When I approached Attwells for a job in 2015, I was 18 years old and had just received my A-level results. I knew I wanted a career in Law, but I didn’t necessarily want to go to university and I didn’t class myself to be from the stereotypical background of a Solicitor. Generations ago, it may have been unheard of to come from a public school, as a young female without a university degree and step into a Law office. Even my Grandad, when he heard I was waiting to hear if I had secured the job had admitted that he didn’t envisage someone “like us” getting the job, as he believed you had to know someone, your parents had to know someone or you had to have a degree.
It was both thrilling and refreshing to have been interviewed at Attwells and then offered my dream job; to start in an admin role and then have the opportunity to progress and grow at the firm and ‘earn while I learn’.
On my first day, I was extremely nervous. The main worry was that I wouldn’t fit in. I had images in my head of small, closed-off offices with older, old-school male Lawyers who would not be very friendly. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Attwells was a mainly open-plan office with many young, vibrant individuals from a range of backgrounds. I feel it is essential that all children from different socio-economic backgrounds can feel that their opportunities are limitless and that they can achieve their dream career through a multitude of different avenues if they work hard enough. Attwells erased the “I won’t fit in” mentality for me within hours of me stepping into the office and for that, I am grateful. Since then I have taken on new roles, gained experience and knowledge, and not once have I felt like I do not belong. I would encourage anyone who wishes to pursue a career in Law to explore the opportunities and to not be afraid that they won’t fit in.
-Hannah Thurkettle, Senior Paralegal
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