I initially decided to do a law degree because I liked the idea of being a barrister, however some work experience in my first year made it clear that I was definitely more of a solicitor! I had some fantastic lecturers; my property tutor in particular really helped me engage with the practical nature of property law. I was also lucky enough to get some work experience at a commercial firm in New Zealand for a few months during my studies, which cemented the decision to apply for a training contract. When I came back to the UK I managed to secure one and was quickly drawn to a career in Real Estate.

I did not train at AG and was not actively applying for jobs at the firm, but after attending a networking event I was invited for an informal chat about some roles at the firm. Initially, AG felt like a big jump for me but I had the conversation, which began a journey that led to a formal recruitment process and eventually a job at the firm.

Before joining, I was slightly intimidated by my assumptions of what the firm would want in a candidate and what it would be like working here.

However, any imposter syndrome I experienced before joining AG faded straight away because everyone was so welcoming and personable. I was worried that I might be entering a daunting and competitive environment but what I found was a group of people who were excellent at their jobs and equally committed to helping me develop and progress my career.

On my second day at AG I was taken along on a client dinner and introduced to one of our team's key clients. Within the first month, I had experienced more direct client contact than at any point in my career to date. 

The atmosphere in the office was - and is - brilliant. Within weeks I felt comfortable, valued and confident - like I had been working at AG for years.
The firm’s investment in me has not stopped and I have recently returned from three days on our Global Connect course alongside forty-five junior lawyers from twenty-one countries. Not only that, I recently emailed our knowledge team for some source material and they told me they will be running a training session on it as they think it will be the most useful way to help myself and others. 

The proactive, dynamic environment at AG nurtures high quality work from high quality people, and it’s exciting to be part of it.

I spoke with a Partner last week about imposter syndrome and to hear them say that they still have to manage it was just another indicator of the honesty and transparency of the people at AG.