I left school aged 18 and joined Brodies in June 2016, on a business and admin apprenticeship through You Train, one of Brodies' training partners. I was placed in the Debt and Asset recovery team in the Glasgow office where I carried out daily tasks such as raising court actions and preparing service of court actions. As well as my day-to-day debt recovery work I also had to complete seven modules for my apprenticeship in order to gain a level 3 qualification in Business and Administration. These modules gave me an understanding of collections techniques, the difference between consumer and commercial debt and bankruptcy and liquidation.

After I gained this qualification, I was offered a full team position within my current team, and it was at this point that I started to think about what I wanted to do on a long term basis. My line manager was really encouraging and persuaded me that I had the potential to train as a paralegal.

I decided to pursue paralegal training in Debt and Asset recovery. This qualification is run by CLT Scotland together with the University of Strathclyde, and I'm hoping to graduate by September 2018. Since training with CLT Scotland I have developed hugely within my current role. I now have my own case load which allows me to communicate with several different clients and carry out a wide variety of tasks that I was unable to complete without assistance, just a couple of months ago.

The team I work with are great; they made me feel comfortable from the start and I felt settled within a matter of days. The continuous support and guidance I get from them encourages me to push myself further. I really enjoy the fast-paced environment of the team, it plays to my strength and creates a great atmosphere to work in. My line manager is focused on my development for the future and we continue to discuss my options for further studies after I have gained my paralegal qualification. I've already looked into studying law part-time at the University of Strathclyde and I hope to start my studies in May 2019.

Like a lot of people that leave school at 18, I wasn't 100% sure what I wanted to do with my career, so for me, being part of a modern apprenticeship scheme gave me the best of both worlds; the opportunity to learn new skills and gain a qualification whilst gaining the practical – and very valuable – experience of being in a working environment.

This blog was written by Hannah Chalmers, trainee paralegal in Brodies' business disputes and asset recovery team.

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