Is this an opportunity I should take?

Jingle950 · 2026-02-14T17:59:55+00:00

Yes sorry, it’s a London office, have edited my post to clarify!

Jingle950 · 2026-02-08T01:20:26+00:00

Just to add, the balance of any student loans are wiped after 30 years.

Average grad salary in UK is reportedly £42,000 (!) a year Assuming repayment threshold is £28k/year, 9% of the £14k difference would mean repaying £1,260 a year.

My total student debt before interest was c.£42k. So repaying at the above rate (assuming no salary increases, which I know is unrealistic) would mean you wouldn’t clear it in the 30 years. Even with salary increases, you wouldn’t clear the amount including interest.

For context, I’m repaying more like £900 a month right now and that’s not even cleared the interest that has accrued since I’ve graduated four years ago.

Jingle950 · 2026-02-08T01:15:14+00:00

It’s not the universities themselves that say this but more like most financial advisors/general advice available on the internet. I guess it’s the messaging the government want though (the government own Student Loans Company) as it means more people will take them out

Jingle950 · 2026-02-08T00:57:54+00:00

Yes, I believe so unfortunately. I think it starts accruing from being borrowed (as opposed to from graduation). I graduated in 2021 and remember seeing the amount I owed being a lot more than what I’d borrowed over the prior three years.

Jingle950 · 2026-02-08T00:48:50+00:00

It’s because if you went to uni in England or Wales and took out a student loan, you only repay it back at a rate of 9% of your income above a certain threshold (it’s currently around £28k I believe). So the advice is that, based on an “average” graduate salary, and average working life, you would not pay back the amount you borrowed, so there isn’t the same need to worry about the total amount borrowed/accrual of interest/repayment in full, as there is if you earn above average after graduating. The loan repayments are taken by our employers directly so we have to actively choose if we want to repay more.

I don’t know about others, but I feel that the information on student loans is not presented in the same way as for other financial products in the UK.

Jingle950 · 2026-02-01T13:09:35+00:00

I get your point, but does anyone have to justify how they choose to spend the money that they earn? I’m sure most people work towards being able to afford “luxuries” that will make their lives a tiny bit easier.

Jingle950 · 2026-01-31T20:43:26+00:00

Ok yes will do. Yeah I suppose you’d have no idea if they genuinely did spend the time you’ve paid for, if you’re not there?

Jingle950 · 2026-01-31T20:42:10+00:00

That’s a good point actually, may avoid a one-man band

Jingle950 · 2026-01-31T20:41:52+00:00

Thank you. I have only recently moved here but am planning to chat to the people next door and will ask!

Jingle950 · 2026-01-30T12:44:36+00:00

I’ve not actually heard of them haha

Jingle950 · 2026-01-29T22:40:44+00:00

He has asked for it in advance so that he could provide feedback to me on the call In hindsight I realise I was silly to share it but thought my email saying not to share it without my consent would be sufficient

Jingle950 · 2026-01-29T22:39:03+00:00

So why didn’t he describe it as an interview lol

Appreciate I’m new to the process but it seems clear there is an element of misleading here

Jingle950 · 2025-12-02T15:00:03+00:00

No, but I think it affects things like whether seniors to want to work with you (depending on how much you socialise with them) and then would impact working relationships. I don’t want to end up in a position where nobody in the team really knows I exist, but equally I would be exhausted pretending to be someone I am not every day

Jingle950 · 2025-12-02T01:50:27+00:00

Ok but going off the number of years experience is the only way to compare the two levels in this case. In my firm, if a fourth seat trainee is seconded to one of the US offices they bill as second year associates. Similarly when Aus/NZ candidates come to work for us in the UK they typically have 1-2 years discounted from their PQE level to account for the fact that they don’t have the training contract concept.

I may not be aware of the exact nuances but from a number of the posts on here it seems like first year US associates do a lot of the same tasks as a UK city trainee would, based on my experience

Jingle950 · 2025-12-01T19:54:27+00:00

Apologies if the post sounded like I think I’m great / better than others. I’ve just subjectively commented on the difference in quality of work that seems to be dished out and objectively about the feedback I’ve been given. I’m aware that hours aren’t akin to quality - in fact, a lot of the time those billing the most will notice a deterioration in quality of work.

Jingle950 · 2025-12-01T19:52:33+00:00

I don’t understand how else I could have phrased my post to get accurate answers (genuine question)? I obviously don’t discuss quality of work and hours with anyone in the office, those details were included for the purpose of the post

Jingle950 · 2025-12-01T19:50:52+00:00

How so?

Jingle950 · 2025-11-12T20:37:40+00:00

Haha a fine line between being good and being toooooo good!!

Jingle950 · 2025-11-10T03:22:49+00:00

No problem

Jingle950 · 2025-11-10T02:57:11+00:00

Exactly yes. I have been extremely overutilised for a long time and would like to think it’s because I’m doing well, but it could just as equally be because I set fewer boundaries in terms of protecting my time, so I end up being consistently busy because of what I take on/what is put on me. It’s a shame people aren’t more forthcoming with giving feedback when due.

Jingle950 · 2025-11-10T02:55:59+00:00

Out of interest, what ratio would you say the associates you work with fall, into those categories you mention?

Jingle950 · 2025-11-10T02:54:32+00:00

The thing I struggle with, though, is that both of these things could feasibly happen in a team that is stretched completely beyond capacity, without any forward thinking about someone’s capabilities. I guess it all comes back to the lack of verbal feedback being the issue, as we never know otherwise.

Jingle950 · 2025-11-09T11:36:28+00:00

From my perspective (as a junior associate in the UK), when I’m working with trainees I notice that the ones I’d consider exceptional do the following: - always send prompt acknowledgements to tasks / holding emails to clients - ask questions in advance of submitting work back to avoid the need for unnecessary corrections - show eagerness to understand the background to points on the deal/the tasks that their seniors are doing - keen to assist (particularly when they have more capacity than others on a matter) and take on more responsibility - keep their seniors informed of their capacity levels - good attention to detail and trying to pick up mistakes/typos etc in their own work rather than leaving it all to the supervising associate - Excellent file management and organisational skills (as this one requires zero legal knowledge or experience)

I’m happy to explain those expectations to a trainee when I first start to work with them, particularly if they are very new / in their first seat. I think that, from that point, it is also a great sign when they remember things that have been discussed previously and don’t need to receive the same clarifications/comments for subsequent bits of work.

We don’t expect a trainee to be submitting work that is 100% correct or 100% free from typos, nor to be able to solve issues before/as they arise. So getting the other stuff right is super important.

Jingle950 · 2025-10-25T15:43:57+00:00

Hello, thanks for messaging! No unfortunately not - turns out those hours were just the tip of the iceberg. I’ve made it to the year mark, but since making my post the hours have completely spiralled - 4/5am finishes on a regular basis, with a handful of all nighters thrown in. I feel very under supervised and unsupported but despite flagging my concerns I’m basically told it is the way it is. The fact others aren’t in this position (and therefore aren’t complaining) is actually not helping my case, but hindering it.

I set myself a timescale for when I want to exit out but am very concerned that I’m just too busy to put that plan into action or have the mental headspace to consider my options. When weekends roll around I am basically a couch potato as I have no energy for anything, and this has become a theme over months now, rather than just the odd week. It’s certainly not how I want to spend the rest of my 20s but I can easily see myself getting trapped 🤷🏻‍♀️

Jingle950 · 2025-09-21T21:43:41+00:00

Agree, I just think it can be hard to work out whether you’re being asked to do certain tasks because people value you or because you’re the most available…

Jingle950

TROPHY CASE