Hey, I’m Gordon Chung
A career coach for international law students, former BigLaw corporate lawyer in London, cambridge graduate, first-generation lawyer and an underdog who motivates foreign students and lawyers to pursue their legal dream abroad (especially in the UK/USA/Hong Kong).
Right after graduating from Cambridge University, I wasn’t sure whether I should go back to my homeland (Hong Kong) and follow the path my other law friends take. I always want an international career and work with people from different backgrounds. Hence, I decided to take risks and look for opportunities in London instead.
35 - it's the number of rejections I got in my first round of job applications back in 2018. At that time, I couldn’t even find an unpaid internship, not to mention a paralegal role, for months after I graduated from Cambridge.
When I was jobless after graduation, I spent my morning researching law firms and my afternoon writing application forms 5 days a week like a full-time job. That’s how I finally found the formula to securing a law firm interview as an international student and later landed a training contract at one of the world’s biggest law firms.
After working at BigLaw for almost 4 years, I realised that being a corporate lawyer may not necessarily satiate me the way that I thought it would. Deep down, I want to help and inspire others to chase their dream (like how I chased mine!).
My Journey
I grew up in a low income family - but most of the friends I knew were the same, so I didn't notice any difference until I went to high school.
Coming from a humble beginning, I was always told that education is the only way to turn your life around — it is going to dictate whether we will be rich or poor, whether we will be looked down upon by others for the rest of our life, or climb up the social ladder and finally get out of poverty.
I worked so hard and got into law school, realising that I was the least intelligent person in class. I remember during my first year of law school, I almost got a 2:2 in my legal research and writing class. I thought being a lawyer is probably not for me.
Early Days
But everything happens for a reason.
I remember in my last year of law school, I watched a movie called “The Man Who Knew Infinity” and immediately fell in love with Cambridge.
Few months later, I found out that Cambridge University has a unique Master of Corporate Law programme for aspiring corporate lawyers. I applied without much hope. However, because of my law publications, I stood out from the crowd!
That is also why I came to the UK in the first place. It gives me goosebumps every time I think about it – what would I be doing now if I had not taken a chance and pursued a master’s degree at Cambridge?
Studying Abroad Changed My Life
I got rejected 35 times after graduating from Cambridge
After my training contract applications got rejected by various law firms, I tried very hard to find a paralegal role in London for months, but I couldn't.
They rejected me either because I haven't done the LPC or because I am an international applicant who is not guaranteed to get a long-term visa. I literally sat at Costa coffee every day, applying for whatever job I could find. I stayed in a cheap Airbnb because I was jobless and I could not afford the crazy rents in London. One day, a recruiter called me, telling me that a firm urgently needed a Chinese-speaking paralegal to work for two weeks. This role soon landed me another job at a city law firm. These work experiences eventually helped me land a training contract.
Looking back, when I had to choose between Hong Kong and London to start my legal career, I was really tempted to take the less costly path. While I was jobless in London, I was offered a government-funded place to study and qualify as a lawyer in Hong Kong. I could have lived with my parents there without paying crazy rents every month.
But sometimes in life, you have to say no to things that look lucrative at the moment because they come with great cost. If I had gone back, I wouldn’t have the opportunity to train at a top-tier law firm in London. If I had gone back, I wouldn't have the life experience to tell a relatable story that may encourage some of you to pursue your dream.
You can always earn back the money you've lost, but you can never earn back the opportunity you've missed. Let’s work together and let me help you get the experience of lifetime!
Take a chance, now or never
Join my international community of 55k+ aspiring lawyers on LinkedIn (Gordon Chung), instagram (@gordonchung) & YouTube (Gordon Chung & 半職律師)
