Right now it's is the 21st of April and I am babysitting some students while they take a test as part of these assessment day for people interested in signing a training contract with the firm (this will make more sense later). It is a little ackward to just sit here and stare at them/the wall for 45 minutes to I decided to diligently sit here and compose a blog. While it has been over two weeks since I started work...I have been slightly behind in terms of blogging (which you may or may not have noticed, lol) so let's take it back to the beginning, my first day. ::smoke fills the imaginary room of your mind::

Tuesday 4th April (Note the use of British lingo...) was the first day of my first real job. (Lets ignore the fact that I am on a fixed contract, am still considered an intern, and am not technically making a salary) I am working full time in the HR department at Lovells- Which is a large international law firm that is based heavily in The City of London. For those of you not familiar with London..."the city" as its referred to as about a square mile of London that is the business heart of the UK...it contains all the major banks, law firms, and big business practices. It's comparable to Wall Street in New York.

There are multiple HR departments at Lovells but the one that I am working in deals with graduate recruitment and people development. At little background information- There is this amazing system in the UK where law firms recruit their lawyers right out of undergrad. Students apply to the different firms and then if a firm accepts them the student signs a training contract and then the firm pays for their law school and training and usually retains about 80% of their trainee's after they become qualified lawyers. To be a lawyer in the UK you have to go to 1-2 years of law school (If you majored in law in undergrad then 1, if you didn't then 2) and then you do a 2 year training with a law firm where you sit in 4 different departments for 6 months at a time. This gives you exposure to different areas of law you work very closely with qualified attorneys. Many trainee solicitors get to work and carry out small deals on their own. I think this system sounds awesome and I feel like on qualification lawyer in the UK have a much greater grasp on what they will actually be doing at work!

So, the department that I work in markets the firm to potential recruits (graduate marketing), guides interested students through the applications process and runs assessment days (graduate recruitment), keeps track of them and their paper work through the 3-4 years that they are in school/training (trainee development), and then another team that deals with getting newly qualified associates the training then need for their future careers (people development). My title is career development which basically equates to working with all the teams. However, right now my desk sits with trainee development so I have been doing the most work for them. However, in the last couple days I have helped out graduate recruitment with some of their projects. I find the assessment days and working with students very interesting. However, ever thing that our office does is very cyclical...you repeat the same thing approximately every six months. So I am sure you 30's assessment day would not be as interesting as your first, lol.


I have got to work on some very interesting projects since I started. I am very amazed at how many steps there are to a seemingly small task. Just sending out an email involving a meeting could involved using a spreadsheet to look up recipients, drafting and editing the email, creating a spreadsheet to track responses, updating calendar entries, booking rooms, etc. We use several different IT programs and very technical stuff like a document management system which is pretty snazzy. I love outlook express...and how people can send you calendar appointments and then it updates you about your schedule...its pretty awesome.

I have had a decent amount to do thus far but right now we are in a calm before the storm period because of the merger coming up there is certain things that we can't do until after the merger because of branding issues. However, I have been doing stuff like scheduling meetings and interviews, archiving files, making name tags, reviewing information and writing reports, attending meetings, and then just doing some small tasks as per request. It has all been very interesting and I am definitely learning a lot.

I really love the company of Lovells and I really like the general idea of working for a large company, dressing up every day, and the perks that a large company offers like sports and social events, holiday parties, and name recognition. I have already attended two drinks receptions and have at least one every month. I love networking with the different students and people in the firm. Lovells has a really good reputation in the law world for having a very friendly and fun atmosphere, being very international, and having a large range of practice areas- all of which I find very interesting.

Well, the smoke has totally cleared and there is no much background information to give that I am pretty sure you have completely forgotten that fact that I was supposed to be explaining my first day...lol, well there really isn't that much to it.

On my first day I put on my new suit and walked to work to experience my first day. Everyone was extremely friendly and I had been scheduled to have meetings with people from all different areas of this department. The first day was a whirlwind of information that I really haven't started to truly grasp until now. I spend the second half the of the day filing which made me feel like I was actually accomplishing something...haha, but was pretty dry. Overall, from the first day I have been impressed with the company and what they represent.

I look forward to being able to write you more interesting blogs with stories and such...but these first couple are very important to actually have a base of understanding of what my job entails...so I hope you still found in interesting!

Cheers!

Sarah

Sunday, April 11, 2010

The Arrival- Sarah vs. Desk

First, a rant about domestic baggage fees! I had to take a United claustrophobic regional jet from Phoenix to Los Angeles. I had looked up the bag fees for my main flight on Air New Zealand to London and was expecting to pay about 80 dollars for my bags being overweight. However, United (note: they were airline of the great weather crisis in New York...so now I hate them even more!) said that they had to charge the fee's for the most restrictive carrier and they charged me $350!!

