Meet the recruiter

Name:

Philippa Shorthouse

What is your job title?

HR advisor

What does your job involve?

I manage the graduate recruitment process. This involves reviewing CVs and hosting the assessment centres and open days. I interview trainees and have a say in who we take on.

I also manage the seat moves and newly qualified process so I keep in touch with our trainees right through the training contract and onwards!

Who is in your team?

I work with Zena Comrie, who has lots of experience in running assessment centres and open days. She is my lifeline! 

We have five recruitment partners who attend open days and assessment centres and carry out interviews with successful candidates.

We also work with a company called the Recruitment Team who come in and run our assessment centres and open days for us.  We have worked with them for about 12 years so they know the firm very well.

How long have you worked at Browne Jacobson?

18 months now, but even after two weeks with the firm, I felt like I had worked here forever. That must be a good thing!  Prior to working in HR, I was an employment lawyer and had practiced for 5 years.  So I understand what it is like to apply for a training contract and be a trainee!

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Offering training contracts. I have hugged a lot of trainees and have even cried at some of the reactions! I know how much it means to get the offer and you can get carried away with the emotion. It's great to be able to make such a difference. 

What do you look for in a trainee?

We look for potential. Candidates sometimes worry about having to behave like lawyers at interview but all we are looking for is the potential to be a great lawyer. It is our job to convert that potential once the training contract starts. It would be unrealistic to expect any of the trainees to be the finished article. 

The great thing about Browne Jacobson is that we don't hire clones, all of our trainees are very different and this reflects our people and the different client sectors we work for. 

Trainees need a good academic background in order to do the job as it is very technically challenging and they also need to be able to relate to others so interpersonal sensitivity and skills are a must. Trainees are measured against a number of competencies such as persuasion, commerciality and negotiation skills.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about applying to Browne Jacobson?

Do it! This is a great firm and our trainees are a very happy bunch!

Top tips

• It costs the firm £100k to put someone through a training contract. To make sure we think you are worth this investment think about what changes you might need to make, it could be your style, presentation skills or just reading a broadsheet newspaper so you are more aware of the world around you.
  
• Get the easy stuff right and think about how you are presenting yourself on paper. Lawyers are obsessed with grammar and typographical errors. Triple check your application form and give yourself the best possible start!
  
• Speak at our assessment centres. I know that nerves get the better of us all at times but we are measuring your contribution against a number of competencies. If you don't speak, we've got nothing to go on.
  
• Be yourself.  If you try to be something you are not, you might end up at the wrong firm and two years can go by very slowly if you are unhappy. 
  
• Don't just research the firm. Do you know what is happening in the legal profession right now? Do you know what the main news headlines are at the moment?  Get yourself up to date with issues, this is something lawyers have to do on the job so start now and impress us!

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