Third-year law student Harley Kirk has shared her experience of the difficulties she faced while trying to secure a summer placement in a recent article for the Law Society of Scotland.
Harley reminds students to not compare their experiences to others. She says:
The daunting challenge of finding a summer placement undoubtedly contributed to my stress levels this semester and on some occasions overwhelmed me. This level of stress was unlike any other I had experienced before – if I were to describe the feeling, I would say it was like a ticking clock at the back of my thoughts. I felt like I was constantly running out of time.
With each application that I worked hard on being rejected, time and time again, I felt this put increased pressure on me for the next one.
I discovered that comparing myself to others was adding unnecessary stress to my application process. I had to focus on my own applications and quickly realised that not everyone’s professional path is the same.