I have recently completed the first four weeks of my traineeship - the phrase 'time flies' has never rang so true!
I was naturally extremely nervous the night before beginning my traineeship-I had been talking about the day I would become a trainee for so long, and it had finally arrived! I completed a four week placement as a summer student at Brodies back in 2016, but nothing could ease the apprehension and excitement that I felt in finally starting my career a trainee solicitor. It didn't help my nerves on my first morning when a train broke down on my way to work and caused major disruptions - just my luck!
The first full week for the new trainees at Brodies was very much about everything technical and IT-related. We were given thorough training to enable us to navigate the computer system. Then came training on the importance of tasks such as billing, letters of engagement and business development - all crucial elements to get to grips with in order to understand how Brodies operates as a business. By the end of the week, the trainee group was left feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all. However one thing I would say is that not once did I ever feel like I couldn't ask a silly question - we were made to feel really welcome, and it was not an issue if we did not understand something. After all, this is the first step in our careers as lawyers in a practical setting - it's nothing like the university life I have led for the past five years!
For the past three weeks, I have been settling into the first seat of my traineeshipwithin the employment team in Edinburgh. I'm getting involved with some high quality work, assisting my team with important cases and being given responsibility that I never thought I would receive so early on in my legal career.
For someone like me, who lives in Glasgow, the daily commute was daunting at first. However, Brodies is extremely supportive, and in fact the morning commute isn't as bad as you might initially think - it's actually quite a relaxing way to start the morning, and allows me to enjoy some free time before I begin my day. Being in an office away from my home location also comes with the advantage of giving me the opportunity to get to know my colleagues across the business as a whole, rather than confined to one particular office.
The support at Brodies resonates across the business and it's so nice to be a part of it. Everyone is so approachable, and seeing a friendly grin whenI admit that I am lostand can't find a meeting room certainly goes a long way to putting me, the newbie, at ease. Each day brings a new challenge, and part of the thrill of the job is spending a bit of time finding out how to tackle it. Of course, being a trainee is still very new to me and I'm continually adjusting to how different it is to being a student. That being said, now that I am settled into my team, I'm really enjoying it and look forward to getting involved with some exciting projects in the coming two years. One month in, things are going swell!
For more information and to apply for a traineeship, please visit the Traineeship section of our website.
