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While the term "Campus Ambassador" may be unfamiliar to many in Hong Kong's law firms, it is a concept that has gained traction in countries like the UK and the US. You may have some questions in mind, such as: "What sets an Intern apart from a Campus Ambassador?" or "Is investing time and effort into this role worthwhile?" Join me on my journey as I address these inquiries.
Author: James Lau, Intern
Working with my colleague Taj.
Connecting the Firm and the Students
As a Campus Ambassador, my primary responsibility is to establish a connection between the law firm and undergraduate students. Whenever the firm has events or job opportunities that they want students to know about, I effectively communicate the details through LinkedIn posts, emails, and WhatsApp messages.
Simultaneously, I receive numerous inquiries from students regarding internship and training contract prospects, practice areas, company culture, and the recruitment process. I make it a priority to respond promptly and provide accurate information. Additionally, I share my own experiences working with the firm and the opportunities that being a Campus Ambassador has presented. Through these efforts, students gain a deeper understanding of the firm and its values.
Answering queries from students via LinkedIn
Maintaining an Active LinkedIn Presence
A crucial aspect of the Campus Ambassador role involves promoting the firm and building brand recognition. To accomplish this, it is essential to consistently maintain an active presence on LinkedIn and ensure that my profile is easily accessible. Prior to becoming a Campus Ambassador, I was not particularly active on LinkedIn. However, since taking on this role, I have proactively expanded my network from zero to over 500 connections, enabling me to effectively showcase the firm to my peers. Expanding my network has not only opened upadditional career opportunities but has also allowed me to stay up-to-date with the latest trends, news, and insights within the legal industry.
Going from almost 0 connections to over 500+ connections in less than a year.
Organizing an Open House Event
One of the most memorable aspects of my journey as a campus ambassador was coordinating an in-person Open House Event exclusively for the law students of CityU to be held at the firm. This endeavor involved three primary stages: (i) Planning, (ii) Marketing, and (iii) Execution.
During the planning phase, I collaborated closely with the team at Ravenscroft & Schmierer, as well as my fellow CityU Campus Ambassador Greta to strategise the event details, such as selecting the venue, date, time, and determining the maximum number of participants. After careful deliberation, we finalised the Sai Ying Pun office as the venue for the event, and scheduled it for Friday, 9 March 2023, from 17:30 to 18:30.
Moving on to the marketing stage, the in-house marketing team at Ravenscroft & Schmierer skillfully designed a captivating poster to promote the event. We leveraged the power of LinkedIn by creating an enticing post that invited CityU students to register, resulting in an overwhelming response. After a thorough selection process, we handpicked 12 law students (LLB, JD) to participate in the event.
Poster designed by my colleague Taj for the Open House Event.
The event itself surpassed our expectations, proving to be a resounding success. Our associate Mike, who is also a mentor of our CityU Vis East Moot Team, shared invaluable insights into the local legal industry, while Greta and I provided a comprehensive overview of the procedures and essential tips for securing an internship, Campus Ambassador role or training contract at Ravenscroft & Schmierer.
12 Participants: Mike - Associate, Kelly - Trainee, James and Greta - Campus Ambassadors
Contrasts between the Campus Ambassador and Intern Roles
One notable distinction lies in the requirement for physical presence at the office. Unlike interns who typically adhere to a Monday to Friday, whole day at the office schedule, as Campus Ambassadors, we have more flexibility. Our primary mode of communication revolves around online platforms such as LinkedIn, Zoom or MS Teams Meetings, enabling remote connectivity. However, for urgent and significant projects, we occasionally visit the Sai Ying Pun office for in-person meetings.
Transitioning from Campus Ambassador to Legal Intern
In late May, I undertook a challenging and fast-paced role as a legal intern at the office, marking a transition from my previous position as a Campus Ambassador. This internship has been a truly immersive experience. During the first few days, I had the opportunity to observe a three-hour court hearing at the District Court, which revolved around summons to dismiss an action. Witnessing the barristers passionately representing their clients, advocating and defending them in front of a seasoned master, was truly eye-opening. The first week proved to be immensely rewarding, and I eagerly anticipate the remaining time of the Campus Ambassador programme after my internship.
Watch my Campus Ambassador (+ Internship) video here.
Advice for Future Interns and Campus Ambassadors
For those considering applying for an internship or Campus Ambassador position at our firm in the future, I highly recommend conducting thorough research beforehand. Read the articles from our previous interns and Campus Ambassadors on our website and LinkedIn, watch our YouTube videos, and connect with current and former Campus Ambassadors and interns to learn more.
It is very important to have a complete LinkedIn profile with a professional profile picture that shows your face in big and high resolution. It also looks much better to create a LinkedIn custom URL (e.g. remove those numbers and digits at the end of your link). If you are not sure what that is, here is a short guide. A few more things you should do is adding a LinkedIn background (a photo of your university, or whatever else you feel represents you well), and adding some “Media” and “Featured” (something interesting about you, or something that you find interesting). Most of us Campus Ambassadors do this, so you can refer to our profiles or ask us directly.
We also observe on occasion that candidates have a slightly different name on their CV and their LinkedIn profiles. Make sure that they are exactly the same and make your profile consistent in English. Some profiles have a mix of English and Chinese, which does not look great, but you can choose to have both, one version in English and another one in Chinese (more about that here).
By having a strong LinkedIn profile and delving into the above-mentioned resources, you will gain a better understanding of our firm's working culture, values, and practice areas, and what you would be doing. This knowledge will aid you in determining whether our firm aligns with your aspirations and preferences, and vice versa.
Most importantly, to enhance your chances of securing a position, follow up frequently, make sure to showcase your research during the interview process. Demonstrating genuine interest in joining our firm and standing out from other candidates can significantly increase your likelihood of being hired.
James is an incoming penultimate year law student at City University of Hong Kong and completed his internship at Ravenscroft & Schmierer in June 2023. You can watch his video here.