Articles From the Team
Preparation is Key
Preparation was key when it came to the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge.
On Saturday the 14th October the North West Private Practice team took on the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge and it’s fair to say we completely underestimated the challenge ahead. For those who don’t know what the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge is, it’s a 25 mile circuit around 3 of Yorkshires Dales’ tallest peaks (Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough) in fewer than 12 hours. Whilst we’d done a little bit of research into the challenge ahead, our preparation could have been better. Luckily we were able to complete the mammoth task (made even worse by the gruelling conditions) in a fantastic time of 10 hours 48 minutes. On reflection there had been a number of things we could have done better which got me thinking about the importance of preparation throughout the recruitment process and our preparation for the Yorkshire 3 Peaks.
The first obvious comparison was the lack of practice runs. Each mountain was a different challenge and in all honesty we hadn’t done a practice run up any of the mountains individually. This is the same before heading into an interview. In order of having the best chance of succeeding in your interview, practice runs with a recruiter or a friend would be extremely beneficial. It allows you to pick up on where you went wrong, prepare better answers to tricky questions, identify which parts of the interview you need to improve on which ultimately will improve your overall performance.
The lack of research into the task ahead was a big flaw personally and I cannot stress how important it is to do the necessary research into the firm ahead of your interview. Having a good knowledge of the firm you are meeting, the partners you are going to be interviewed by and the necessary history of deals or work the department you may be joining had done shows that you are completely interested in the firm in front of you. First impressions count and if you can show that you’ve taken time out to research the firm and reciprocate this in interview, it gives off a great first impression.
The home stretch! Mentally this was without a doubt the hardest part of the challenge and I think it’s is very relatable to the closing stages of the recruitment process. The finish line was within a few miles (all downhill) but it felt impossible to get there. Similar to when you’ve received the offer, and are going to hand in your notice and then work your notice for a long period of 3/6 or even 12 months in a firm where everyone knows you won’t be staying. It’s a mental challenge to stay motivated throughout your notice period similar to the mental challenge of walking down the final peak and the question you keep asking yourself is if you can do this and will it be worth it. Take it from me and the members of BCL’s NWPP, the 47 kilometres, 55,000 steps, 430 flights of stairs climbed and 10 hours 48 minutes were absolutely worth every penny we had raised for charity! Think about the end goal and keep going!
If you’ve read my blog and would like to donate to the two fantastic local charities we have raised money for then please click on the link below;
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/bcllegalnorthwest-ltd