Husnara Begum, owner and careers consultant
Hello, welcome to my website CheekyLittleCareers.com, an online careers and well-being hub for aspiring and qualified lawyers. I launched CheekyLittleCareers in summer 2020 with help from my brother Sanu, a City banker, as a way to pass time during the Covid19 lockdown. Since then, my site has rapidly grown into a unique and essential resource jam packed with free content to help law students, trainee solicitors and associate lawyers at all levels of PQE to successfully navigate a career in law.
About me
I am a careers consultant / outplacement specialist, skills trainer and executive coach with over 20 years’ experience of working in the legal sector. I launched my own consultancy in early 2013, focusing initially on fee earner recruitment, and have placed many lawyers at all levels of PQE into new roles at top City and US law firms. I re-trained as an executive coach in May 2016 and a couple of months later extended my consultancy activities to cover career transitioning and outplacement support.
Before moving into legal recruitment I spent almost a decade as a journalist on The Lawyer as both the City editor and editor of the high-profile magazine’s student title Lawyer 2B. Prior to that, I was a corporate associate at magic circle firm Linklaters where I spent just under five years, advising blue chip clients on public M&A and equity capital markets deals. I joined Linklaters as a trainee solicitor after graduating with a Law Degree from the University of Warwick. My unusual background comprising legal practice, journalism and fee earner recruitment has gifted me with unrivalled industry knowledge and a deep insight into how lawyers think and operate.
As an Asian female with a disability, and the first person in my family to go to university, I am a huge advocate for boosting diversity and social mobility in the legal profession and especially enjoy working with people from disadvantaged or minority backgrounds. Indeed, to this end, 2021 saw the launch of INCLUDED my trailblazing development and peer-to-peer mentoring programme for trainees from under-represented groups.
My corporate clients comprise a growing roster of City and US law firms as well as two top post-graduate law schools. I also work very closely with the Law Society and, in addition to organising careers events for them, head their careers clinic and help run their returners programme.
“With her personable and perceptive style, Husnara quickly gained my trust and completely rebuilt my confidence through her tailored support programme. Without her expert advice, I would not have approached my interviews with the same determination or self-assurance, and definitely would not have secured multiple job offers. I would recommend her sessions to anyone changing firms,” mid-level corporate lawyer, top City firm
“I booked a two hour interview coaching session with Husnara. Booking the session was really easy and Husnara worked around me to find a suitable time. The interview took place on Zoom and was split in to two one hour segments. The first half concentrated on any worries or questions I had and was extremely useful at identifying areas of weakness and addressing them. As a former MC lawyer legal journalist, Husnara was able to share her vast experience with excellent insights. I felt more confident about my answers before we embarked on the second part which was a mock interview. At the end, I received really useful feedback which will make me a stronger candidate at interview. An excellent coach, she is friendly, supportive and knowledgeable. I felt my session was excellent value, ” Career changer / aspiring lawyer
