What is a campus ambassador and how can becoming one boost your employability?
If you are interested in the answer to this question or wondering how to stand out in the rat race that is the legal market, then please read on – it’s worth the investment.
TLP has its own ambassadorship – the TLP Ambassador Programme! With 100% of last year’s ambassadors saying they’d recommend the role to a friend, why not have a go at applying yourself?
What is a Campus Ambassador?
A campus ambassador is a student representative for a law firm or other legal organisation (usually they start as second years) tasked with the job of advertising the organisation on their campus.
Why become one though?
1. It Pays – in One Way or Other
It’s rare to secure paid work within legal sector early in your student career, especially with a top firm. The amount may not be significant compared to a part time job at £250 – 500 a year.
However, the fact it is paid has a value in itself as from recruiter’s point of view; as the saying goes, ‘anyone can work for free, but receiving payment for services, and recurring payment at that, demonstrates a quality of service’ (it also opens doors to other paid work in the firm).
Those that do not pay will often offer brilliant benefits – like access to events for free and opportunities to win prizes throughout the ambassadorship.
2. Recruiter & Rainmaker Skills
Interesting we mention recruiter in the last section because that is one of the reasons for getting involved in this role – recruitment is what you do in advertising the firm/organisation, since you are often hunting for good candidates for the firm to ‘recruit them’.
These ‘bringing value to the firm’ activities have a dual purpose of demonstrating your ability to generate value services especially client procurement which is crucial to firm survival, (so crucial some make a successful career of it).
3. Organisation skills
As a lawyer, you handle a lot of work, so demonstrating organisational skills is essential. It is relied upon for:
- organising client events;
- organising billable work;
- organising work.
And, as such, is quite useful. As an ambassador, there are not too many better ways to demonstrate that skill in a legal setting, since as an ambassador you would be:
- organising firm-focused events;
- organising your time balancing work and study commitments;
- organising teams of lawyers at events.
This is an incomparable experience, perfect for proving to any firm that you have the core competencies to do this varied job.
4. Soft Skills & Communication
Given ambassadors are promoters for firms/organisations, there’s an expectation of communicating with different parties/people on behalf of the firm, which is a mirror fit with the work you would do in a firm anyway.
In addition, those skills are being developed around lawyers and clients, meaning inadvertently you will pick up:
- Lawyer mannerism;
- Techniques that can enhance your own studies;
- The ability to network with legal professionals.
5. Networking & Future Career Advice
Never underestimate the opportunities that spring from an ambassadorship. As the main voice of a firm/organisation, you have immediate benefits of:
- Exclusive access to a firm and its resources;
- Better chances of securing a training contract from firms;
- Better chances for securing an internship from firms;
- The chance to meet specialists that can enhance your education.
All these networking benefits are granted on you the moment you become an ambassador, yet you can take this position to a whole new level. Given your access to lawyers you can:
- Develop strong bonds with solicitors before they become partners;
- Build strong ties within the legal sector you wish to enter;
- Develop commercial awareness of the sector from practitioners;
- Get real trusted frank career advice from professionals.
All together these benefits make for a highly employable asset of a person, who has a proven track record of bringing value to a firm/organisation.
Where to Apply
If this article has peaked your interest then why not consider TLP? Applications are open or try law firms there are plenty online to chose from.
Author: Cameron Haden
