We recently caught up with Olivia about how they secured a training contract with Allen & Overy, how they built commercial awareness before the interview and their top tips for Bright Network members looking to follow in their footsteps.
What stood out to you about Allen & Overy?
I experienced the collaborative, open-door atmosphere of A&O when participating in their summer vacation scheme. City law firms can seem to lack a friendly and supportive ethos especially for people learning the ropes, but straight away I felt that A&O actively took steps to ensure it is an enjoyable and fun place to work. At the same time, there is a good level of challenge and personal development available, so you know that working there would provide solid foundations for a good career. It goes without saying that A&O's reputation precedes it and the opportunity to work for a firm that leads in a variety of areas globally is extremely welcomed!
How did you build your commercial awareness before the interview?
It was important for me to be aware of headline-worthy commercial news, but also to take a step back and consider how the firm may advise on it and the legal points raised. I attended workshops, on building commercial awareness and these can help me get to grips with the basics. It is really down to you to delve deeper into the issues at stake - often the news will only cover stories in a general sense. It is helpful to make the most of a growing number of podcasts, which allow you to consume commercial affairs whilst on the go. There are also online resources that you can subscribe to ensure you are up to date. I made sure I was aware of commercial trends in the weeks prior to my interview, and also banked a couple of case studies I could talk about in more detail if needs be. Ideally, these would be relative to the firms' specialisations.
What would be your top tip to members going through the application process?
I was told that the application process is the hardest hurdle in what could be a long journey. It is easy to become disheartened, but I would say confidence is key. An employer will not take a chance on interviewing someone who cannot demonstrate their ability, but equally, you should not go overboard so as to appear arrogant. Striking the right balance is key - remember, if you are in a position to be applying, you likely have strong selling points, so you should be confident!
It is understandable to be intimidated, especially if you are unfamiliar with the application process or what law firms may be looking for, but the key point is really to harness your determination to appear confident and not undersell yourself! Developing this at the application stage will be a big help to you at interviews.
How did Bright Network help you secure this role?
Bright Network provides many networking opportunities and in the first few months of being at university, gave me a good indication of which employers appealed to me and how to navigate the application process. I can't emphasise enough how important it is to gain connections when networking. Bright Network had a good presence on my campus which meant it was easy to approach their reps to talk about careers and find out about opportunities such as vacation schemes, in advance. Internship Experience UK fell before my vacation scheme and really prepared me to fully participate. I feel that any advice or assistance Bright Network can provide will ultimately benefit you in achieving your potential.
What’s been the toughest interview question you've faced and how did you tackle it?
I think the toughest question is usually one which focuses on a challenging situation, where you have to describe what happened and how you dealt with it. Although this question can be common, and so allows you to prepare, conveying it in the right way can be difficult. A challenging situation naturally involves negative emotions or perhaps doing something wrong, however, you can really demonstrate to the employer how you turned it around, by focusing on the positives and how you adapted or gained something. I really treated this question as a chance to show myself as a "real" person who has faced challenges, and the interviewer wants to see the real you which can often be masked in a formal, impersonal interview setting.
Did you use Bright Network Academy in your career search and if so, how did it help you?
The free psychometric tests provided by Bright Network Academy were an invaluable tool in preparing for online applications. Often these are daunting and feel like an easy way to fail at the first hurdle but being prepared is key, and by practising for free in your own time, you can overcome this and improve your performance.
What top three tips would you give Bright Network members looking to follow in your footsteps?
- Treat interviews as a two-way (albeit formal) conversation, and a chance to find out more about the employer, just as they are finding out about you
- Be on the ball with opportunities and make sure you are prepared in advance for application season - give yourself plenty of time to apply in the way you want
- Quality over quantity: don't think that applying for dozens of schemes will give you a better chance. Often this will be detrimental to the quality of each individual application and you could be in a better position by creating a shortlist of employers you are truly interested in and applying to only those
Let us know where you've secured your work experience, internship or graduate role. We want to celebrate your success with a gift from us and exclusive invitations to evening networking drinks throughout the year.
