Climbing the ladder of opportunity

At the end of National Apprenticeship Week 2017, we are celebrating all of our current apprentices with the firm; Pooja Kaur, Sophie Macklin and Symron Bhakar.  With the theme of ‘climbing the ladder’ this year, we are looking forward to seeing how these three progress after completing their apprenticeship with us.

Pooja Kaur

I am currently taking a Business Administration course at Eastleigh College in order to help me develop my administration skills and further enhance my knowledge of software, customer communication and human rights.  I am currently working in the Residential Conveyancing team, which I thoroughly enjoy.

I decided to look into an apprenticeship as I lacked hands on experience and felt like it would help me in deciding what career I was fit for. 

I am delighted I chose Warner Goodman to complete my apprenticeship.  I started with the firm with no knowledge of conveyancing, however I have been trained and now have extensive knowledge of conveyancing terms and matters, and what people go through when buying or selling their home.  Everyone at Warner Goodman couldn’t have made me feel more welcome when I started and the team I work with have trained me well, giving me the motivation to want to learn more in the field. 

My time at the firm has made me keen to become a paralegal using the training courses I can be provided with, and then become a conveyancer. 

I would definitely recommend an apprenticeship to others because it is the most helpful and resourceful way of finding what job role suits you.  Whilst taking up an apprenticeship you are gaining experience, knowledge and along side part time college, another qualification that fits your job role. 

Sophie Macklin

I currently work within the Employment department and attend Eastleigh College 1 day a week to complete a Business Administration course.  As part of the course, I have to study a variety of units, 6 of which are mandatory and the rest are units I pick myself which are related to my role at work.

After I completed my A-Levels at college I knew that university really wasn’t for me as gaining experience and learning on the job suited me a lot better rather than sitting in classrooms taking notes and studying. Therefore going down the apprenticeship route was best for me as I am able to gain skills and knowledge in the workplace.

At college I studied Sociology which particularly made me interested in the law, so when I saw an apprenticeship advertised for Warner Goodman I applied straight away and was invited along to an interview. I had also heard Warner Goodman was a good law firm in the Hampshire area with a great reputation which therefore made me want to apply even more.  When I first joined I was made to feel so welcome and part of the team which was great as it was my first full time ‘proper’ job.  I was extremely nervous but made to feel so supported and welcome, both in work and at college.  Meeting new people and gaining new skills in the workplace has been another highlight, everybody is always so friendly and willing to help.

In the future I would like to carry on working within a law firm, either as a qualified legal secretary or as a paralegal. 

I would recommend an apprenticeship to others; as well being in the workplace environment gaining new skills and learning on the job, you also attend college 1 day a week which further supports and develops skills needed for the workplace and is a good way to start out a career.  

Symron Bhakar

I am currently doing a Business Administration Course Level 2 at Eastleigh College.  I do this one day a week while working in the Personal Injury team at Warner Goodman for the rest of the week.

I was studying Law at Winchester University but felt that University wasn’t for me as I am more of a visual learner and prefer to learn more on the job. I looked around for an apprenticeship briefly to see what other options I had until I came across the Warner Goodman apprenticeship. When reading about the apprenticeship I believed this would benefit me more as I still would be learning about the field of law which I enjoy and wanted to still pursue.

At first the apprenticeship advertisement intrigued me for what experience I would gain from working at Warner Goodman LLP. When it came to my interview with Andy Munden and Catriona Ralls their interview style was very different and friendly; this highlighted to me the type of work environment Warner Goodman LLP have. This attracted me because it indicated that if I were to get the apprenticeship I would be working with friendly people in a good work environment and gain loads of experience and new skills in a work area that I really enjoy and want to pursue a career in.

The highlight of my apprenticeship so far is being trained much earlier to become a Personal Injury Claims Handler. Now I have my own case load, taking on new calls and speaking to clients. Reaching this higher level sooner than expected of an apprentice has made me realise how well I am doing and is motivating me to carry on working towards my goals.

I would like to continue my career with Warner Goodman, gaining more experience and potentially do a CILEx course to give me a qualification as a legal executive.

An apprenticeship is definitely something I would recommend, particularly for those who do not feel that the university route is for them.  An apprenticeship is almost equivalent to going to university, difference is that you are getting that in house office experience, you’re getting on the job training and you get to see first hand what working in a law firm or whatever firm is like. 

If you’d like to find out more about apprenticeship, or other career opportunities available at Warner Goodman, you can email recruitment@warnergoodman.co.uk.

ENDS

This is for information purposes only and is no substitute for, and should not be interpreted as, legal advice.  All content was correct at the time of publishing and we cannot be held responsible for any changes that may invalidate this article.