Apprentice Paralegal Review

I work in the Real Estate department therefore I assist on commercial property transactions which usually consists of predmoninantly Landlord and Tenant work. We also have sub sections in the team which include transactional real estate, development, agricultural, restructuring and insolvency. I usually am focused on post completion matters such as SDLT returns, Land Registry applications, completion statements and the role includes a basic level of general office admin.

I feel that my role has encouraged me to be more resilient in the face of challenges and allowed me to improve my problem solving skills. You are given a high level of responsibility so I quickly learnt to pay appropriate attention to detail and learnt to raise errors, queries or concerns quickly in order to get things right more quickly and efficiently.

I have enjoyed the variety in the work I have completed as part of my programme, both in terms of the elements covered in the study but also the tasks completed in the work side of things. It has allowed me to challenge myself and learn new skills all the time.

Whilst I programme is structured in a chronological format which makes the content really easy to follow, a lot of the organisation comes from the student themselves as the programme is very independently guided at times therefore you have to take some level of responsibility in organising the programme yourself to suit how you work best.

I have received lots of support from Irwin Mitchell since starting my role in lots of different ways. My manager checks in weekly to see how I am doing and allows me the opportunity to raise any concerns. My team frequently answer my questions, guide me through new tasks and also support my future aspirations.

I would says the qualification doesn't receive a huge amount of support from the training provider and you only get out of the programme what you put in and by using the resources provided. It is important to ask questions, ask for help when you need it, stay in a routine and keep on top of your work load. I found it helpful to work ahead of schedule.

I think the training is linked carefully to reflect the elements of your job role and the necessary skills required. Not only does it support your legal knowledge, but the training helped develop my employment skills such as understanding effective ways of communicating and identifying your strengths and weaknesses as an individual and how you can improve them.

There are business development networking events you can attend, social events at times such as Christmas or the end of the financial year celebrations. There are also different sector meetings you can attend to broaden your knowledge or different areas of the business you can get involved with such as supporting a marketing or charity campaign.

Yes

Irwin Mitchell are a very inclusive company that value their employees. You have a healthy work life balance and a flexible working scheme so you can work from the office and from home during the week as and when it suits you. They also have strong morals, taking into consideration their impact on the environment and having an understanding of corporate social responsibility.

It is really important to show why you are a good fit for the company and what about your personality and how you approach life aligns with Irwin Mitchell's business objectives and goals as a firm. Remember to show what you can bring to the firm and why you want to work for them.