Last week, our CSR Pro Bono team, led by Solicitor, Elizabeth Burns and Trainee Solicitor, Catherine Duggan, hosted our inaugural Careers and Networking Day at our Bath House office in Colchester.
We were pleased to be joined by eight students from Essex Law Clinic (University of Essex).
The purpose of the day was to give students who are looking to pursue a career in law a strong sense of what it’s like to work at a leading East Anglian Law Firm, meet our team and gain an opportunity to attend training sessions in areas such as CV writing, Networking, Presentation and Interview skills, as well as the chance to practice these skills and receive feedback.
At the end of the day, we asked the students to talk about their experience and here’s what they had to say:
Tell us about your experience at Ellisons Careers & Networking Day:
- Very positive, a lot of useful tips and valuable lessons.
- Extremely informative and insightful.
- It has been great as it has provided me with the opportunity to learn about the firm, the culture and important skills I can lake with me that I otherwise would not have known.
- I had a great time, everyone was really friendly and helpful, I found the day really informative.
- It has been very insightful as I learnt tips on networking skills, CV writing and interview preparation.
- It was a fantastic opportunity to meet the firm, experience everyone’s friendliness and willingness to help, as well as the challenging work the firm in involved in.
- It was enjoyable, I learnt practical skills that will increase my employability and network with people had not of had the opportunity to meet before.
What were some of the key things you got to discover and learn?
- There is no reason to be shy when networking, after all everyone is there to network.
- How you can stand out in their interviews and essential CV writing tips.
- Business Development and it’s importance, how to network.
- I learnt a lot about interviewing skills and feel a lot more confident in my networking abilities.
- I discovered the importance of business development and the importance of interacting at networking events and promoting the firm.
- The key things I was fortunate to learn were how to optimise my CV, how to conduct myself in an interview and what a major impact networking skills can have on a junior solicitor’s career progression.
- The key networking skills were very useful as I was always intimidated by networking.
What skills have you learnt that will help you in the future?
- Being confident when networking is not something one is born with, but something one learns.
- Networking skills, CV writing, being confident in interviews.
- How to network effectively, The types of questions I can ask firms concerning business development and how to prepare for an interview.
- I got some useful feedback during the practice interview about expanding on the points I raise to give more clarity to the interviewer. I also have learnt great conversational tips to get more out of a conversation.
- I have learnt how to better conduct myself in an interview and attend networking events to have an insight into what other people do.
- I have gained invaluable knowledge about the importance of networking, as well as practical steps on how to develop my existing skills and become successful at it.
- I have learnt how to effectively sell myself and do myself justice through my CV and interview technique. How to build new relationships through business development and to become successful.
What attracted you to the Ellisons Careers and Networking Day?
- It was a great opportunity to meet peers and learn from others experiences.
- The firm! I applied to Ellisons for their Vacation Scheme and always had an interest to learn more about the firm, when I learned about the career & networking day I was very keen to participate.
- I have applied for the training contract with Ellisons and this was a great way to get to know the firm better.
- I have applied for their Vacation Scheme in July and wanted to get a bit more information about the firm.
- I wanted to get an insight into what working at the firm would be like and understand what I should do before beginning work experience and a training contract.
- I was introduced to Ellisons by Essex Law Clinic, which led to me following Ellisons on LinkedIn and gaining an insight on the supportive environment and the friendly atmosphere the firm fosters.
- I knew Ellisons was a friendly, inclusive firm with a good reputation. There is not much opportunity for experiences like this and I wanted to learn about Ellisons specifically.
Would you recommend the Ellisons Careers and Networking Day to others?
- Absolutely, it was a great opportunity with plenty of insightful lessons and experiences
- Yes, definitely
- It was a great way to learn about the firm and affirmed to me that I would really like to work there. Would absolutely recommend.
- Yes, I gained a lot of valuable knowledge that I cannot wait to implement in my applications, interviews and networking events.
- I would definitely recommend the networking day to others as its a brilliant opportunity to learn more about the firm, meet the team and learn more skills.
- Absolutely! I would recommend Ellisons Career and Networking Day to anyone interested in working in a law firm.
- Yes 100%, this opportunity has taught me so much about working at a law firm and given me a clearer idea of my career path. I am excited to put the lessons I have learnt into practice.
To find out more about opportunities at Ellisons, please visit our Careers page: Careers – Ellisons Solicitors.