Trainee Blog – Cheryl Bolt – Settling into the Commercial Property Department

For those of you wondering why I have fallen silent on my blog, I have now moved back into the Commercial Property department so have been settling into the fast paced and exciting environment that the department offers. You may have also seen that my colleagues and I have been marathon training and I recently completed the Great West Run.

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the Okehampton College careers event. All morning students aged 15 – 16 years old from schools around the area attended to discuss their careers and further education with various institutions and local companies who were invited to pass on their knowledge and advice to these very keen and excited students. My colleague Antonia and myself represented Gilbert Stephens at this event and was very excited to have the opportunity to discuss our passion for law and our academic experiences. We found some keen lawyers in the crowd and were able to provide detailed advice in respect of the qualifications required to become either a solicitor, barrister or chartered legal executive. I am sure a few students gave a concerned look when I told them I had been in education for 7 years after leaving secondary school, although I did tell them it was worth it.

It was also great to speak with students who were not interested in law (at all!) but who had already had their heart sets on other careers such as the royal forces, sciences and business management.

Most of the students I spoke to were not decided in their chosen career path and our advice to them was to pick subjects at A level or BTEC level that interested them and that they were passionate about.

I have been lucky enough to been involved in careers event previously at both Exeter College and University of the West of England when I was studying there. I volunteered for these events as I was excited to share my experiences with the aim to provide support to potential students in their chosen career paths. I think we can all remember someone who has supported us and given us suitable advice to try and make big decisions, such as choosing A levels, a little bit less daunting and I hope that my attendance at Okehampton College did just that.