TCLA's New Podcast: Trainee Talk

[Yee Rou Quah]

Trainee Talk Episode #11: Leveraging your Unique Selling Points is now live! We're sorry for the wait...

In this episode, we spoke to Harry Clark, a future trainee at Baker McKenzie.

Harry walks us through his journey to securing a training contract, as well as his advice for writing strong applications and performing at interview. We also discuss finding your unique selling points, making the most of networking and how law firms are embracing mindfulness!

If you want to hear more from Harry, you can find his latest advice and insights at https://hclark.law.blog.

Links to listen:
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/traineetalk/episode-11-leveraging-your-unique-selling-points
iTunes: https://lnkd.in/d-eVp7B
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dRepsSd

 

[Lumree]

Trainee Talk Episode #11: Leveraging your Unique Selling Points is now live! We're sorry for the wait...

In this episode, we spoke to Harry Clark, a future trainee at Baker McKenzie.

Harry walks us through his journey to securing a training contract, as well as his advice for writing strong applications and performing at interview. We also discuss finding your unique selling points, making the most of networking and how law firms are embracing mindfulness!

If you want to hear more from Harry, you can find his latest advice and insights at https://hclark.law.blog.

Links to listen:
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/traineetalk/episode-11-leveraging-your-unique-selling-points
iTunes: https://lnkd.in/d-eVp7B
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dRepsSd

Great listen!

 

[Yee Rou Quah]

Trainee Talk Episode #12: What is a Training Contract Really Like? is live!

Our guest in this episode is Ali Siddiqui, a fourth-seat trainee at Accutrainee.

In this episode, we explore Accutrainee’s unique training contract structure, which involves trainees being seconded to different law firms and legal teams. We also discuss managing uncertainty and partner expectations, making the most of your training contract and how Ali persevered through over 30 applications before securing his place with Accutrainee.

Links to listen:
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/traineetalk/what-is-a-training-contract-really-like
iTunes: https://lnkd.in/d-eVp7B
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dRepsSd

 

[Yee Rou Quah]

Trainee Talk Episode #13: Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone to Secure a Training Contract is live!

Emma Burton, a future trainee at Baker McKenzie, explains how being an introverted person isn’t a barrier to securing a training contract, and how pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone and being well prepared can help you along the way.

She also explains how she managed to convert such a high proportion of her applications to interviews and how candidates can stand out on their vacation schemes.

Links to listen:
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/traineetalk/...ur-comfort-zone-to-secure-a-training-contract
iTunes: https://lnkd.in/d-eVp7B
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dRepsSd

 

[Helena]

The latest Trainee Talk episode #14 with Serena King was absolutely fantastic! She spoke so clearly, honestly, candidly about her role as a Trainee at Baker's. It is a great listen and has given me the motivation and drive to carry on this cycle.
Thank you for this.

 

[Jaysen]

The latest Trainee Talk episode #14 with Serena King was absolutely fantastic! She spoke so clearly, honestly, candidly about her role as a Trainee at Baker's. It is a great listen and has given me the motivation and drive to carry on this cycle.
Thank you for this.

That's so nice to hear, thanks Helena!

For reference:

Trainee Talk Episode #14: What If It Could Be Me?

https://soundcloud.com/traineetalk/episode-14-what-if-it-could-be-me

In this episode, Serena King, a second-seat trainee solicitor at Baker McKenzie, takes us through the first six months of her training contract.

For candidates, Serena explains the importance of working out your 'why' as you head into commercial law and why you should back yourself.

Serena also shares her advice for incoming trainees on managing expectations and dealing with constructive criticism, including the system she uses to reflect on her personal development during her training contract.

Finally, thank you to Serena for being open when discussing the feelings of imposter syndrome that trainees may have!

This episode was hosted by @Seren Williams.

You can also listen on:
iTunes: https://lnkd.in/d-eVp7B
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dRepsSd

 

[Yee Rou Quah]

Trainee Talk Episode #15: Perseverance and Resilience Is The Most Important Thing is now up!!

In this episode, Luke Chouhan, a future trainee at White & Case, has plenty of actionable advice on different aspects of the application process.

We learn how he went about writing effective applications, his strategies for developing commercial awareness and how he handled video interviews.

Luke also breaks down his vacation scheme experiences and shares his advice on bouncing back from rejections.

If you liked this episode, we'd love for you to leave a rating or review on iTunes. It really helps other people to discover the show, so your support is very much appreciated!

