Life Lessons with Layla Dribble

Applying for a training contract can be daunting, and it's not always easy to relate the experience you have to the job. In our "Life Lessons" series, our trainees reflect on the non-legal experience they had and how it helped them with their application and interview.

Did you know trainee Layla Dribble spent nine months travelling and visited 11 different countries?

"After two years of relentless saving, in November 2015 I left the UK for India to begin nine months of travelling around Asia and Australasia. I visited 11 different countries and experienced amazing food, a variety of cultures and many take-your-breath-away sites. I was able to develop many skills during this time, but I found three of the most important skills were organisation, adaptability and an ability to stay calm under pressure.

Firstly, in terms of organisation, I had to make sure I had every plane, train or bus ticket along with my passport and any required visas to travel across the borders of multiple countries. Before even leaving I needed to ensure I had all the required vaccines and malaria tablets, appropriate clothing dependant on the weather or culture of the country I was visiting. Being organised was really important and although I may have nearly missed a flight or two (having overslept), I definitely feel as though I returned home a much more organised individual. Secondly, adaptability was a must. Every country I visited was different and I found myself in situations I had never been in before and this really helped me to develop the ability to immerse myself in different environments or situations. Finally, whether it was nearly missing a flight or crossing a border on foot to find that the coach had left without us, it was so important to be able to stay calm and keep a level head to figure out our next move.

The skills I have outlined are completely transferable to a working environment. When applying for a training contract, being able to adapt to the different tasks during each stage of the application process was really helpful. It enabled me to analyse what it was that I was being asked to demonstrate in each activity which subsequently allowed me to showcase relevant skills and knowledge I possess. The ability to stay calm under pressure was hugely helpful when it came to the assessment centre, it's so easy to let nerves take over in those circumstances but being able to channel that into your performance and remain calm is such a useful tool. This completely carries over into life as a trainee and being able to remain calm has really helped me in situations where I have a lot of urgent tasks on at the same time. It gives me clarity and also makes it easier to prioritise."