On the branding effect of top universities, why you should aim for elite firms, and being a "jack of all trades"...
Should you get into a better university to upgrade your CV? Should you keep applying for top firms when you already get rejected for so many times? How to improve your personal brand in this competitive legal market and stand out?
In this newsletter, I will answer all these questions for you and give you insights into your law career. But before that...
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Insider Views of the Week
#1 Should You Try to Get into Top Universities?
I recently spoke to a candidate who is quite obsessed with getting into Oxbridge to build a stronger CV and personal brand.
At first, I was a bit confused, because she confessed that she cannot see herself working as a lawyer in the long run. She's now in investment banking, but she's considering pursing an LLM at Oxbridge.
"I think an Oxbridge degree can give me an edge no matter what I wanna do next in life," she said.
I kinda get where she's coming from, because we're living in a society where brand matters.
But given that the fee for LLMs has almost doubled from ten years ago (e.g. the Master of Corporate Law degree at Cambridge costed me roughly £28,500 ten years ago, but the current fee is about £48,500...), doing an LLM may not be the best option these days, except for the following two circumstances:
(1) You are not based in the UK and you want to break into the UK market, but don't know where to start.
Assuming you don't have a very strong CV or any UK-related work experiences, doing an LLM abroad will allow you to explore the UK legal market, attend in-person events, apply for vacation schemes or undertake internships in the UK.
To be brutally honest, applying for a UK role from abroad without any UK work experiences at all is a long shot (unless you're already an experienced lawyer working at one of the best law firms in your home country).
When it comes to your future job applications, being physically in the UK will help you justify your motivation for working in the UK, improve your CV and thus your chance of getting a job offer there afterwards.
(2) You want to get into a prestigious university like Oxford and Cambridge to improve your personal brand.
I experienced this first-hand.
I did my LLB at a less-known university, so I did face obstacles when it comes to law firm applications. During interview, a partner at a high street law firm once told me that they don't normally hire "students from my university."
At one point, I was very frustrated about the application process, because I submitted so many applications and almost never got past the application stage.
But once I've graduated from Cambridge, people in the legal industry have started perceiving me as an outstanding, intelligent person. I've started getting more attention during internships and career events.
Is this too superficial?
Probably yes - but unfortunately this is the society we're living in and all we can do is to try our best to improve our CV, so that people will start giving you the benefit of the doubt.
#2 If you have no connections or privileged background, starting your career at a top firm helps.
Coming from a humble beginning, I was always desperate to get into a top firm to change my life.
Sometimes I feel like we cannot blame people who judge a book by its cover. People have limited time. Therefore, we often want to use the shortest amount of time to determine if someone is intelligent or not.
If you're like me, someone who had no connections or privileged background, starting your legal career at a top firm will definitely fast track your career.
Once you become a qualified lawyer and when you apply for roles in leading jurisdictions like London, Dubai and Singapore, you will notice that many advertisements explicitly state:
"We are looking for qualified lawyers who are trained at a magic circle or global law firm in the United Kingdom..."
Even if one day you want to switch career paths, the fact that you worked at a top firm before will help you promote your personal brand. You will have the reputation and skills to do whatever you want in the next chapter of your career.
Your brand does matter. Once you get into a top firm, you open up so many doors for your future. You no longer wait to be chosen. You choose.
Work as hard you possibly can and aim high - I wish you will become the top 1% one day.
#3 Favourite Quote of the Week
"The future belongs to those who learn more skills and combine them in creative ways."
I think this quote by Robert Greene exactly highlights the importance of being a well-rounded, multifaceted individual nowadays.
This applies not only to life in general, but also to those who want to survive in this competitive legal industry.
Law firms are not looking for candidates who excel in only one thing; they want someone who is good at multiple things, being a "jack of all trades."
Equipping yourself with as many skills as possible is one of the few ways for you to stay competitive and relevant in this ever-changing market.
