I studied Politics at the University of Western Ontario in Canada for my undergraduate (BA). In September 2022, I moved to London to study the Master of Science (MSc) in Financial and Commercial Regulation at the LSE.
During my undergraduate studies, I was fortunate to gain one year of work experience from three separate four-month internships in Canada. The first was in 2020 at Maple Telehealth, a series B start-up; the following summer I worked at AstraZeneca; and in 2022, I spent the summer at CPP Investments.
Prior to my studies and my work experiences, I spent the better part of four years as a professional tennis player and coach. This allowed me to travel to Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, shaping my worldview and informed what types of experiences I wanted out of my life moving forward.
Why Goodwin?
As Maple Telehealth was going through a Series B funding round during my time there, AstraZeneca being a well-recognised, global life sciences organisation, and CPP Investments being one of the largest investment funds globally, Goodwin made perfect sense for me to apply. Then I met the graduate recruitment team and the two partners who interviewed me. After that, I was sold.
Although it is true that other City firms also fall into various buckets of my previous work experiences, Goodwin stood out. The firm’s unique client base ranges from large, institutional private capital investors to start-ups across life sciences and technology. That breadth of clientele attracted me to the firm because I wanted to gain as much diversity of experiences as possible.
In my view, this will only compound over time given the “divergence” strategy the firm is executing on, where all these sectors will intersect.
Trainee/On the Job
Once I join Goodwin, I am looking forward to learning by doing through an open mind and saying yes to the opportunities that present themselves.
The vacation scheme highlighted the benefits of being proactive not just in relation to the work I was given by my Associate supervisor. Graduate recruitment had additional projects our cohort could get involved with. So, I put my hand up to support those initiatives as best I could. This resulted in supporting the firm’s social media presence.
Life as a Trainee at Goodwin is about asking questions and getting to know what is happening at the firm. That ultimately made the choice quite clear to join Goodwin because I want to contribute and be a team player.
Firm Culture
Goodwin’s culture is special. My time on the Spring Vacation Scheme confirmed that. From interviewing, to joining the firm as a Vac Schemer, to signing the Training Contract, I felt as though everyone takes care by getting to know you.
The two partners I interviewed with for the Vacation Scheme wanted to hear about my non-traditional background as both a mature student and professional athlete. Notably, they wanted to learn how each of those experiences helped build skills I could ultimately bring to the firm.
This highlighted Goodwin’s interest in getting to know me as an individual, emphasising the firm’s genuine culture.
Tips for Future Applicants
Be curious. If there’s something you want to know about a certain practice area, deal, or where the firm is heading in terms of its strategy, make sure you ask!