Links to listen:
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/traineetalk/episode-15-perseverance-and-resilience
iTunes: https://lnkd.in/d-eVp7B
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dRepsSd

 

[Lumree]

Trainee Talk Episode #15: Perseverance and Resilience Is The Most Important Thing is now up!!

In this episode, Luke Chouhan, a future trainee at White & Case, has plenty of actionable advice on different aspects of the application process.

We learn how he went about writing effective applications, his strategies for developing commercial awareness and how he handled video interviews.

Luke also breaks down his vacation scheme experiences and shares his advice on bouncing back from rejections.

If you liked this episode, we'd love for you to leave a rating or review on iTunes. It really helps other people to discover the show, so your support is very much appreciated!

Links to listen:
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/traineetalk/episode-15-perseverance-and-resilience
iTunes: https://lnkd.in/d-eVp7B
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dRepsSd

Really insightful listen!

 

[Jaysen]

Really insightful listen!

Glad to hear it!

 

[Yee Rou Quah]

Trainee Talk Episode #16: It's All About Effective Preparation And Luck is out!

Our guest in this episode is Arun Wagle, a future trainee at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner.

Arun came from a non-Russell Group university and, during his applications, didn’t know anyone applying to the same firms he was applying to. However, Arun explains how he used his initiative to create his own opportunities.

Arun also drills down into how exactly he developed his commercial awareness, his advice for those participating in the Aspiring Solicitors Commercial Awareness Competition (as a former semi-finalist), and how to deal with written exercises and curveball questions at interview.

Links to listen:
iTunes: https://lnkd.in/d-eVp7B
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dRepsSd
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/traineetalk/episode-16-its-all-about-effective-preparation
https://soundcloud.com/traineetalk/episode-16-its-all-about-effective-preparation

 

[Lumree]

Trainee Talk Episode #16: It's All About Effective Preparation And Luck is out!

Our guest in this episode is Arun Wagle, a future trainee at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner.

Arun came from a non-Russell Group university and, during his applications, didn’t know anyone applying to the same firms he was applying to. However, Arun explains how he used his initiative to create his own opportunities.

Arun also drills down into how exactly he developed his commercial awareness, his advice for those participating in the Aspiring Solicitors Commercial Awareness Competition (as a former semi-finalist), and how to deal with written exercises and curveball questions at interview.

Links to listen:
iTunes: https://lnkd.in/d-eVp7B
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dRepsSd
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/traineetalk/episode-16-its-all-about-effective-preparation

Another great podcast! This one particularly resonated with me as a competitor in the AS competition - the insight was brilliant.

Like Arun, I’ve also struggled to find people applying to the same firms as me. It was great to hear how he shaped his own path and made his own connections. It’s certainly motivated me to carry on this cycle!

Thanks to TCLA and Arun for this podcast.

 

[Yee Rou Quah]

Trainee Talk Episode #17: Not Taking No For An Answer is out!!

Our guest in this episode is Yousif Alawoad, a future trainee at Clifford Chance.

In this episode, Yousif candidly shares the challenging circumstances he and his family faced as political refugees, as well as his determination to work things out as the first of his family to go to university. Yousif also explains how his persistence and ability to bounce back from rejection led to an offer from his dream firm.

Thank you for sharing your inspiring journey with us Yousif!

Links to listen:
iTunes: https://lnkd.in/d-eVp7B
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dRepsSd
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/traineetalk/episode-17-chasing-your-dream-firm/s-O9CUC

 

[Yee Rou Quah]

Did you miss our latest episode?

Trainee Talk Episode #18: Leveraging your Life Experiences to Secure a Training Contract is out!

Our guest in this episode is Liz Barrett, a future trainee at Mishcon de Reya.

In this episode, you’ll hear how Liz still had the conviction to pursue commercial law, despite coming to university as a mature student with only a handful of GCSEs, and having spent over a decade battling with illness.

She explains the importance of valuing your worth and how life experiences can be used in applications and interviews to stand out. Liz also explains how she presented her mitigating circumstances to firms and stayed true to herself in her application forms.

If you want to hear more from Liz, we encourage you to check out her blog: https://lnkd.in/gR8fckM. We really enjoyed reading her advice for handling all aspects of the training contract process.

Links to listen:
iTunes: https://lnkd.in/d-eVp7B
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dRepsSd
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/traineetalk/...ife-experiences-to-secure-a-training-contract

 

[Helena]

Did you miss our latest episode?

Trainee Talk Episode #18: Leveraging your Life Experiences to Secure a Training Contract is out!

Our guest in this episode is Liz Barrett, a future trainee at Mishcon de Reya.

