Introducing Mohamed
We spoke to a Mohamed Felaya, a brand ambassador at Baker Mckenzie and a final year law student at Swansea University, he kindly shared his path to a legal career and career advice for aspiring legal professionals.
How I became a brand ambassador at Baker & McKenzie
Many students are not aware that the skills you gain from such a role are very much in demand by law firms. Non-legal experience is as important as legal experience.
As a Brand Ambassador, you will be responsible for marketing and advertising the firm and its opportunities.
This includes a lot of creativity and innovation. Moreover, distributing promotional items and being the first point of contact for students on campus is a big part of your role.
That being said, you get to know everything about the firm and its strategies for growth. The tasks you might get in this role are very diverse, ranging from organising events to Instagram takeovers.
The application process for this role was a bit different this time, but it was fun and straightforward though. I had to make a creative TikTok video stating three reasons why I chose Baker McKenzie and three reasons why they should hire me.
What skills and strengths do you need to be a good Brand Ambassador?
There are many skills needed for this role, of course, but I would say there are three main skills needed for this role.
As you can imagine, being an ambassador means that you need strong and clear communication skills, which is one of the most important transferable skills that are crucial for the development of any lawyer.
You will also need to be a team player as you will be required to work on some projects with the rest of the Brand Ambassadors or collaborate with the graduate recruitment team. And finally, you need to have commercial awareness and a strong understanding of the legal industry.
Why did you choose Baker McKenzie?
Baker McKenzie is a truly global law firm. As an international student aspiring to have a career in international commercial law, Baker McKenzie has always been my first choice. Around 70% of the deals at Baker McKenzie are cross-border.
They have been ranked #1 for cross-border deals by volume over the past decade. This is something unique you would not find in other law firms.
Moreover, the firm’s culture is very appealing to me. I have attended so many open days and events with many law firms, and I could tell that the culture here at the firm is really great for many reasons.
People are approachable and always willing to help, which is crucial when it comes to training at a top international law firm as it might be daunting if you do not get the right support.
Also, innovation at Baker McKenzie is at the heart of everything they do. They are always open and willing to listen to your thoughts.
What advice would you give to aspiring lawyers?
I would definitely encourage all aspiring solicitors to check all Baker McKenzie's opportunities, such as open days, vacation schemes, direct training contracts, and the brand ambassador role.
Be yourself and believe in your skills. Baker McKenzie does not hire only from Oxbridge or Russel-group universities like some other big law firms. Baker McKenzie is very diverse and inclusive. They genuinely care about the value you could bring to the firm, not your university or background.
If you're interested in working for Baker & McKenzie, take a look at the aptitude tests they use here. Get a head start in your career by taking these practise tests and standing out from the crowd to employers.
Photo by Adeolu Eletu on Unsplash
