'Don't play down your background': why Russell-Cooke is the firm for career-changers

My own journey has not been a typical one. I trained as a journalist, undertaking work placements at local and national newspapers. Then, I worked at a talent agency and a women’s magazine, covering showbiz news. Whilst I got to meet some amazing people, the job was not always as glamorous as it looked from the outside. I’d be on the red carpet in a puffer jacket and clutching hand warmers whilst interviewing celebrities wearing dresses and diamonds worth thousands of pounds. 

After that, I moved onto something a little less glamorous but much more rewarding, working for a charity as Editor of their members’ magazine. Whilst I travelled across the UK to interviews and photo shoots, luckily there was a lot less time spent in the cold! 

Along the way, I’ve never been too far from the law. I learnt shorthand so I could cover criminal cases in the Magistrates’ and Crown Courts when working in local journalism. I negotiated contracts with freelance contacts at the charity. Whilst studying for my LPC, I moved into the legal team and worked with law firms on public and education law related cases. I realised throughout that whilst both careers sounded very different, there were so many transferable skills, not least being able to write and being comfortable speaking to people from many different backgrounds. 

My favourite part of being a journalist had always been working directly with people, finding out about their life experiences and reporting it back in an article. But I wanted to go one step further, I wanted to be able to advise those coming to me with problems on the next steps they should take and make a tangible difference to their lives, rather than simply parroting back what they said to me.

It was the Covid-19 pandemic and the moment of pause that really made me re-evaluate my working life and decide that I wanted to retrain to become a solicitor. It was not without its doubts and anxiety: how would I cope with studying again? Would I be able to fit in a degree around a full-time job and still have a social life? As it turned out, I loved returning to university and enjoyed learning so much more second time around. Of course, life became a juggle but I suddenly found I could fit so much more into my day. 

There is still a certain level of pessimism around career changers in everyday life. Previous generations can consider that it means you are a ‘quitter’, but I beg to differ. After all, nowadays, most of us are looking ahead at a nearly five-decade long career. As someone who knew nobody in the legal profession, the law felt intimidating to me as an 18-year-old choosing a degree. With one career behind me, I now know I have a lot to offer the legal industry. 

My advice to fellow career-changers out there is not to play down your background. There is nothing wrong with changing your mind, it shows dedication, resilience and roundedness. One background is no more advantageous than another, but I think a trainee cohort (and a firm) benefits from having individuals with a range of backstories. Think about all that you’ve learned in your career so far and there’s bound to be a place in the legal world which will benefit from those experiences.

Kerrina Gray is currently a first-seat trainee in the restructuring and insolvency team. 

Applications for our 2027 training contract and 2025 vacation scheme will open on 8 November 2024 and will close on 7 February 2025.