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Today is the 50th anniversary of the founding of North Kensington Law Centre, the first ever law centre in the UK. I was privileged to Chair it’s management committee from 2011-14 and the anniversary has prompted me to think about what I learnt from that experience.
Firstly, I am not a lawyer. I know nothing about the law, and I knew less then. Everyone else on that management committee was legally-trained and I was appointed as a representative of the community organisations who would benefit from its services.
I didn’t even live in the borough - I commuted every day from lovely South London - firstly Crystal Palace and then Borough - to my job on Ladbroke Grove. When I was asked to join the MC I had no idea what I would be able to contribute. But I was persuaded to take it on.
And what I learnt was that I could contribute loads. I knew about charity governance thanks to my day job, about leadership and management, how to make hard-nosed financial decisions and how to focus on the long-term and not get mired in the detail.
I also knew how to work with other stakeholders, be they the local authority or other funders, community organisations and other advice agencies. And even then I was totally unafraid to ask ‘stupid’ questions.
And so, what I learnt was to focus on what I could do and find people with the skills for the rest. And so to all our @cardiffmet graduates who are facing a really tough job market, I say this:
Don’t focus on the gaps. Don’t worry that you don’t match the exact requirements. Think about what you can do, what you can bring to an employer or organisation. Be honest about what you don’t know or don’t have experience of, and commit to learning about it if you need to.
Take it from this Modern Languges graduate who never knew what she wanted to do - you’ll be amazed at the difference you can make. Be confident in your abilities, honest about the gaps, and committed to doing the right thing, and you’ll find your niche.
And of course @CMetCareers are here to help you make the first steps on your journey. We believe in you - you just need to believe in yourselves.