embarking on specialising within specific areas of prison law. For me this has
been a once in a lifetime opportunity. I can say confidently that no other work
experience has given me such a vast amount of knowledge, such responsibility in
such a short amount of time.
Best of luck everyone xxx
