As many students start to prepare for results day, our Managing Partner, Guy Longhurst shares his journey and gives his advice to young people who may not get the results they feel they need this summer.
What were your original plans for work?
Originally I hoped to go to Cambridge to read History, but was unsuccessful, and accepted a place at The University of Sheffield, again to read History, with the intention of converting to Law and qualifying as a Solicitor.
How did you feel when you saw your A-level results?
Shocked, devastated, embarrassed. Felt like a complete failure, as my results were so far short of my predictions, and had let my parents down. The worst thing that had ever happened to me, as unable to put it into context at that age! All happened a couple of weeks before my 18th Birthday, so a month of celebrations had gone badly wrong!
What did you decide to do next?
The initial plan was to re sit. I enrolled with a college in Cambridge, with the intention of resitting all three A Levels that Autumn. Then a very good friend decided to go to Dundee through clearing, to study Town & Country Planning. I thought this was a crazy idea but my father had other thoughts and checked the Times and discovered I could do the same but at Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh.
Did you get any help or support?
My Mother was brilliant. She took control and organised everything. I had a summer job and threw myself into that and put my head in the sand, whilst she sat on the phone and managed to get me a place at Heriot-Watt, accommodation etc. It was a whirlwind of activity and within 4 weeks of the results I was on a train to Edinburgh to start University.
How did the town planning degree shape your future career?
Edinburgh is a fabulous City, architecturally beautiful and described as the Athens of the North. The school of planning and architecture was based in the City Centre. Town Planning gave me an opportunity to study a diverse range of subjects, including politics, history of architecture, and economics. It also gave me an insight into the socio/economic issues facing the UK at that time, perfectly captured by Danny Boyle in his film Trainspotting.
Do you think you would have been at a different point in your career had you gone to Cambridge? Or have you achieved just as much – or maybe even more?
Cambridge was a door that closed early and I never waste time looking back at the opportunities I was unable to pursue for one reason or another. In my view, you should only ever focus upon the matters you can control and then do your very best, which may not always be enough, but you can do no more!
Do you feel recruitment needs to be broadened out to look at more than exam results?
A careers adviser once asked me what else I had done when at sixth form, and I ran through the rugby, cricket, golf etc and he asked if I would change anything, if it had meant I would have better results and I said no. He said I should try to convey this when making applications for jobs, as my education had not been limited to academic achievements.
How do you hire for Ellisons?
Academic achievements inevitably play a part in the recruitment process, as Law is quite challenging and you need to be able to pass the exams and then go on to deal with academically challenging issues. However, you also need to be a great communicator, to display empathy, sympathy, commercial awareness and other skills. You also need to be a team player, both internally, with colleagues but also externally with clients and other professional advisers. We can teach many of these skills, but the one we can’t teach is attitude, so we do spend time trying to recruit talented people, who have the right attitude. As Sir Winston Churchill said ‘attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference’.
What advice would you give to young people who don’t get the results they feel they need this summer?
Don’t panic, it’s not the end of the world, and focus upon all you have achieved to date, the skills you have learnt and be grateful for your health and (once over the shock of your results) happiness! Everything happens for a reason and new opportunities will now appear that you may never have considered if everything had gone to plan. Its also a great opportunity to prove your character. As Mike Tyson said, ‘everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face’. Its how you react that is so important. I think I was lucky to fall into a degree and a City I enjoyed so much. For many people, it would probably make sense to take more time and perhaps take a year out to consider the alternatives available. Apprenticeship schemes are increasingly popular and more widely available. We have been running a Solicitors apprenticeship scheme for 3 years now, so if that option had been available, I would certainly have considered it.
My parents keep asking why I mention my awful A level results all the time, and would prefer me to focus upon what I have achieved. I see things differently, consider myself to have been very fortunate to have had such supportive parents and am grateful for all the opportunities I have had. Results day every year reminds me of how I felt in August 1989 and I hope by sharing my experiences, I can help anyone in similar circumstances feel more positive and bounce back from the initial disappointment.
