Reimagine Law

The fourth episode in our mini-series of tips and ideas for personal development explores the topic of feedback.  

 We discuss why getting feedback is so important.  The need to gain different perspectives on how you are developing, how the last project was received by colleagues you assisted, and how this information can then guide your career thinking.

 There’s also the key question of how to have the feedback conversation, what will make it as effective as possible, how you can best create some good actions, and what will help the person giving you feedback to be as open as possible.

 Questions to consider:

·       To give you some useful data on your strengths and any areas for development, who do you need to speak with?

·       What would you really like to get out of this specific conversation, which will most help you? 

·       After you receive the feedback, which 2 specific actions will you take?

 
Resources:

·       Tips on receiving feedback: https://ardencoaching.com/ten-tips-accepting-feedback-gracefully/

In this fifth episode in our mini-series of tips and ideas for personal development, we discuss goal-setting.  What do good goals look like?  Why are they important, and how do they link to motivation?   

We look at the need to break down goals into manageable steps, to make them practical and also how important it is to co-create them with your manager, family or other people impacted – ensuring everyone gives you their ideas.  We look too at the specific situation of starting a new job or role and give tips on how best to set goals at that time to maximise your chances of success in the new position.

Questions to consider:·       
How can you break down the bigger career goals you currently have into a practical next 1-2 steps? 
Do you know ‘what good looks like’ to your manager or project leader for the role you are doing?  If not, ask.
Going into a new role, what should be your focus in the first 90 days?

Resources:·       
SMART goals: https://www.mindtools.com/page6.html
Planning your first 90 says: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GERACy54gDk   

This episode features four students who are either on or have recently graduated from an LLB Law. 

1.     Hannah Whiterow, 3rd Year, Law LLB @ University of Exeter 

2.     Evy Quinn, 3rd Year, Law and Politics @ Queen Mary University of London

3.     Nickolas Tan, Graduate, Law LLB @ University of Durham 

4.     Madeline Field, Graduate (primary school teacher), Law LLB @ Queen Mary University of London

 Studying for a law degree teaches you so much more than the law. It gives you access to interesting people, conversations and vital skills such as researching, self-discipline and communication. Law at an undergraduate level can also lead to a wide breadth of career options. This is a terrific episode to listen to if you are considering studying Law at degree level or want to know more about modules, programmes and all the extra-curricular opportunities on offer. 

 We always encourage listeners to undertake practical actions after listening to the episode. 

-       Look online at 3 different institutions Law programmes. Take time to look at the different LLB programmes on offer and the types of optional modules that might be available during the course. 

Useful resources

-       Episode #1 Your Career Starts with Knowing Yourself (https://www.re-imaginelaw.org.uk/pathways/international-careers-think-big-9gp5b-jfry8-thb35) 

-       Episode #2 Graduate Route into Law (https://www.re-imaginelaw.org.uk/pathways/international-careers-think-big-9gp5b-jfry8-m3d28) 

-       https://www.ucas.com/explore/subjects/law

-       https://www.theuniguide.co.uk/subjects/law

-       https://www.topuniversities.com/courses/law-legal-studies/guide

https://www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree/law

The third episode in our mini-series with tips and ideas for personal development explores the core of the ‘how’ of personal development.  How do we know we are learning, and what should we do to maximise each experience to draw out learning from it?

 We talk about David Kolb’s learning styles model, blending action and reflection, and the importance of balancing your development time between activity and capturing what we have learnt.

 We also touch on resilience, and the importance of having the confidence to keep stretching yourself with something new, even if the new ideas don’t go well 100% of the time.

Resources:

·       Kolb’s learning cycle: https://www.simplypsychology.org/learning-kolb.html.

Understanding your learning style: https://www.ilfm.org.uk/cms/document/ILFM_Learning_Styles_Resource_TK_09Oct17_Ver1.0.pdf

The second episode in our mini-series with tips and ideas for personal development talks about learning through experimentation.  What projects could you try in parallel to, or as part of your current role, which also allow you to think about future roles and career options?  

