鈥淚 learnt an incredible amount during my placement鈥t taught me so much that I鈥檒l be able to use moving forward in my career鈥�
Mark Edmonds is now back in Bournemouth in the final year of his LLB Law degree and has been reflecting on his placement year with London solicitor firm, Lockharts Solicitors.
鈥淢y placement has been an amazing experience. It allowed me to use the theory I studied over the last two years at university and apply them in the professional workplace. It also provides an amazing opportunity to get your foot in the door of a very competitive and tough profession.鈥�
Mark really appreciates the value of his placement year and how it has furthered his desire to be part of the legal profession. He said: 鈥淚 learnt an incredible amount during my placement, from managing clients on a day to day basis, to how firms are run.鈥�
During Mark鈥檚 placement year, the company went through a merger. This meant Mark had the opportunity to work in two distinct firms whilst also experiencing a merger. His positivity of what could have been a daunting experience shows the maturity and increased knowledge of the legal profession that Mark acquired during his placement year.
Being part of a supportive team was really important to Mark. He said: 鈥淢y favourite thing about being on placement was the team I worked with at the firm. They were so welcoming and supportive throughout the process, so I never felt alone. They taught me so much that I鈥檒l be able to use moving forward in my career.鈥�
Finding a placement can be a challenging experience. Mark told BU: 鈥淎lthough the process of finding your placement is quite daunting, I think it鈥檚 certainly valuable in terms of life lessons. It is very much like applying for a job, it鈥檚 competitive and you need to be at the top of your game.
鈥淭he application process is extremely valuable, particularly when it comes to the legal profession. You experience the process of applying for jobs in the legal market, in addition to training contracts which are incredibly competitive.鈥�
Mark has thought about how his placement year will help him once he鈥檚 graduated. He said: 鈥淢y placement will help me tremendously, as I have gained a year鈥檚 practical experience working in two completely different-sized law firms.
鈥淣ot only has it confirmed to me that this is the career I want, but it has shown me the variety within the profession from small to large firms. It鈥檚 also shown me what these firms expect of paralegals and trainees who I think are incredibly valuable, particularly when applying for training contracts.鈥�
