The Road to a New Path: My Job Hunting Experience

Job hunting as a newly called to the bar Advocate & Solicitor is a journey filled with uncertainty, learning, and resilience.

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I remember sending out my first application, thinking the process would be straightforward. I quickly realized it was anything but. Maybe I was naive to think that securing an entry-level job would be relatively easy—after all, there’s only so much an employer can expect from a freshly called lawyer, right? How wrong I was. The competition in the legal field, especially for someone wanting to pursue litigation, is incredibly stiff.

I genuinely believed that having completed my pupillage and gaining some paralegal experience would make job hunting smoother. But I soon learned that securing a role in litigation takes more than just experience. Every employer is looking for something different, and it’s hard to gauge exactly what that is. Is it experience? A specific personality? A certain skill set?

That said however, this entire experience has given me a deeper understanding of the legal profession. With every job application I send out, I research another firm, familiarize myself with the basics of another area of law, and look up another senior practitioner—studying their career paths and how they got to where they are today. Every interview has been a learning experience: how to conduct myself, how to prepare for unexpected questions, and how to refine my answers.

These experiences have even made me reflect on myself as I envision my future in practice. They’ve pushed me to think about my career goals, my long-term plans, and, most importantly, the kind of lawyer I want to become. As a young lawyer at the start of my journey, I hope to carry forward the same burning fire I have now; one that drives me to build a career that contributes meaningfully to society. 

I truly believe that rejection is just redirection—the right role simply hasn’t materialized yet. But I won’t sugarcoat it: rejection brings doubt at times. It has made me question my capabilities and whether there is space for me to pave my own path in the sea of lawyers out there. There were days I wondered if I was good enough. But being an Advocate & Solicitor demands a level of determination, and this job-hunting process has definitely tested mine. Every rejection pushes me to keep applying, and to not give up so easily. Things rarely ever go according to plan, but at the end of the day, it’s all about trusting the process and embracing life’s uncertainties.

To the job seekers out there who are in the same boat, keep trying! The right opportunity might be just around the corner. I'd like to think (in a positive light) that job hunting isn’t just about finding a job; it’s about discovering your own resilience and growth along the way. 

In the meantime, keep learning, putting in the effort, and—most importantly—enjoy the 'break' while it lasts!