My Solicitor Apprentice Journey

Starting new ventures can not only be nerve-wracking but also scary, especially in an industry you never dreamed of joining. Well, this was my reality until nine months ago. I joined TMJ last September as a solicitor apprentice. What is a solicitor apprentice, you may ask? Well, I am here today to tell you.

I started, like many, knowing absolutely nothing, bearing in mind this was my first office-based job. I began my journey as a secretary in the conveyancing department, surrounded by a supportive and friendly team to whom I asked countless questions (and still do). From that point onwards, I progressed by dealing with tasks ranging from opening files to handling completions in my colleague’s absence. Things I once witnessed by standing at a desk listening to a telephone conversation, I was gradually able to do for myself and my confidence grew and grew. In all honesty, starting from the bottom seemed almost counterproductive to me when I first started. However, when it occurred to me how many different aspects of conveyancing there actually are, I was grateful I started as a secretary, to say the least. 

Fast forward to now, some of the jobs I typically deal with on a day-to-day basis include speaking to clients, other solicitors, estate agents, and banks. I also take phone calls and draft documents on behalf of my fee earners. Personally, I feel I’m gaining more and more knowledge as time passes.

What will the future hold? Well, the plan for me is to eventually move to the family department, once again as a secretary, but no doubt I’ll be faced with enough new information and knowledge to write a series of books, never mind another blog.

In reflection, to say it’s been easy would be a lie, but I’m excited to see what the future holds and look forward to eventually moving on to my next department, which I will endeavour upon.