Law Career Guide

Resilience is vital for success in any workplace. It helps you to adapt, overcome any challenges and keep moving forward. And it’s a skill you’ve probably already been working on throughout your life so far. But what does it mean in the context of being a trainee at A&O Shearman and how can you prepare?

We spoke to Toby and Diana, two current trainees, to explore what resilience means to them, what it can look like at a law firm like A&O Shearman, as well as to share their advice to help you prepare for life as a trainee.

How would you describe resilience as a trainee?

Diana, current trainee

“I think that resilience actually starts way before you join a workplace or start a degree. Our SQE was very demanding and before that I had done a master’s degree. So, I came here thinking that I was really resilient. I think the resilience that you need here is different though. As a trainee, you’re in such a transformative early part of your career. You're basically going through a trial period for two years, with each seat lasting six months. For every seat that you're in, you have to start anew and make a good impression. You have to learn new things over and over again. It's very exciting and interesting, but it’s definitely challenging. So, for me, resilience at A&O Shearman means having the ability to see the bigger picture and to keep going even if things are very tumultuous or in flux. It's in the little habits that you build up over time.”

Toby, current trainee

“I think before joining, I hadn’t ever had to deal with delivering work under quite so much pressure, both in terms of time pressures and getting every little detail right. That's quite unique to this kind of work. I would say there are two sides to the resilience you need here. There’s being able to keep going when you’re tired and under pressure and it’s late. And then there’s being resilient in the face of failure. You’re training and you’re here to learn. That requires making mistakes and making the most of being surrounded by people who are very good at their jobs. Resilience is about dealing with that failure productively and learning from your mistakes, so that you make fewer of them in the future.”

How do you handle those challenging moments?

Diana, current trainee

“When I was working long hours, I assumed that the hardest part would be staying awake or alert and not being tired. I actually found that for me it was the opposite. My body got used to the long hours, but keeping my mind awake and happy was the hard part. It’s about preserving a healthy mindset, whatever that may encompass. That might mean meditating or making sure I talk to my friends and family or just ensuring I’ve had sufficient breaks throughout the day. Being present is really important, so that when I feel myself getting stressed or overwhelmed, I can take a step back and get it under control before moving on.”

Toby, current trainee

“There are two things that I find super helpful. The first is having a ‘Nice things people have said’ folder in your inbox. You’re going to make mistakes as a trainee and the feedback you receive when you do is constructive and useful. But it really helps to have that snapshot of positive feedback to remind you that you’ve done well in the past and that you can do good work.”

“The second is that when it comes to being resilient in the face of long hours, the best advice I ever received was that caffeine's not the answer. It’s more important to be well fed and never skip a meal. Even if you feel like you don't have time.”

What kind of support has made it easier to be resilient?

Diana, current trainee

“For me, the mentor/mentee schemes that A&O Shearman have in place definitely helped. For example, when I was in Real Estate Finance, I had an associate buddy who I met up with quite often. It helped to talk to someone who wasn't necessarily my supervisor, but who was still in the same team.”

Toby, current trainee

“The formal training was very useful. There was a session on business essentials where we learned about the foundations of working in a law firm and delivering for clients. Also, the best advice often comes from the people you work with. There are always opportunities to learn how others handle themselves on a call or deal with things when they don’t go to plan. That’s been the most valuable to me.”

And finally, do you have any advice for future trainees?

Diana, current trainee

“I would say learn to take feedback as neutrally as you can. Positive feedback is nice to hear and it’s good to know that you’re doing well, but constructive feedback is really where you learn. It's kind of crucial because if you don't get it, then you can't excel. Our jobs are difficult and we're not going to do everything perfectly or well the first time. So, I think it's vital to see it as a good sign.”

Toby, current trainee

“Make sure you know why you want to do this kind of training contract and why you want to join A&O Shearman. It’s going to be demanding in quite specific ways. So, when things get challenging, if you know your reasons, it will help you immensely and enable you to be more resilient.”

Resilience is just one of the attributes we look for in our future trainees. Find out what other attributes and skills we look for in our assessment framework (link to assessment framework).