Motivational Monday – Solicitor

For the first Motivational Monday of 2025, we spoke to an alumna whose later-life career change, retraining as a solicitor, led to great success.

Class of 1970 alumna Carole Joseph shares her memories of South Hampstead, the lessons she learned, and explains how it is never too late for a new start.

Carole joined South Hampstead in the Senior School through the Direct Grant scheme, graduating in 1970. She remembers her time at the school fondly; she always loved her language teachers, who she remembers being some “real characters” – in particular, a French teacher “who was small, feisty, and had all the girls terrified of her!” Carole took this love of languages to university, graduating from the University of Surrey with a modern languages degree. Her career post-education led her into banking, but she quickly realised it was a path she wasn’t passionate about. Leaving banking, she moved into management of a jewellery business before giving up work for 5 years while her children were young.

While she loved being at home to spend time with her family, Carole says that she always thought, ‘what’s next?’ She knew she wanted to retrain and start a new career, and the thought of the law profession really excited her. This decision to completely redirect her life and career was a challenging one. As an older woman entering the law profession, she faced a lot of obstacles and discrimination. Not only did she have to balance an intensive conversion course with her family life, but also many law firms were reluctant to ‘take a chance’ on mature students and mothers. She ultimately prevailed, however, completing her course in two years and even winning a prize for her Common Professional Examination (CPE) results. She worked her way up as a solicitor, ultimately being appointed as Partner at GSC Solicitors in 2018.

Reflecting on her varied career, Carole attributes her confidence and perseverance as key traits that enabled her to follow her true passion into law. An advocate of taking on intellectual challenges and testing one’s own limits, she heartily encourages the younger generation of South Hampstead girls to consider studying law. “It is the most fantastic basis for anything and I feel really appreciative of the skills it equipped me with, especially as I gained them later in life.”

As her own career trajectory attests, Carole hopes to instil in younger girls the reassurance that it will never be too late to make the changes you want. She stresses that any setback or obstacle can provide an opportunity to reflect, take stock, and decide what you really want out of your career, and your life – a lesson that feels particularly apt at the start of 2025, as we all look towards a new year, new experiences, and new opportunities.

Happy New Year everyone!