I joined the Bank of England’s Legal Directorate as a paralegal in July 2018 after an 8 year career break. I had previously worked as an associate in private practice specialising in acquisition finance. The work was interesting but the hours were long and there was very little opportunity to work part-time or flexibly. Once I’d had children, my priorities changed and the role no longer worked for my family, so I decided to take some time out.
My career break was longer than I had initially expected, I enjoyed my time at home with the kids very much and now I have four children. However, when my youngest child started nursery I really wanted to get back into work but I was not sure where to look or whether I would be able to find a way back into legal work.
An acquaintance at my kids’ school worked at the Bank (in a non-legal role) and I subsequently checked out the Bank’s website. The Bank definitely appealed as somewhere to work and I was pretty sure it must be interesting given its impact on the economy and everyone’s lives. I was impressed by the range of interesting work carried out by the Legal Directorate and the opportunity to work flexibly. The working environment was also very important to me so I continued to check the careers section for potential roles.
The job spec of the paralegal role was perfect for me, I had the right experience and I felt the role would be a great way to get back into legal work and to regain confidence again after my time away. I have not been disappointed and have really enjoyed being back at work in both an interesting role and a supportive environment. I have been given opportunities to develop my skills, experience and knowledge and have taken advantage of the training on offer. My colleagues are supportive and respectful.
I have now successfully applied for a Legal Counsel role and am looking forward to continuing to develop my skills and knowledge.
Virginia Galloway
Legal Counsel, Bank of England