Hello! I’m Sharla Peters, an LLB graduate from the University of Birmingham and a current MASc Data Visualisation student and litigation researcher at the University of Warwick’s Centre for Interdisciplinary Methodologies (CIM). I’m also a junior rep for BSG!

I’m interested in all things tech and international, currently combining both passions through a litigation tracker focused on digital rights cases in the Global South. Outside of work, I enjoy Muay Thai boxing, music, and all things style and fashion.

I knew that choosing to invert my year abroad and extend my degree by an additional 18 months would put me at a disadvantage when returning to England, but pursuing my dream of studying in Japan was something I refused to compromise on, and I have no regrets.

While my decision to study in a country that closed its borders for two years due to the pandemic came with a unique set of challenges, the harsh reality I returned to, graduating with no job and no financial safety net, is one that many students from non-traditional backgrounds experience.

For us, not getting the legal job we had worked so hard for is not just disappointing; it can jeopardise our ability to stay afloat. It is not simply a delay in a career path; it is a matter of survival. And for international students, that can mean having to leave the country altogether. I have seen many of my friends from undergraduate studies leave, one after the other, either because they fell out of love with this country or because they could not secure a legal position. Who wants to stay in a country with bad weather, surviving on £21,000 a year, when they know they could earn more at home? If I had another home, I would leave too. I have checked the legal job market in Jamaica; it’s not quite the same.

I didn’t want to be a burden on my family, as they simply couldn’t afford to house and feed an adult waiting out the next legal cycle. But the rejections from bar and retail jobs hit harder than before I had a degree. ‘We’re looking for people with three years of bar experience’; try seven (eight as I’m writing this). I had worked stadiums, racing festivals, restaurants, pubs, and upscale bars, both internationally and across the UK, and yet I couldn’t even land an interview. This was no longer about pride; it was about survival.

Eventually, I had to swallow what little pride I had left and sign on. Every meeting, I was told I was ‘highly employable and would ‘find a job quickly’ because of my CV and recent graduation. I had been applying for jobs since March 2023, halfway through my year in Japan, but didn’t start working until February of the following year. I didn’t see a single payslip until March. The yen I earned in Japan wasn’t worth bringing back to the UK, so from September until March, I had no income.

Still, I didn’t let the endless rejections, both from the legal world and the day-to-day jobs I needed to make ends meet, disillusion me for long. I planned to apply for a course combining legal research and computer science, but that year the entry requirement changed to demand an A in A-Level Maths. I hadn’t studied math since I was 16, aside from a compulsory module I took while doing hairdressing. Why now? Why this year?

In hindsight, it was a blessing. That detour led me to the MASc in Data Visualisation at Warwick, a university I had always admired. I genuinely love the course. Financially, things are still difficult, but I am in a better place than I was while unemployed. I would never advise doing a master’s as a way to avoid hardship, but for me, it was an opportunity to explore the intersection of technology and law, particularly legal tech, which I am deeply passionate about. I’ve met brilliant people in the department and in the wider Warwick postgraduate scene, which inspired me to run for (and win!) the role of president of the postgraduate society.

Warwick has offered more than just academic opportunity. Its thriving extracurricular scene has opened doors my undergraduate institution simply didn’t offer. For example, Warwick offers dinners with leading firms, including Silver Circle, Magic Circle, and US firms. I travelled to Greece on an international tour with my Muay Thai Boxing Club. I won a mooting competition on Australian law with the Warwick International and European Law Society after years of feeling overwhelmed by mooting.

I now serve as a legal analyst with the Warwick LegalTech Society. I have even been hired by my department for additional legal research and can now explore the intersection of law and technology with funding. Also, for the first time ever, I joined cheerleading and won an award for best cheerleader on our Stunt Development Team at the Devils Ball. Earlier this year, I also completed the 2025 London Marathon, although that has little to do with my time at Warwick. I have been anything but inactive this year.

Yes, I am still applying to law firms. I still aim for that vacation scheme and the training contract that will set the foundation for my legal career. But unlike before, my life is not on hold until that happens. I am building a fulfilling life now, even as I continue to pursue my long-term goals.

The truth is, missing out on a vacation scheme or a training contract in a particular cycle doesn’t mean your life has to pause. You are not worthless because you haven’t secured a place yet. You don’t only become valid the moment a firm accepts you. You already have value, and that value grows through your persistence, your adaptability, and how you live in the in-between.

By sharing my journey, I hope to speak to those who feel disillusioned by the law firm rat race: the ones who spend hours networking, tailoring applications, and using their annual leave to travel across the country for open days and assessment centres, all while knowing that every day spent chasing the legal dream is a day not earning the money they may desperately need. For many of us, especially from working-class backgrounds, securing a legal role straight after university is not a luxury; it is survival.

But in those periods where you don’t have an offer, don’t forget to live. Invest in your growth, explore your interests, and prioritise your well-being. The job is important, but so are you!

By Sharla Peters, Junior Representative of Birmingham Solicitors’ Group