Even though many of our graduates will have progressed in their careers since completing a case study, they are still of interest to students who wish to gain an understanding of the world of work.

I am responsible for maturing the client's commercial proposition for a multi-billion pound procurement. Working with subject matter experts and external legal advisors, I am drafting a multi-billion pound contract. This will then be negotiated with industry, consisting of some of the biggest defence contractors in the world. I need to negotiate a position that is commercially astute for both parties to enable the project to be a success.

My typical day ranges from producing briefing papers for senior government officials to working with lawyers and financial advisors to shape the commercial proposition for the Ministry of Defence and negotiating with industry to reach a final position, which will ultimately be approved by the Defence Secretary. I work with a huge array of people: lawyers, accountants, engineers, government officials and industry,

I enjoy making a real contribution to a lasting project. Often projects span many years and continue long after you've left, so agreeing positions that will sustain for many years is a great feeling.

Losing sight of the end goal. Some tasks are particularly boring, frankly. But you often need to look beyond those and how your normal role contributes to the overall end goal to keep motivated. There is a lot of things you don't know about in a Commercial role. Translating the requirements of a subject matter expert into a Commercial proposition is most certainly a challenge!

The Defence sector provides the opportunities to work on some of the most high profile projects in the country, which are often discussed in the media and in parliament. Seeing the work you do being spoken about and widely reported on is quite satisfying.

None of the technical skills from a text book! Knowing how to read peoples emotions and how to get the best out of people is so important. Knowing yourself: your strengths and weaknesses and the people that you can help to fill the gaps or help you develop will give you a great chance of a successful career.

Since leaving university in 2011, I have been employed in a FTSE 100 Defence contractor (BAE Systems), where I performed a number of roles in Project Management, Project Controls and Commercial, working in their submarines business unit on multi-billion pound projects.

I recently took up a new role in April 2018 with Mace Group, a private limited company listed in the Times top 25 private companies. Mace has a rich history of delivering iconic projects, from the Olympic Village to the Shard. I am employed in a more recent venture of Mace in the Defence sector, working on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

My background and career to date leaves me with an array of options, whether that's through private consultancy, a role in Defence for the government or private contractors, or a role in Construction for Mace. I enjoy strategy: both setting and enacting upon it, so ultimately I see myself in a role where I can set the direction of an organization.

I think there are two aspects:
1) If you want to practice Law, don't feel bound to studying it at undergraduate level. Study something that you enjoy. Law firms will not be deterred by this and will appreciate you having a passion outside of the Law.
2) If you choose to study Law, don't feel bound to practice Law. There is a myriad of options available to Law graduates and they are amongst the most attractive graduates to employers. Sell your ability to consume large amounts of data, provide a balanced assessment and a reasoned judgment. This is applicable to any graduate role.

Don't be worried that you don't know what you want to do whilst at university. There are so many careers, it's impossible to have a view on what you want to do without knowing all of the options. Focus on what you enjoy doing and try to find a career that broadly fits that. Get involved with a social club or sports club (focus on fewer and commit to them rather than as many as you can). Take roles of responsibility, whether that is through part time work, extra curricular work or through a sports team.