I still had no idea what I wanted to do career wise when I was in sixth form. My A levels included English Literature, Geography and Religious Studies. When it was time to think about the future, and applications were open to universities, I applied to Bangor University to study Criminology. I thought about the possibility of getting a degree and applying to join the police.
My application was successful and although my studies were going well, I felt that Criminology was not quite for me. I did however really enjoy the introduction to law module which was offered as part of the course. I ended up speaking to the head of law at Bangor University and he confirmed I could switch courses and start as a first-year law student the following September.
Fast forward another three years and I ended up obtaining a first-class law degree. However, finding a job in the legal sector proved very tricky! I decided to commit to a career as a Solicitor and to continue my studies by completing the Legal Practice Course ‘LPC’ at Christleton. I completed modules in Private Client, Family Law and Property Law to name a few. I managed to achieve a distinction.
At the end of my LPC, I researched the local firms in my area. I updated my CV and prepared a covering letter to send to those I was interested in to note my interest in applying for a training contract (which were very hard to come by). In the meantime, I joined a temp agency, and I had an office-based admin role for a year or so before a job as a legal secretary for a firm in Chester opened up. I went for an informal interview, and I got the job.
About 12 months into my role as a secretary, I spotted an email in my junk folder from the office manager of Swayne Johnson Solicitors inviting me to interview for a Legal Secretary /Assistant position, with a view to possibly obtaining a Training Contract. They had kept my CV and covering letter on file and were now looking to hire. The two-stage interview went well and I began my career at Swayne Johnson in August 2016.
An offer of a training contract shortly followed. I was lucky enough to spend time in both the St Asaph and Denbigh office working with both the Court of Protection and Private Client team. I continued my professional qualifications including the Professional Skills Cours ‘PSC’ with the support of the firm. I was offered a full-time position as a Solicitor within the Private Client team upon the end of my two-year training contract, and I was very pleased to accept.
A few years later, as my confidence and experience grew, I noted my desire to become an Associate and was eventually promoted as such. I decided to study further so enrolled onto the STEP advanced diploma specialising in Will preparation and two years later, obtained TEP status. I now run my own team, and office as a senior Associate. Part of my role involves me training others within the firm. My trainee, Olivia has recently qualified as a Solicitor and my secretary, Beth has recently been promoted to Legal Assistant.
A lot has changed during my last 9 years at the firm, and I am excited to see what happens in the years to come.