Anyways, besides that large amount of money spend on nothing (!) the flight and journey over was actually quite pleasant. On my long flight I had a empty seat next to me and was able to sleep a little bit. When I arrived (and went through customs- which took forever!) I was met by Jessica from Mountbatten who had a car service to take me to my new London flat! I was the only one they were picking up so we were able to leave right away. On the drive there I had my mini orientation where they basically handed me a giant envelope to read at a later time. We also drove near the river and I got to see Big Ben, the eye, and other amazing London landmarks.

My flat is very nice! Its huge...and having a actual living room, kitchen, sofas and cable makes a huge difference! I love the area of Islington...it's in the heart of the finical district with lots of restaurants and shops and walking distance from work.







Upon arriving I was dead tired but I managed to get through the entire day. We attended a mini orientation at the Mountbatten office and then I was able to start unpacking. I was planning on retiring early but I decided upon some persuasion from my other late arrival buddy (hi jackie!) to treck it out to Primark to buy pillows and other needed supplies. We also immersed ourselves in culture by eating a lovely meal at Britain's finest- Subway. All of my roomates were traveling for Easter weekend so I didn't get to meet them until Tuesday...I was very excited to meet them all but it was nice to have the weekend to get organized and get my room set up.
My large project was buying a nightstand and a desk for my room. We have a cheap warehouse store about a half a mile from the flat. It felt like a very short walk on the way there...however, when I was dragging a large desk in a box it felt VERY long. I started with the night stand...it was a smaller box and I managed to get it back okay. I didn't realize that so much assemble was involved though. I have seriously never assembled anything in my life. At the store they told me that it shouldn't require any skills to assemble but I found a couple things very true:

1) Good quality tools make a big different. When you buy a 20p plastic, cheap ass screwdriver from the minimart your hands get cut up and you can't actually get the screws in all the way.

2) British directions vary just enough from how American directions would to confuse the hell out of you.

3) Sarah is not a good handy-woman. However, with 3 hours I did manage to assemble my night-stand. Sure, the draw faces come off sometimes and I didn't actually manage to nail the back piece on...but it looks nice and its functional!

The desk was much heavier and harder to get home. My arms felt it on the way home and every British person gave me a funny look as I dragged a box about the size of me down the streets of London (20 feet at a time) But I made it! Then I took my crap screw driver and killed my arms for about an hour enough to get the screws in about half way...which by the way when the screws aren't in all the way the desk
wobbles...a lot. So I went down stairs to grab something from the minimart and the night watchman was down there...and I asked him if he had a screwdriver that I could borrow. He asked he is could help and in 2 mins had the screws in all the way and my desk perfect..wish I had saved myself an hour and just asked in the first place!

Well...after that I had a wonderful weekend meeting people and exploring the amazing city of London. We went out in the city and walked through all of the major attractions! Lovely day. We also had a lovely lunch in a pub and drank ciders (It took us quite a long time to find too). On Saturday I meet up with a friend who I studied abroad with and we went to Portobello Road market and ate lunch at Borough Market...we walked along the South Bank and went to Tate Modern.

Easter Sunday was a wonderful and relaxing day. Some of the girls in my building organized a Easter dinner and people made mashed potatoes, ham, carrot cake, and delicious salad! There were about 10 people who attended and we had wonderful food with wonderful company. We all toasted to the amazing experience that we were about to embark on and all the wonderful friends we were bound to meet!

I guess from getting I was chasing my big I'm In London! moment...but it never really came. I later realized that this was because London is a place that truly feels like home to me. I feel this great connection with my study abroad experience and the home I made for myself here. I am so excited to be back and have been given the opportunity that i have.

It's going to be an amazing journey...

2 Suitcases is NOT Enough!

I marvel at how much stuff I have actually accumulated over the years. I have managed to pack everything into two suite cases. However, my room looks as if nothing has been removed. My closet still contains quite a few clothes despite the 2 stuffed suitcases and the mountain of giveaway clothes in the hallway. Every year to my dorm I take more than a car full of stuff and I still feel like most of what I own is at my house in Prescott. Not to mention that I come home a lot! The fact that when I leave for the airport on Wednesday morning that I will not see my room or any of the stuff I am leaving behind for a year and a half is freaking me out!

However, I am happy with the amount of stuff that I managed to shove into those two small suitcases (120 pounds worth...ugh)! Especially considering that I need a full professional wardrobe as well as a casual one. I am the proud new owner of lots of professional clothes to make me feel snazzy for my new high class job!

The excitement is finally starting to set in! I have been stressed out over getting my visa, plane ticket, returning clothes, packing and had not let the idea of leaving really sink in. I had really come to terms with not going. Therefore, I have really had very little time to process the idea of leaving. A couple days ago I was in my room facebook-ing and watching some television rerun and then it was like the concept of my moving to London in a week resonated in my head! It still feels unreal. However, lately I have started to stress less and get excited more...and that is a great place to be!

