Having worked at Jacksons as a secretary in our Newcastle office for almost 2 years, I couldn’t wait to begin my new 
role, in my first seat, as a trainee solicitor in our Corporate and Commercial department at the start of this year.
My experience as a secretary within the firm has helped me massively in my transition to trainee. The fact that I knew my colleagues at Jacksons already, and had experience of our systems and our procedures, meant the idea of starting my training contract was a little less daunting. It has still been quite a challenge going from being experienced in my previous role to feeling as though I’m back at the start again, learning a new role in an area which I don’t have any experience of. Having said that, Corporate and Commercial law is an area I am particularly interested in, so I was really looking forward to getting stuck in.
During my first two months, I have gained exposure to the types of transactions which are dealt with in the department and have been getting involved in matters with the support of the team. So far, I am really enjoying the work within the team. The nature of the work is varied, every transaction is different and has unique elements to it which keeps things interesting. The types of transactions I am assisting with often involve collaboration with other departments within the firm which is beneficial as a trainee because you can see how other areas of law link to the transaction.
As we come out of the other side of the pandemic, I’m looking forward to attending events in person such as ‘The NEtwork’ hosted by Jacksons, which gives young professionals an opportunity to meet their peers in the North East from various sectors and build up their network of contacts.
I am excited to develop my knowledge and understanding further during the next four months in the Corporate and Commercial department. The team at Jacksons are friendly and approachable, which makes it a great place to train. Hard work is rewarded, and everyone wants to see you do well and will do what they can to help you.
