“Brace yourself and get thick skin”
In the latest episode of Brief Encounters we sit down with Maab Saifeldin: trainee solicitor, lawfluencer, and mother of one.
We have an honest and thoughtful conversation about the realities of trying to enter the legal profession.
We talk about the importance of being open-minded, especially early on in your legal career. Maab had no interest in commercial law to begin with. Her dad worked for the UN and she saw herself practising humanitarian law.
We also discuss the convoluted SQE system, including the costs and the rarely-discussed pitfalls.
Work experience (legal or non-legal) was also a central theme of the discussion. Maab’s stint working in a call centre has come in very useful in her career so far. Students should think carefully about the skills they have gained in different jobs or placements and how they can be applied to a career in law.
Maab talks about how one thing that surprised her was how commercially aware lawyers need to be. It’s not only about staying up to date with world news, but also understanding how businesses work and what they want to achieve in the future.
Maab has significant in-house experience, so of course we had to discuss the differences between that and training in private practice. Maab is a big fan of the variety of work you get exposed to in-house, and thinks that there are many benefits of being a generalist.
All this and much more. Listen now.
Follow Maab:
@LifewithMaab – Instagram and TikTok
Maab Saifeldin – LinkedIn