VICTORIA SZENT-KIRALLYI

During the summer, I worked at a school uniform shop, a role that involved a variety of tasks and responsibilities. I assisted customers in selecting and purchasing uniforms, ensured stock levels were maintained, and helped with inventory management. This experience taught me several valuable skills that are directly transferable to a legal career.

First, I honed my communication skills by interacting with a wide range of customers, addressing their concerns, and offering solutions to meet their needs. As a lawyer, clear and effective communication is crucial, whether with clients, opposing counsel, or judges. Additionally, working in a customer service role taught me the importance of active listening, an essential skill for understanding clients' problems and formulating legal strategies.

I also developed strong organisational skills, particularly through managing inventory and handling multiple customer requests simultaneously. In the legal profession, organisation is key to managing case files, deadlines, and court procedures efficiently.

Moreover, problem-solving was a daily requirement in my role, as I often had to find creative solutions to satisfy customers, such as accommodating sizing issues or product availability. Similarly, in law, finding innovative solutions to complex legal problems is essential for achieving successful outcomes.

Overall, my experience as a store clerk taught me how to work under pressure, multitask, and resolve conflicts.

• Participating in a legal commercial negotiations' competition enabled me to practice how to communicate and effectively ‘lowball’ and ‘highball’ terms in a time-constraint environment.

• I was glad to be an active listener in this online panel to hear from incredible women within the legal profession who have varied experience of their journey's
• In particular, I asked a question regarding how one should approach their studies during their year abroad, in which I was met with insightful advice to make sure I undertake legal experience and take every opportunity given to me, as well as building an international network with people from diverse backgrounds.

• I was glad to attend a student-led summit dedicated to female empowerment in which I attended panel discussions, breakout sessions and skill-based workshops that were valuable in gaining a hands-on experience in which I learn about different professions within the legal sector
• In particular, what stuck with me was how to deliver a perfect 'elevator pitch', which was useful in the later networking event where I was able to talk to paralegals and solicitors.

• This was an excellent opportunity where I was able to learn about the pro bono work that law firms undertake and the importance that this reflects on local communities
• This sparked my interest in the different types of pro bono work, from international matters down to domestic and detailed tasks such as preparing documents and research
• Such a panel was useful in informing us how, as students, we can volunteer and find our own pro bono affairs to help vulnerable groups, such as through the National Pro Bono Centre.

• This involved conducting research on particular policy areas that disproportionally affected certain groups over others
• This was a crucial experience that helped me to enhance my researching skills, such as using a wide array of sources and being able to focus one that develops on our topic
• This experience was further beneficial in reinforcing teamwork, as I was responsible for gathering relevant sources on a topic that my colleague was writing an article on.

• I was grateful to be accepted to undertake training to interview candidates applying for roles in LBH Children Services
• This was a valuable experience as I had to demonstrate my ability to intently listen to groups of individuals and their pledge to how they intend to spend their allowance if funded by Hackney Youth Parliament
• In turn, I was able to accurately take notes and weigh the information given to decide whether they were eligible for funding
• I enjoyed being involved with this process and would do it again in the future.

• Insightful experience that explained alternative pathways to enter the commercial law profession, focussing on the solicitor route which I found very appealing
• The virtual panel was very useful in highlighting what an individual can expect whilst during the journey of becoming a qualified solicitor, as well as how to succeed at applications
• For example, it was highlighted the importance of transferable skills and displaying these to an employer.

• Legal work experience in which I was entrusted with the responsibility of assimilating comprehensive legal research delineating distinct roles within the legal sector
• Furthermore, I derived immense satisfaction from collaborative endeavours within a team setting, where we engaged in thoughtful discussions pertaining to potential outcomes in various criminal cases and contemplated strategic approaches for courtroom proceedings.