Working in a firm as diverse as KPMG exposes one to projects from a
variety of departments. For instance, during my graduate scheme, I
worked not only on purely regulatory projects, but also banking, insurance
and forensic ones. Having a varied experience was certainly enriching and
broadened my horizons and allowed me to work with many incredibly
smart individuals who were willing to share their knowledge and best
practices. Examples of recent work experiences include Brexit impact
assessment, regulatory gap analysis, review of governance arrangements
and compliance monitoring programs, UK and EU regulatory landscape
scanning, internal audit, remediation review, forensic research and
compliance due diligence.
These are just a few examples of recent projects for global asset managers
and leading financial services firms, but should give a flavor of types of
work to expect in the field of regulatory consulting. Importantly, in relation
to all of these pieces of work, my legal background was instrumental in
enabling me to meet, and often exceed, the expectations placed on me as
a new graduate. Specifically, my ability to interpret and extract key data
from complex documentation allowed me to make meaningful
contribution from day one.
I am convinced that a rigorous law degree provides a wide range of skills
that are directly applicable to non-legal careers. For instance, legal studies
teach one to be deeply analytical and inquisitive which is helpful in
reviewing complex documentation and during client interviews. I noticed
that thanks to my degree I also pay more attention to detail than most of
my peers, and that I am more resourceful and thorough when conducting
research, a skill certainly developed through frequent legal essay writing.
Importantly, thanks to the regular analysis of legal cases, I am able to
exercise critical judgement when evaluating intricate data which
subsequently helps me identify regulatory gaps and formulate logical and
coherent observations and client recommendations. Another very useful
skill that I developed as part of my law studies is my ability to write
concisely and to communicate clearly, effectively and with precision which
is particularly applicable on projects involving teams from numerous
jurisdictions. I believe that my law degree increased my overall
performance during my Graduate Scheme, resulting in a situation where
engagement managers never hesitated to entrust me with more
responsibility and tasks usually performed by a higher grade.
To encapsulate, a law degree can be a perfect route to a career in many
exciting industries. Undoubtedly, the transferable skills developed by
studying law are directly applicable to various fields, where one can avail
of their diligent work ethic, lateral thinking, as well as solid research and
problem-solving skills. This means that law students are equipped with the
attributes which allow them to explore different opportunities and have
successful non-legal careers. KPMG commands a large amount of respect
in every country in the world and offers world-class opportunities. Based
on my experience to date, I can say with all certainty that choosing
regulatory consulting has been the right choice, allowing me to have a
greatly rewarding and personally satisfying career.