Naren's success story: Securing an insight week at Macfarlanes

Naren is a first-year law student at London School of Economics. He secured a First-Year Insight Scheme at Macfarlanes through Bright Network.

Why did you choose law as your career path?

"I'm someone who enjoys problem-solving. Growing up, I always wanted to become a lawyer, partly because I loved the show Suits (!) but mostly because I wanted to help solve wide-ranging problems for clients."

What challenges have you faced in your career journey?

"I've faced the challenge of not having any friends or family working in the law industry, which meant I had very little work experience before this insight scheme."

"I felt demotivated at first because my other friends would be having coffee and chats with family connections at other law firms, whereas I didn’t know anyone."

"It was really rewarding to overcome this challenge, and I was proud that I was able to make the most of the resources available to me and take initiative by attending events organised by my university’s law society."

What appealed to you about the role?

"I knew that Macfarlanes was a reputable City law firm after attending a law society event at their office, and I was inspired by how smart and forward-thinking the trainees were there.

The possibility of shadowing a trainee for a few days was really attractive to me, so I would be able to get more informed about whether this was the right career path for me."

"Bright Network helped me secure the role by bringing it to my attention in the first place. I wouldn’t have known about it if not for Bright Network."

How did you prepare for your interview?

"I was nervous about the interview. I prepared for it by practising answers to common motivation interview questions in law, as well as researching Macfarlanes as a law firm. I learned about their recent deals, their key practice areas and their USPs.

I also got some feedback from my dad and practised with him. He taught me that I should sound confident in what I say, even when I'm not entirely sure it's the perfect answer."

What have you learned from going through the process?

"I’ve learnt that it is possible to go from knowing nothing about a law firm to obtaining an opportunity, simply by putting the time in."

"You need to do the research, and you need to spend the hours refining your answers. If you’re not confident in the effort you've put into your application, a recruiter won't be either."

Tell us about the future. What's next for you?

"I’m looking forward to applying to vacation schemes next year, and spending a more prolonged period of time in an office. I’m also excited to get to do more hands-on, technical tasks that weren't possible during a short insight scheme.

Between now and then, I plan to work on my commercial awareness, as I know it's a key skill assessed in interviews."