So everyone goes on about commercial awareness all of the time. What does it mean and how to you get it? Here’s our simple guide to set you on the path, but a warning, there are no short cuts here!
The commercially aware person knows what’s going on generally in the world. Too many students are so wrapped up in study and uni life that somehow the big, wide world is passing them by. That’s not good enough! You need to consume news (and not just celeb news)! Find a medium that works for you. It might be reading papers on your phone or your tablet. It might be listening to podcasts or the television. If you’re at uni you’ve almost certainly got access to quality newspapers and journals through the uni library. Try engaging with the FT or The Economist. You can also read some of the daily newspapers for free. Try to get some political balance. Know the slant of the particular publication you’re reading and take account of that.
Then move on to understanding more about the sector you’re interested in. Want to be a City lawyer? Then engage with business news. If you plan to say that Fintech fascinates you then follow the stories about it, know that you will be able to hold your own in a conversation with anyone about it. A cautionary tip. If reading stories relating to business news bores you silly you might want to rethink that plan to be a City lawyer. It might not make you very happy.
What about if you want to be a Human Rights lawyer? Then you need to be out doing some campaigning or engaging with local human rights issues. Have you helped with the local foodbank or soup kitchen? Now might be the time to do that and to see first hand the impact of deprivation. Know about the stories about immigration, asylum and international atrocities. If you’re not robust enough to engage with the horror this career might not be for you.,
And if you want to be a high street lawyer? Well, know what the issues are in your local environment. Know about the arguments about the by-pass and the affordable housing development right next door to the up market estate.
Commercial awareness is all about context and you need to prepare for this one. Reading up the papers in the week before an interview is not going to cut it!