#GradStories Inny Ekeolu, Apprentice Solicitor at Deloitte.

What are the main tasks you do in a day?

A typical work day at Deloitte Ireland as a trainee solicitor would be a lot of research, a lot of attending meetings and helping my seniors in any way that I can. I ask a lot of questions to understand more of what we're actually doing and I also ask to be included on a lot of other projects but mainly it would be research. I do a lot of looking at the marketplace just to see what's going on in terms of new legislation.

What skills do you need to be successful in your role?

I think that one of the main skills that you need to be successful in this role would be research skills. I know it's something that you do in college all the time and you think it's really boring, but it's so important to be able to just get to the nitty-gritty of things and be able to simplify it down not only for other people but for yourself to have a better understanding.

Networking skills are also very important. Being able to talk to people and understand them. You never know who you're talking to and you never know what they can help you with in the future.

How did you get into your job?

I studied law at undergrad at DCU and I did everything Law related, I was in all the societies and clubs to do with law. It was really interesting, it helped me understand more about law itself as well as how it can be used in a professional setting and with that I went to apply for internships and I got one at Deloitte, then I got offered a training contract so I'm really glad with how I've ended up here.

What advice would you give to a new graduate?

I would advise them to just throw themselves into it if they want to pursue law and I would say that you're not growing if you're inside your comfort zone. Try and do new things like going to networking events even if it scares you. Go to talks, apply for internship roles, just go there see if you like it, see if you understand it and just ask as many questions as possible. It will pay off in the end.

What skill should students develop to work in this sector?

If you were to develop one skill, again it would be research. I know it's like you're doing research all the time at college and you think that you're not going to need it but you are going to need it every single day of your life. It may be researching for clients or comparing new legislation to old legislation to see what needs to change. Research is so important, you need to be able to dig deeper and deeper until you have what is necessary.

How have you adjusted to working from home?

Hybrid working is one of the best things to happen in the corporate space. Being able to work from home and then being able to study as well is really helpful when pursuing professional exams. I think it's really important to strike that balance between work and life, so having your work life but also being able to go outside, go to the gym and just hang out with friends. Maintaining that balance is very very important not only for yourself but to be productive at work as well.

What do you love about your job?

It would be the fact that no two days are ever the same. There's always something new to do, there's always something new that I'm learning and they're always new projects. So I really do enjoy that the work varies. There's always different clients from different disciplines and I'm always seeing how the law integrates with everything on a global landscape. It's always interesting and it's just really a good use of like my law degree.