This experience will truly be a 180 in terms of my life. Since my graduation in December I have had very little going on. I have not really been working (besides a few shifts here and there) or doing anything truly productive. I don't have that many friends here in Prescott so I haven't had much of a social life either. It's been quite boring at times. To say the least. And now I am heading off to London. A city that truly allows you never to be bored. There is so much to do that even when you sit in your room and do nothing you always know that there is endless possibilities that await outside your door. On any given day you could go the theater, a museum, a great restaurant, or just sit on a bridge and stare into the amazing face of Big Ben and glory at the fact that you are in one o the most exciting cities in the world.

During my semester abroad I took 4 easy classes and only had class on tue,wed, and thurs. Yet, I was still always busy and didn't have enough time to do everything that I wanted to! This time around I will be working full time, taking classes, and still wanting to travel and enjoy the many wonderful things that London has to offer! Good thing I have three times as long this time! In addition, last time I was constantly traveling. There was once 5 weekends in a row that I was gone for 3 or 4 days of the week. It was wonderful, don't get me wrong. However, this time I really want to focus more on being in London and soaking up the feeling of truly living and being there. I will still travel! Of course I will. However, if I could go to as many places as I did in a year as I did in 4 months I will be satisfied.

So...although my parents would love to pack up my belongings and turn my room into a home gym...I rest assured that my room will be here upon my return. My stuffed animals will be cared for. My rejected clothes will remain on their hangers and my family will go on without me. It's sad to leave and I am sure that I will miss the many great perks of home however no sadness could never come close to the great excitement and sense of adventure I feel about embarking on this journey. It truly will be one adventure of a life time...and I vow to get everything out of this experience that I possibility can.

A Long, Difficult, and Extremely Exciting Process!

Welcome to my blog! I intend to keep this blog as a way to update people on my experience and travel and share interesting stories. Please leave comments and feedback!

I know that I have a bad history with keeping up a blog...but I am definitely going to try to be better this time. I know I will be very busy with work and with school but my goal is to write every week or two, and certainly after any trips or exciting events.

The journey has been a crazy roller coaster ride with some great highs and lows. I was thrilled to be accepted into the Mountbatten Internship Programme back in November and started to plan my future around completing this program. However, my acceptance was contingent on being hired by a host company in London. I spent 2 and half long months waiting and didn't even get an interview. I was saddened and resolved in my head that I was not getting in. I started looking at other jobs in Prescott and received official word that it was over last Wednesday. However, Thursday morning I was awoken by a phone call from Mountbatten informing me that a position, that they hadn't thought was going to come through, had come through and I got an interview! I tried not to get my hopes but planned and prepared as much as I possibly could. My interview took place Friday morning at 8am and was about 30 minutes long. I really felt that it went well and hoped for the best. I got a call around 2 pm that same day saying that I had been offered the job! The last position available, one they didn't even think would happen!--it's been a pretty incredible journey, but at least it ended well!

I have selected the MBA program which is a full year in London where I will work full time at a host company and take classes at night and some weekends. Housing is provided through the program. I will live in one of three Mountbatten apartments that have 2-3 shared rooms. It will be a fully furnished apartment and all utilities are included. After my year in London I will fly to Thailand and spend a semester there (about 5 months) going to school full time and finishing up my MBA. Therefore, when I finish the program I will have a year of full time work experience and my MBA in international business practice.

The schedule will be very intense but I think that will be good for me! I will have class some Wednesdays from 6:30-8:30 and some weekends Saturday 10:00-5:00 and Sunday 10:00-2:00.

I am extremely excited about the job as well! It seems like the perfect position for me. I will be working at Lovells LLP. It a huge international law firm that is currently undergoing a merger with Hogan and Hartson (a large US based international law firm) that will make it one of the top 10 international law firms in the world. I will be working in the HR department and my official title will be Career Development Administrator. I will be very busy and working with my different committees planning events and recruiting sessions, and maintaining files and documents for lawyers who are being recruited into their program. My job will entail booking travel arrangements, all things involved in event planning, updating spreadsheets, liaising with partners and lawyers, coordinating meetings, etc.
When talking with my interviewers they said that this position will allow me to work with many different aspects of law, business, event planning, and HR. I am really excited about the ability to learn about these different aspects and figuring out which path I really want to pursue.

So with only about two weeks notice to wrap my head about leaving the country for a year and half...it's been nerve wracking...but extremely exciting!

I am receiving my information tomorrow to start the process for applying for a visa so I can get my plane ticket and figure out everything.

So Goodbye for now but I will be sure (hopefully) to write back soon and many more times throughout my journey.