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Not the Route You Expected: 16 Questions with Harry
11 Nov 2026
When Harry graduated with a law degree, he thought he knew exactly where it led: a training contract, a career as a solicitor, and a future built on case law. A few years on, he’s found something he didn’t see coming. He’s part of WR Partners’ tax advisory team, working on share valuations he never knew a law graduate could do, and loving it. His advice to anyone in his old shoes? Look a lot wider than you think you need to, because law leads to far more places than one.
We sat down with Harry, just over a year into life as a Tax Associate, for a bit of Q&A, some of it serious, some of it not, to find out what the first year of an unexpected career actually looks like from the inside.
First, the important questions
What’s on your desk right now that says a lot about you?
A cold cup of tea. It probably says I’m the kind of person who gets completely absorbed in what I’m doing and occasionally forgets about everything else around me, including the tea I made an hour ago.
Most-used app on your phone that has nothing to do with work?
YouTube. Watching old clips of comedy shows is one of my favourite ways to switch off after a hard day’s work.
One word your team would use to describe you?
I’d say inquisitive. I’m sure I put my colleagues’ patience to the test when I first joined, but asking questions was essential, and every response taught me something valuable that helped me grow and progress in my role.
What did you want to be when you were 10?
A footballer for Aston Villa. Based on the number of players who are leaving and our start to the season, I might still have a chance!
How a law grad ends up in tax
Why did you choose to study law in the first place?
It seemed like a good fit for my strengths. I enjoyed essay-based subjects, problem-solving, and building arguments, and law also offered a clear career path while keeping a lot of options open.
Be honest, what did you think “tax” meant before you started here?
If I’m being honest, I thought it was mostly compliance, forms and deadlines. What surprised me was how much advisory work involves problem-solving, creativity and helping clients navigate complex commercial decisions.
What was the moment, in that first year, you realised tax advisory might actually be for you?
Honestly, it was probably day one. The team took me out for lunch and immediately made me feel welcome. The technical side interested me, but the people were what made me think I’d made the right decision.
What’s a skill from your law degree that’s turned out to be more useful in tax than you expected?
Finding different ways to approach the same problem. Law teaches you that there can be multiple valid routes to reach the right conclusion, and that’s something I’ve found surprisingly valuable in tax advisory.
What surprised you most in your first few months?
The variety of work. I expected tax to be quite narrow, but I was surprised by how many different issues, businesses and projects we get involved with. No two weeks are ever quite the same.
If a law student told you they were “supposed” to become a solicitor, what would you say?
If becoming a solicitor is what they genuinely want to do, then that’s great. But I’d encourage them to explore other options as well. A law degree develops a lot of transferable skills, and there are far more career paths available than many students realise.
What the job actually looks like
What does a normal Tuesday actually look like for you?
The honest answer is that there isn’t really a normal Tuesday. Most days start by dealing with emails and planning priorities, before getting stuck into whichever projects I’m working on. That might involve technical research, drafting advice, team discussions, or all of the above before lunch.
What’s a project you’ve worked on that you didn’t expect to be doing in “tax”?
Share valuations. I knew there were tax implications, but before joining I hadn’t appreciated how closely valuation work and tax advisory can be linked. It’s been one of the more interesting areas I’ve been exposed to.
What’s WR like day-to-day that people wouldn’t guess from the outside?
How approachable everyone is. Before joining, I assumed partners and senior managers would be difficult to get hold of. In reality, people are very willing to answer questions and make time for less experienced members of the team.
Before you go…
Best piece of advice you’ve actually followed?
“Slow down to go faster.” When I first started in the role, I tended to jump straight into tasks without fully understanding the background or all the issues involved. I’ve learned that spending just 10 minutes getting the context and understanding the bigger picture can save a lot of time and effort later on.
What’s something you’re weirdly good at outside of work?
I’m pretty useful at a pub quiz. Put me in front of a TV and film round and I’ll look like a genius. Saying that, show me a map and I’ll do my best impression of someone who skipped geography altogether.
One piece of advice for a law student who isn’t sure law is really “the” path?
Talk to people in as many industries as possible and pay attention to who genuinely enjoys what they do. When I was at university, I think I focused too much on job titles and not enough on the day-to-day reality of the work. The happiest professionals I’ve met are usually the ones who found a role that fits their interests and strengths, rather than the one they felt they were expected to do or the one they thought would pay the most.
A year ago, Harry thought tax meant forms and deadlines. Now he’s working on share valuations, asking more questions than he probably thought he was allowed to, and would tell his old self to talk to a lot more people before assuming there’s only one route worth taking. Sometimes the best career advice isn’t a plan. It’s permission to look somewhere you hadn’t considered.
