Jen Baird (she/her) is the senior graduate recruitment manager at Hogan Lovells. She is based at the London office and has been at the firm for three years.
What has been your most memorable moment in the job?
The best bits of my role is seeing a hard-working student who I have built a strong relationship with gain a training contract with the firm. Nothing beats the feeling of seeing someone you have supported, successfully achieve their goal.
Does your firm run a vacation scheme?
We offer a winter and two summer vacation schemes. These are open to all students from the penultimate year onwards. We are expecting the schemes to run again in person and will offer a hybrid scheme, working both in the office and from home. This will be dependent on the current situation and we will revert to a virtual scheme if it is not safe to run the schemes in person.
What kind of work can candidates expect to experience during the vacation scheme?
Students will be given a supervisor for each seat they work in and will work on real client work and projects. This can range from drafting documents, to research and due diligence, to attending client calls and meetings.
What key skills does your firm look for in candidates when they apply?
We look for a strong commitment to commercial law, through open days and events you have attended. Through the competency questions, we look for skills such as teamwork, leadership, good time management, resilience and good communication skills.
How is the firm adopting the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE)?
We are part of the City Consortium, which is made up of six of the City’s leading law firms. We are introducing the SQE from September 2022 and our future trainees will take our City Consortium Training Programme, which will prepare you for SQE1 and SQE2, and for a career as a City lawyer.
What is the most common way that candidates let themselves down in their applications?
Answering the competency questions with examples that you think we want to hear about, rather than showing a good variety of experiences that show your passions and interests. The idea of the application is to get to know you as an individual, so show variety.
Should candidates use examples of non-legal work experience in their applications?
Absolutely! You gain so many transferable skills from any work experience, so make sure you include every experience you have had.
How did the firm adapt to covid-19?
The firm adapted to the pandemic very well. We transitioned to working from home very smoothly, as the firm already had technology in place to support this. From a practical perspective, the firm has provided any equipment needed. From a well-being perspective, there has also been a lot of additional support on offer. This was particularly important for our trainees who started their training contract remotely. We introduced buddy programmes, alongside different virtual social activities, to make sure trainees integrated into the firm well. There was also support available when we transitioned back to working in the office.
What’s your favourite way to unwind from work?
I am a very keen runner and spend most of my free time training for my next race!
