"Keep doing the small things well, and don't be afraid of something new"
Throughout my journey from a first-year law student up to graduation, Krogerus has been the place where I have been able to gain insight on what it feels like to work in a top-tier law firm and to learn from the best people in the field. When starting as an Office Support Trainee in January 2019, my knowledge about working at a law firm was mainly based on TV series such as Suits and Good Wife, where practicing law requires tough skin, silky smooth suits and the ability to rag to the opposing counsel whenever given the chance. Thankfully, these preconceptions were debunked instantly. The firm welcomed me with open arms: everyone was, and still is, accepted as who they are.
After working as an Office Support Trainee, I had the chance to assist our Dispute Resolution practice group in a database transfer project which lasted for two months, followed by a Knowledge Management traineeship, which started in January 2021. I highly recommend every law student to consider applying for a Knowledge Management Trainee position. At Krogerus, I had the opportunity to work with different practice groups by assisting them in, for example, legal research. This trainee period gave me the perfect opportunity to truly see the type of legal work each practice group conducts within the firm. I realised which legal areas interest me and which would not be my go-to areas if I was to specialise later in my career.
After a year of working as a Knowledge Management Trainee, I started my student exchange in Zürich, Switzerland. A student exchange is also something that I highly recommend for law students to experience. Making new friends from different cultures and learning about their culture, while also enhancing your English language skills, is something I will always cherish. After the exchange semester, I started as an Associate Trainee at Krogerus' Energy practice group. The trainee period lasted from July 2022 to January 2023. The hands-on experience, taking part in client calls and truly seeing and being able to do so-called "lawyer's work" sucked me in. "What could be a better environment to grow as future lawyer?", I thought to myself. To this day, I still consider Krogerus an excellent learning environment for future lawyers.
On 18 September 2024, my first year as an Associate at Krogerus' Energy practice group was completed. What I truly enjoy is the people at Krogerus – we have an ambitious attitude while doing business but can still have a laugh and are able not to take things too seriously.
Even though my career is still at an early stage, I feel like this would be a great opportunity to give a one year younger me some friendly advice:
- The learning curve will be steep: Something new will be learned every day. Embrace it with open arms.
- E-mailing gets easier with repetition: Sweaty palms will be your first reaction to writing client e-mails. Don't get me wrong, client e-mails can still make you nervous, but thankfully you will not need extra shirts anymore.
- Ask, ask, ask: Set the threshold to asking questions low. It is good to first do some research yourself but be ready to ask questions. It is highly appreciated and shows that you want to learn.
- Krogerus is still the place to be: The first impressions you had of Krogerus and its people as an Office Support Trainee still apply to this day.
- This is a marathon, not a sprint: Good things take time, whether you are trying to become a tennis pro or a highly respected attorney. Keep doing the small things well, and don't be afraid of something new. It all adds up in the end.