In this episode, you’ll hear how Liz still had the conviction to pursue commercial law, despite coming to university as a mature student with only a handful of GCSEs, and having spent over a decade battling with illness.

She explains the importance of valuing your worth and how life experiences can be used in applications and interviews to stand out. Liz also explains how she presented her mitigating circumstances to firms and stayed true to herself in her application forms.

If you want to hear more from Liz, we encourage you to check out her blog: https://lnkd.in/gR8fckM. We really enjoyed reading her advice for handling all aspects of the training contract process.

Links to listen:
iTunes: https://lnkd.in/d-eVp7B
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dRepsSd
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/traineetalk/...ife-experiences-to-secure-a-training-contract

Inspirational beyond belief - good luck to Liz on her journey.

 

[Yee Rou Quah]

Trainee Talk Episode #19: A Journey to the City is out!

In this episode, we spoke to Omotomiwa Adeyefa, a future trainee solicitor at Clifford Chance. Tommy speaks about his upbringing and journey into commercial law whilst dropping some nuggets for those looking to pursue the same path.

This episode is hosted by Milambo Makani FRSA.

Links to listen:
iTunes: https://lnkd.in/d-eVp7B
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dRepsSd
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/traineetalk/episode-19-a-journey-to-the-city

 

[Yee Rou Quah]

Trainee Talk Episode #20: Coming to Law as a Second Career is out!

In this episode, we are joined by Jan L. Alessandrini, PhD, a first-seat trainee at DAC Beachcroft. Jan came to law as a second career, after an established career in academia. He shares with us the reasons he decided to change his career, the challenges he faced as a mature candidate, and how he overcame them!

Links to listen:
iTunes: https://lnkd.in/d-eVp7B
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dRepsSd
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/traineetalk/episode-20-coming-to-law-as-a-second-career

 

[Yee Rou Quah]

Have you listened to our latest episodes?

Trainee Talk Episode #21: The Psychology of Interviews

Our guest in this episode is Banu Hammad, a future trainee at Ashurst.

In this episode, Banu walks us through her inspiring journey, from entering the UK as a Kurdish asylum seeker to dealing with feelings of imposter syndrome when starting at the LSE. We spend time discussing how she dealt with those feelings and how her interest in workplace psychology led to useful strategies to tackling interview nerves. Banu also explains how she made an impression on vacation schemes, the resources she used to develop her commercial awareness and how she went about answering brainteaser interview questions.

Links to listen:
iTunes: https://lnkd.in/d-eVp7B
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dRepsSd
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/traineetalk/the-psychology-of-interviews

 

[Yee Rou Quah]

Trainee Talk Episode #22: Using Initiative as an International Student

Our guest in this episode is Monika Gagat, a future trainee at Squire Patton Boggs.

In this episode, Monika discusses her journey as an international student attending a non Russell Group university. We begin by talking about the work she did as an in-house paralegal and how she leveraged her experience in her applications and interviews. Monika then shares her advice on everything from in-tray exercises and scenario questions to using your experiences to demonstrate commercial awareness at interview.

Links to listen:
iTunes: https://lnkd.in/d-eVp7B
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dRepsSd
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/traineetalk/episode-22-using-initiative-as-an-international-student

 

[Yee Rou Quah]

Trainee Talk Episode #23: Leveraging Small Opportunities and Specific Interests is out!

Our guest in this episode is Gordon Chung, a future trainee at Baker McKenzie.

In the first half of this episode, Gordon explains how taking advantage of small opportunities helped him get to where he is today. We also discuss how he motivated himself to keep going, strengthened his application to make himself stand out and leveraged his background to find a firm that suited his strengths.

In the second half of this episode, we walk through Gordon’s actionable advice on law firm assessments, including video interviews and group exercises.

Links to listen:
iTunes: https://lnkd.in/d-eVp7B
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dRepsSd
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/traineetalk/episode-23-leveraging-small-opportunities-and-specific-interests

 

[Yee Rou Quah]

Trainee Talk Episode #24: Embracing Your Identity is out!

Our guest in this episode is Azumah Cofie, a future trainee at Covington & Burling.

In this episode, Azumah openly talks about how he overcame fears that his stammer didn’t make him suited to commercial law. He also explains how he leveraged his background as an asset during his vacation scheme.

Not only that, but in this episode, Azumah explains how he bounced back after receiving 11 straight rejections, how he learnt to be confident, and how he didn’t take no for an answer during his application journey.

Links to listen:
iTunes: https://lnkd.in/d-eVp7B
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dRepsSd
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/traineetalk/episode-24-embracing-your-identity