Krishan Neelendra (below) felt a 2.1 in law from the University of Oxford was not sufficient to win a training contract at a good law firm. Nor his list of private pursuits: playing football, tennis, cricket and hockey for his college (Somerville), presenting a show on Oxide, the university radio station, a role on his college’s undergraduate committee and contributing poetry to Cherwell, the student newspaper. Despite working at a pro-bono law organisation, he still believed his CV needed something extra to make him sparkle. So he did an internship at Lantai partners, a Chinese law firm, in Beijing.
“I had my eye on a training contract. Even if you have good academics and extracurricular activities it’s not enough to distinguish yourself,” says 23-year-old Mr Neelendra.
While in Beijing, Mr Neelendra worked in intellectual property, guided by “a great mentor” at the firm who introduced him to a variety of experts in different areas of law. When it came to interviews with potential employers, his instincts proved correct. “They were all interested in my internship. Law firms wanted to discuss Asia.” He was offered a place at Olswang, a London-based law firm.