{"id":3180,"date":"2022-03-10T13:25:15","date_gmt":"2022-03-10T13:25:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.manchester.ac.uk\/humanities-blog\/?p=3180"},"modified":"2022-10-25T13:26:15","modified_gmt":"2022-10-25T12:26:15","slug":"alumni-stories-meet-one-of-our-philosophy-graduates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.manchester.ac.uk\/humanities-blog\/2022\/03\/10\/alumni-stories-meet-one-of-our-philosophy-graduates\/","title":{"rendered":"Alumni Stories: Meet one of our Philosophy graduates"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Jonathan Howie, Trainee Solicitor. Graduated from our MA Philosophy programme in 2018.<\/h4>\n

Jonathan is in the process of completing a training contract with a city law firm to qualify as a solicitor for England and Wales. The role involves rotating around a number of areas of law with a view to finding a suitable practice area to qualify. Prior to the training contract, Jonathan worked for the civil service alongside studying for his postgraduate degree here at The University of Manchester.<\/p>\n

Why did you originally choose to study your course at Manchester?<\/h2>\n

“<\/em><\/strong>Following my Undergraduate degree, the University of Manchester offered me a scholarship to continue study through to Postgraduate level.”<\/p>\n

Did you always know you wanted to do the career you\u2019re in? Did your course or time at the University help influence this?\u00a0<\/h2>\n

“I had some interest in the law during my undergraduate degree, but it was through making use of the University careers service, and associated research, during my postgraduate degree that I developed that interest into a conviction.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I had always appreciated the transferable skills, which the study of Philosophy helped me to develop, and I continue to find them valuable in my career.”<\/p>\n

How did your course set you up for your career path?<\/h2>\n

“The course gave me a number of opportunities to learn analytical skills and craft abstract arguments.\u00a0 Those aspects have proved invaluable in my legal career.<\/p>\n

The diet of material within the course was broad.\u00a0 That encouraged the development of my analytical skills such as: the ability to immerse oneself into new areas of study; the ability to digest, and subsequently marshal, large amounts of complex information; and sensitivity to changes in philosophical position, however delicate.<\/p>\n

The course required the production of several essays and a dissertation.\u00a0 Those provided the opportunity to develop searching, yet robust, arguments based on complicated philosophical positions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In short, the course gave me confidence to think clearly about abstract and complicated problems which I have frequently encountered in the law.”\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

What was the most surprising takeaway from your course that’s helped you later in life?<\/h2>\n

“I frequently find distinctions in abstract philosophical discussions (and not just Occam’s Razor!) to have real applicability to legal problems.”<\/p>\n

What advice would you give to a student looking to start your course and\/or join the University?<\/h2>\n

“Enjoy the intellectual freedom which the course affords.\u00a0 Both for the intrinsic joy and for the lifelong skills which the course can provide.”<\/p>\n

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