Bradley M.
About me
| Bradley M. | |
| History | |
| History | |
| Undergraduate | |
| Vanbrugh | |
| 2016 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Solicitor | |
| Proskauer Rose LLP | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Legal services | |
| Medium-size business (50-249 employees) | |
| 2020 |
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A day in the life of a Solicitor in the United Kingdom
Prioritise a career which makes you happy and productive over amorphous concepts such as prestige. You’ll be successful in any kind of career if you enjoy it as you’ll want to work hard.
Briefly describe the organisation you work for
I work for a NYC headquartered law firm which operates a small London office.
What do you do?
I am an associate in my law firm’s private equity and mergers and acquisitions team. We advise our clients on buying / selling / investing in companies. Before this, I trained at a large international law firm in London and Hong Kong. I graduated from York in 2016.
Reflecting upon your past employment and education, what led you to your current career choice?
Wanting a career which would be rigorous, productive and provide me with a routine and structure.
Is your current job sector different from what you thought you would enter when you graduated?
I didn’t appreciate how much I would enjoy being part of a team, nor did I realise how important personal qualities (e.g. kindness, empathy, humour, decisiveness) are over someone’s (perceived) intelligence.
Describe your most memorable day at work
There are many exciting memorable days when we close transactions for clients. I’ve worked on deals ranging from a few million to a few billion in value. You hope that all of your hard work culminates in a successful closing and it’s great if something you worked on is featured in the press.
Are there any challenges associated with your job?
You have to have discipline and patience, and be a team player whilst also taking on responsibility even where that might initially feel uncomfortable. You have to get comfortable with quiet periods and very busy periods.
What’s your work environment and culture like?
Relaxed, humorous, small teams. We all know how our clients work and what they expect, and all being on the same page is helpful to building a positive culture.
What extracurricular activities did you undertake at university and what transferable skills did you develop through these?
Perhaps a surprising answer - I was part of the poker society and the early, mid and end game phases of poker tournaments are much like the phases of a corporate transaction. You have to have patience and discipline whilst working toward an end goal (winning the tournament, closing the deal).
What would you like to do next with your career?
Continue to enjoy working on transactions and play an increasingly important role in those transactions as I gain further experience.
What top tips do you have for York students preparing for today’s job market and life after graduation?
Relax. Try to focus on being a decent human being with diverse interests. Don’t rush into things, but at the same time have the confidence to go for what you think you’d most enjoy. Prioritise a career which makes you happy and productive over amorphous concepts such as prestige. You’ll be successful in any kind of career if you enjoy it as you’ll want to work hard.
What topics from students are you happy to answer questions on?
Anything involving getting into a career in law. I would be happy to speak about things more generally as well.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?
Enjoy your time at university and don’t overly focus on life after university. Things will work out if you have the right approach.
Next steps...
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