A lawyer who trained and practised in Ukraine has been able to continue her professional career in the UK as a result of a partnership between national law firm Clarke Willmott and Bristol-based charity Women’s Work Lab.
Anna Sych, who came to the UK in 2022, had worked for more than a decade as a lawyer in Ukraine, specialising in intellectual property, copyright and contractual matters for creative industries, including television and film production.
“I’d moved from my country and lost friends, language, everything”, says Anna, who is now working as a legal administrator in Clarke Willmott’s home sales team in Taunton, assisting clients across the housebuilding, social housing and later living sectors.
“It makes things so difficult when you can’t speak with or understand other people. I needed support to build my confidence again, my employability skills and to regain my professional direction. Women’s Work Lab offered exactly that.
“Two years ago, I attended their three-month course, designed for women who have spent a significant time out of work. Everyone there had faced different challenges and some of their stories were incredibly difficult to hear and even hard to believe – the situations were so complex.
“All these women were finding it very hard to start a new life and to believe in themselves again. At that time, I was in the same position, but the coaches there were incredible.
“The Lab team helped us recognise the transferable skills we already had and encouraged us to think about the professional life we wanted, not just as a job, but as work we truly enjoy and that allows us to grow.
“Working with a job coach gave me back my confidence and helped me break through the barriers I felt. The mock interviews were incredibly useful, and the whole team was so supportive in helping me discover what I wanted to do next.”
As part of the course, Anna joined an online “Interview Success” webinar provided by Clarke Willmott, Early Careers & Equality, Diversity, Inclusion advisor Emma Davies-Perks and recruitment advisor Rebecca Cook.
“It was really helpful to get new tips, especially for women like me at the start of this journey,” added Anna. “I knew then that I needed to change direction, and I felt in my heart that this meant returning to law.
“Learning about Clarke Willmott’s history, its culture and how supportive everyone is made it feel like a dream – I knew this was the place where I wanted to build my career.”
Anna says the webinar, together with the support she received from Women’s Work Lab, gave her the confidence to apply for a role at Clarke Willmott and take the next step in her legal career.
As a gesture of thanks, Anna visited the new Women’s Work Lab course in Taunton to share her journey to Clarke Willmott and inspire other women starting their own careers.
Clarke Willmott’s home sales team handles all aspects of property transactions, including site set-up, plot sales, part exchanges, resales, lease extensions, staircasing, and right-to-buy/shared ownership matters.
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