For the next MHC Intern Life in our new series, we talked to Djabir Madani. Djabir is entering his final year of study at UCD doing Business & Law and is an intern in our July intake. We asked him to describe his first week as an intern here.
The first week of my Internship at Mason Hayes & Curran has been an unforgettable experience.
Admittedly, on arrival to the firm, sitting on the sixth floor and overlooking the grand canal, I was undoubtedly nervous but also excited for what is to come in the next couple of weeks. The first part of our schedule included meeting fellow Interns and several insightful talks from the partners. One thing I found incredible was that several partners have been at the firm for more than 3 decades which really spoke to the incredible culture and opportunities for growth at the firm.
At noon, we were joined by trainees for a well-deserved lunch after we had completed our Health & Safety induction training. Being recent graduates, the trainees were keen to answer any questions we had on topics like the Fe-1 Exams, their experience at Blackhall and even their favorite Netflix shows. To bring an end to an eventful first day, I caught up with my buddy (mentor) & senior associate in the employment law & benefits team.
On Tuesday morning we discussed our group projects which we will have to present to a panel of partners in our final week. Receiving feedback and recommendation on our presentation skills from the partners will surely be a great learning experience. The team at Mason Hayes & Curran have gone to great lengths to ensure that the program is not only in person but also packed with social events, team building activities and direct mentoring from partners.
In the evening we made our way down to the Go Quest center in Sandyford, an escape room facility containing 28 different rooms all filled with thrilling puzzles and physical challenges, each awarding between 1 - 4 points upon completion. We were fortunate enough to accumulate the most points and win the competition which was an exhilarating moment particularly given we came in only 1 point ahead. To top off a great adventure we were joined by trainees & partners for a lovely dinner and chat at Paulie’s Pizza.
By Thursday we had all settled into our respective departments and were assigned our first pieces of work to complete. I was tasked with researching and compiling a report our clients, surrounding the newly introduced, Gender Pay Gap Information Regulations 2022. Luckily, I also had the opportunity to travel with my buddy to The Four Courts twice this week which was an amazing experience.
I have learned so much and feel like I've already made so many great friends, the first week has absolutely flown by and I am confident that the reminder of the internship will be just as if not more enjoyable.
Learn more about our internship programme.
