Last year, I wrote a blog sharing my experiences of working from home as a trainee solicitor with Burness Paull.

As I read it now, I cannot believe how sure I was that the pandemic would last for a few months (at most) and then everything would just go back to normal and we would all just continue as we did before.

I wasn’t even sure if a lockdown would happen at all. Three lockdowns, and what feels like a million virtual quizzes later, I could not have been more wrong.

However, as the vaccines are rolled out across the country and we can collectively see light at the end of the tunnel, I wanted to share my experience of home-working a year on to shed some light on what it has been like.

Staying in touch

I have worked in three teams since the beginning of the pandemic and each has done an amazing job of keeping me informed, making me feel welcome and just generally using technology to consistently stay in touch throughout each working day.

Although real face-to-face interaction could never be replaced, the video function on Microsoft Teams has worked as a great alternative. This has been the most important element of working from home for me.

As a trainee, you benefit so much from listening to the conversations between different solicitors in the office and pick up on how they deal with different scenarios.

Now that we no longer get to hear these conversations, the solicitors that I have worked with since I began working from home have gone out of their own way to ensure that I am involved in as many calls (within the team and with clients) as possible.

This has certainly helped my development towards becoming a solicitor and has opened the door for trainees to experience interactions with clients as it is so easy to shadow calls through the use of technology - where it might actually have been more difficult in the office.

The positives

During the pandemic, I have always tried to focus on the positives. This has been made easier thanks to the support of my colleagues whenever I needed it.

As a result, I hope I have developed well on my way to qualifying as a solicitor despite everything being virtual.

In a way, it has forced me to be able to work more independently and try and work through problems on my own (with the knowledge that my team is just a call away) where I might have just asked a quick question if my team were around me in the office. This was quite daunting at first, but it has made me a much more confident trainee.

I also feel that I have been very productive throughout this year. As someone who enjoys getting up early, I have been able to start work a lot earlier than I could have when I was in the office (because of the time saved by not having to commute) which has allowed me to get much more work done earlier in day, where I am most productive.

I had grown used to being productive at my desk in my bedroom at home throughout university and I feel that this has helped me remain focussed every day during work. Managing my time has become much easier and I have more free time in evenings to relax.

A real benefit has been being able to spend much more time with my family during the day. My mum and two brothers also work from home (my younger brother was in virtual school) so it has allowed me to take breaks at the same times as them and spend much more time with them.

This has been a massive positive of working from home and, as a result, what could have been a real struggle, has been made easier because I have remained connected to my family.

On a personal level, I hope that some level of home working will stay around for a long time to come (of course blended with working in the office) so that I can continue to have the best of both worlds in that respect.

Time has also been saved in going to the gym either before or after work. Now I can do a home workout during my lunch breaks, which gives me much more time to do other things at evenings and weekends.

That’s helped avoid putting on too many “lockdown pounds” and I’ve managed to stay fit and active throughout the pandemic while also having much more time to relax.

Looking to the future

Now, looking forward to qualifying as a solicitor in September and with the country opening up again, I think the future is bright.

I can only thank my colleagues who have encouraged, advised and helped me along the way and cannot put into words how grateful I am to them all.

Work could have been much more difficult, but everyone I have worked with has adapted so well and made life easy for me during this time. If it were not for the exceptional efforts of my colleagues and my firm, my development as a trainee (and as a person) may not have been what it has been.

A second property seat, a virtual Secondment at ScottishPower and an NQ position to go into in the Firm’s Contentious IP and Tech team (that I have joined for my final seat), from my perspective I think working from home as a trainee has worked out pretty well, all things considered.

Saying that, I will be happy to see everyone in person soon enough when some sort of normality returns.

Stay safe everyone, and whether you are thriving or are struggling as a trainee working from home it would be great to hear from you and compare notes.

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