Joshua's success story: Securing a training contract at HFW

Joshua is a Law and Politics student from Queen Mary, University of London. He secured a training contract at HFW in London, through Bright Network. 

Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

“I come from a small coastal town in Essex, was state-school educated and am the first in my family to attend university.

I support Arsenal and play 5-a-side and am interested in shipping, insurance, energy and construction.”

What motivated you to apply for your role?

“There were three main reasons why I wanted to apply for the role at HFW.

1. I’m interested in the sectors that HFW specialises in.
2. HFW offers a guaranteed international secondment.
3. I prefer the smaller trainee intake.”

What was the application process like?

“The application process is tough, like any law firm, but don’t feel overwhelmed. Take your time and tackle each stage individually.

The first stage is the application itself - HFW’s was one of my favourite applications to write because it allowed me to highlight my strengths and interests in shipping and insurance.

The next stage is the assessment centre, which includes the Watson Glaser test, a team exercise, a written task and an interview with two associates. Following the assessment centre was the vacation scheme for me, which gave me a much greater understanding of the firm, followed by an interview with two partners.

One of my recommendations would be to try not to see the other candidates as your competition. HFW is big on collaboration and throughout these stages I’ve made some amazing friendships with fellow candidates.”

How did Bright Network help you secure your role?

“I joined Bright Network towards the end of my first year at university. Throughout, they hosted helpful workshops on commercial awareness, applications and interviews, which were helpful for gaining a better understanding of how to perform well during the recruitment process.

Using the Bright Network website was helpful when researching HFW because it has content on life as a trainee as well as insights into the firm’s extracurricular teams.”

What are you most proud of about your journey?

“I started off at university not knowing anything about law or anyone in the industry. I was the first in my family to attend university, a bursary recipient and state-school educated.

I had a pretty rough first year and found it hard to adapt, but despite this, I managed to secure a four-week internship with Gensler to sit in their legal counsel as part of a social mobility internship, which is how I got my foot in the door. I then used that experience to gain more at firms like Fieldfisher, Freeths, Clifford Chance, BCLP, Ropes & Gray, Ince and finally HFW.

I went on to finish my Law and Politics degree with a First and achieved an award for exceptional academic achievement. If you’re reading this and aren’t quite where you want to be, don’t give up! Stay diligent and always try your best.”

Tell us about the future. What’s next?

“I’m currently studying the SQE and hope to start my training contract after!”