When Jennifer finished her A-levels, she chose a path that set her apart from many of her peers: an apprenticeship. Her journey from school leaver to confident legal professional at Farrer & Co demonstrates how the right apprenticeship can transform a career trajectory.
The apprenticeship decision
Jennifer discovered Farrer & Co’s apprenticeship scheme during a gap year after A-levels.
“What I like was that there was an external apprenticeship programme that I could do,” Jennifer explained. The rotation opportunities also appealed particularly because Jennifer had no experience in law and “knew that it would be a learning curve.”
Jennifer also valued the practical rewards of the apprenticeship: “I liked the work aspect because you’re earning at the same time.” More fundamentally, “you’re actually in the environment that you’re going to work in. So it’s more realistic.”
Early development
Starting at Farrer & Co brought some doubts. “At the start I questioning myself, was this really the right decision for me?” Jennifer admitted. But something fundamental shifted over the course of her apprenticeship.
“My confidence has grown and flourished a lot,” she said. “I also know myself better.”
Mia Holdsworth-Norman, HR Manager at Farrer & Co, witnessed this transformation: “From the outset, she impressed with her strong work ethic, punctuality, and eagerness to learn. She quickly adapted to the demands of a busy role, even when faced with unfamiliar practice areas or tasks, showing confidence and resilience.”
Jennifer’s daily responsibilities were demanding and varied – handling client emails, managing complex diarising, booking meetings, preparing client care letters, creating invoices during billing periods and arranging travel itineraries for fee earners.
What distinguished Jennifer is her systematic approach. She maintained clear ‘to-do’ lists and anticipated priorities, ensuring nothing fell off her or her fee earners’ radar, contributing to smooth and efficient workflows, and this proactive organisation made her indispensable to her teams.
Innovation
For her apprenticeship project, Jennifer identified a problem that affected both apprentices and trainees at Farrer & Co. When someone rotated into a new team, the receiving team had no systematic way of understanding that person’s capabilities.
Her solution was practical: a rotation review feedback form that travels with the apprentice or trainee. The process works in stages – the apprentice completes it themselves, their buddy reviews it and the outgoing manager sends it to the incoming manager. This simple innovation transformed the rotation experience: “It made the work run more smoothly and more efficient as opposed to trying to gauge throughout the weeks of what this person can do, you can just see it on the form itself.”
Growth and development
Nothing demonstrates Jennifer’s growth more powerfully than an event that occurred just a few months into her apprenticeship. When Farrer & Co organised a major event for prospective trainees and apprentices, Jennifer volunteered to serve as a panel member. Despite the scale of the event, she excelled – speaking confidently, representing the firm brilliantly and engaging so effectively that attendees sought her out afterward for further advice. As Mia reflected: “This reflects her professionalism, communication skills, and ability to inspire others.”
Beyond individual achievements, Jennifer has proven herself an excellent team player. Colleagues and fee earners consistently described her as reliable, approachable and an asset to the firm, with her collaborative nature enhancing team dynamics wherever she works.
Jennifer’s coach at Damar, Sarah Barnes, said: “Jennifer worked methodically throughout the apprenticeship, demonstrating a good understanding of the learning and how it applied to her job role and the different departments. You could see how Jennifer settled within the company as her confidence built and she showed good organisational and planning skills throughout which was noted in her EPA. Jennifer was excited about her project and was able to use the coaching skills she has developed in how to support apprentices throughout the rotation and identify skills gap and relevant support.”
The transformation in Jennifer over the course of her apprenticeship has been remarkable. She has developed not only technical and organisational skills but also the interpersonal abilities that make someone truly effective in professional services.
Now permanently placed in the private client tax team, Jennifer takes a measured approach to her future. “I’d like to find my footing first and then progress from there,” she explained.
Jennifer’s journey from A-levels to accomplished practice assistant demonstrates the potential of apprenticeships for school leavers. With her strong work ethic, approachable nature and willingness to go above and beyond, Jennifer is someone who has made a lasting impact on her teams and the wider business. For young people weighing their options after school, Jennifer’s experience shows that the apprenticeship pathway can deliver not just a job, but genuine professional growth, confidence and the foundation for a thriving career.