 These experiments can help you to think a couple of steps ahead – and give you some ideas to challenge whether the current path you are on is a good long-term fit for you.

 Also, keep a log of how you feel about these new ideas you are trying out.  Are they exciting, challenging, or perhaps not what you imagined (in a positive, or less positive way)?

Questions to consider:

·       If you were planning 2 steps ahead in your career, what do you think you might you like to be doing then? 

·       To explore these ideas more, what live experiments could you create now to let you see if these types of roles or projects might be ones you enjoy?  

Resources:

·       Working identity, unconventional strategies for your career

This is the first episode in our mini-series to give listeners tips and ideas for how people can best develop themselves.  A key point is about personal responsibility – it’s down to you to guide your career.   

Also, we discuss the importance of understanding your strengths and building on them.  What gives you energy, and what does your best or favourite day look like? 

Finally, keep your learning fresh.  It’s not (just) about “going on a course”.  There are so many other ways to develop yourself, building the broader skill sets to set you up to succeed in the long-term. 

Actions:·       
Jot down what your favourite project from the last 12 months has been.  What does this tell you about what you enjoy, and your strengths?      Ask a friend – what did they try recently from which they learnt the most?  

How can having the right mind-set help you achieve in the job hunting process?  How you think about your application and the process, can really help you to stay calm and make the right choices.  In this final episode of our mini-series on applications, Kerry and Simon discuss how mind-set can ultimately ensure you end up working in an environment which is best for you.  

Useful resources

https://www.forbes.com/sites/adunolaadeshola/2018/10/30/5-mindset-shifts-you-need-to-secure-a-job-youll-love/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMiSf7LpFQE

Typically assessment days come at the final stages of the application process.  But what really happens at them and how has this been converted to an online setting?  This episode explores what employers are looking for and what they are trying to see from you at this stage in the recruitment process.  What happens in the dreaded group exercise and what are the tips and tricks to be successful. 

Useful resources

https://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/assessment-centres/1046962-virtual-assessment-centres-what-to-expect-and-how-to-succeed  

https://www.wikijob.co.uk/content/application-advice/assessment-centres/assessment-centre-tips-and-preparation-advice

https://www.brightnetwork.co.uk/graduate-career-advice/assessment-centre-advice/

We might think that telephone interviews are now a thing of the past, but they are still commonly used as part of the application process so employers can test how you communicate (pace, tone of voice, succinctness etc.)

Kerry and Simon explore how video interviews can be live (with another person at the other end like a face to face interview) or pre-recorded.  They discuss how pre-recorded video interviews work (ie when you now answering questions to a live person), why are they used and what are the tips to make sure that your video stands out? Not forgetting a bucket load of tips on logistics like backgrounds, cameras, connectivity, and appropriate dress!  

Useful resources
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/interview-tips/telephone-interviews
https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/careers-advice/how-to-do-well-in-telephone-interviews/

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/video-interview-guide

Unlike competency based interviews (see other podcast for this), strengths based interviews are more about who you are and your natural strengths rather than asking you to draw on past experiences to showcase skills. They allow recruiters to gain a genuine insight into the personalities of candidates and to see whether they'd be a good fit for the role applied to.  They also allow you, as the interviewee, to be selected on the basis of what you are best at being a good fit for what is required in the role.In this episode, Kerry and Simon explore the types of questions you might be asked, how to spot a strengths based interview and how to be successful in answering the questions.  They also consider what the less commonly used ‘values based interview’ is and how to spot it!

Useful resources

 https://www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/interview-tips/strength-based-interviews-     
https://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/interview-types/275395-strengths-based-interviews-for-jobs-and-grad-schemes-       https://www.totaljobs.com/advice/how-to-prepare-for-a-strengths-based-interview