I joined Jacksons back in March earlier this year as an Apprentice Business Administrator and part of the Bespoke team in Residential Conveyancing in Newcastle. Admittedly, I didn’t expect to get this opportunity as I applied in December and we then went into another lockdown, but I’m glad things have panned out the way that they have.
Having never worked in the legal sector before, everything has been brand new to me since joining. There has been a lot to take in and the phrase ‘you learn something new every day’ actually seems true in this instance. It was all quite daunting at first but, although socially distant at the time, everybody in the office made me feel extremely welcome and didn’t mind helping whenever I needed it. Even though I didn’t meet everybody for a while due to restrictions and working from home, it was apparent how friendly everybody was throughout the entirety of Jacksons straight away.
A lot of my initial training was also done remotely with colleagues from the office in Stockton, which presented different kinds of challenges that we have all become more familiar with as time has gone on. Although difficult to begin with, it meant that there was more of an onus on me to actively seek out help whenever needed and learn relatively quickly the basics of what I do, from opening files, navigating the Land Registry and submitting searches to corresponding with clients and other law firms. As I’ve gained experience, I have much more responsibility as my list of tasks has broadened, which is something that, as an apprentice, I think that Jacksons does really well. Being relied upon for certain things makes job progress rewarding and does encourage filling any knowledge gaps to be more proficient. That being said, I am in my 7th month and although that feels a long time, I know that I have a lot more to learn as time goes on.
Part of the apprenticeship is that, alongside Learning Curve, there are tasks and modules that I must complete with the aim of bettering my understanding of working in a business setting. This is broken down into around 8 different modules the break down into sections such Business Fundamentals and Interpersonal Skills. Having regular meetings with the Tutor consolidates what is learnt while also setting out clear goals of what to focus on between meetings.
With my apprenticeship not finishing until late next year, there is a lot of time between now and then for me to develop within my role and gain as much experience as I can. Looking back, it seems like yesterday that I joined, albeit in a strange time for everybody, and feel as though I have learnt so much since then. Even just knowing the process of what my Mam and Dad went through to buy and sell their house seems funny to me, as otherwise I wouldn’t have any clue.
I am very grateful to have this opportunity as although I see real opportunities in regard to career progression, as there are many options throughout the business, the people are what make Jacksons such a great place to work and I look forward to whatever the future has in store.
Sam Rice, Apprentice
