Callum is in his final year at Warwick Business School studying for a BSc in International Management. When he signed up to become a member of MyPlus Students’ Club (MPSC) last year, Callum, who has dyslexia and dyspraxia, entered and won the opportunity to spend a day with featured disability confident employer and MPSC sponsor, Norton Rose Fulbright. With fierce competition for graduate jobs, work experience is an invaluable way of gaining insight and information about the employment landscape and will increase the likelihood of getting a job on graduation. Callum was able to gain a broad understanding of the culture at NRF and the nature of the work that intellectual property solicitors undertake, as well as understanding more about their commitment to diversity.
Over the course of the day, Callum had the opportunity to meet with the graduate recruitment team before being introduced to Joey, a solicitor specialising in media and intellectual property law, who he would be working with. Callum gained some valuable insights into what a ‘day in the life’ of an NRF solicitor involves, reviewing live cases, doing some legal research, attending a client meeting, going for dinner and then back for some more, and here’s what he had to say:
“My day was absolutely fantastic; the team did such a good job at ensuring there were many thought-provoking people to speak to who were also incredibly friendly and welcoming.”
14% of students in the UK have a disability, be it physical, mental or learning related, and many lack the information and confidence to know how to be open with an employer when disclosing a disability or requesting adjustments to the recruitment process. MyPlus Students’ Club is a free, online resource which offers comprehensive guidance on all aspects of applying for a job or internship with a disability, as well as providing connections to, and jobs with disability confident graduate recruiters who are profiled on the website in the Employer Directory.
We wish Callum every success in his future career and look forward to following his progress. Our thanks to the team at Norton Rose Fulbright for hosting Callum, and to the University of Warwick careers team for raising awareness of MyPlus Students’ Club as a resource for disabled students.
Author : Emma Knox speaking to Warwick University student Callum Owen-Vallentin about his day spent working with disability confident employer Norton Rose Fulbright.