On moving to university, I wanted to combine study with paid work. Serve Legal needed experienced local auditors so I got in touch, picking up work straightaway, working flexibly around my timetable. By the end of my first year (2015), I was Highly Commended in the Auditor of the Year award.
Towards the end of my first year at uni, with 500+ audits completed, Serve Legal invited me to apply for an Assistant Coordinator role. This involved briefing new auditors, assigning and approving audits and providing holiday cover for an Area Manager, plus my audit work. Proud to have my potential recognised, I travelled to London for an interview with the management team. Going ‘behind the scenes’ at HQ was fascinating and they couldn’t have been friendlier. I was successful, starting my new role at an exciting time as the company celebrated its 10th anniversary.
After 12 months, my role evolved to Weekend Supervisor, managing the entire business’s weekend audit team and auditing quality control. It was fast-paced, and I enjoyed working with other young people who were balancing university life with work too. In just 18 months, I’d gained valuable work experience and been ‘thrown in at the deep end’, providing holiday cover for Area Managers, which was challenging but hugely beneficial for my confidence, understanding of the business and team-working skills.
In summer 2018, three years after starting as a Serve Legal auditor, I graduated from university. After applying for several graduate schemes and reaching final interviews, I realised that my ideal job was already on offer with Serve Legal, so I formally applied for a full-time role as a combined Area Manager and Client & Sales Assistant. The role came naturally after working in Operations and I enjoyed supporting new auditors, drawing on personal experience. The client-facing part of the role, however, was new territory. Talking to clients on the phone was exciting if daunting at first, but I quickly learned that Serve Legal’s reputation as a trusted service provider meant that conversations were friendly.
As a recent graduate, I was hugely grateful for the opportunity given to gain so much knowledge and experience. After nine months, I progressed to a Client & Sales Executive role, nurturing client relationships and supporting new business efforts. It’s been five non-stop years for me with Serve Legal and I can’t believe how far I’ve come. I’m still only 23, ambitious and looking forward to my next step. What a great place to start my career!
To find out more about becoming a Serve Legal auditor, email: jobs@servelegal.co.uk.