Talent

Talent, therefore, cannot be pigeonholed. At the same time, in its search for new talent, BASE adheres to two words: outstanding and humour. That feels a bit like we think just those two qualities of talent are extra important. But that is not the case. For we believe that these words can be interpreted so broadly that they can relate to all kinds of talented lawyers. The fact that everyone at BASE is outstanding in his or her own way and has a sense of humour adds up to what makes us proud to be BASE Advocaten. A distinctive and talented firm, with humour.

Recruiting talent

It has been about seven years for me since, fresh out of college, I started looking for a job in the legal profession. Employment law, that had to be it. And preferably at a nice firm with a healthy work balance. According to Google, there are quite a lot of those. Certainly a 'healthy work balance' is in fact something that every law firm likes to advertise with. That was clear to me by then. So the quest turned out not to be that easy. Until a friend of mine said to me: 'I heard that BASE Advocaten is a law firm that you might very well fit in with'. In all honesty, to me it was an unknown law firm at the time, as I was more focused on Amsterdam than Rotterdam. So Google was my first introduction to BASE. And that actually got me very excited right away. Not only was there a vacancy for a trainee lawyer for the Labour Law section, but at the top of the vacancy it said: 'Are you outstanding and do you have some humour?'. This text excited me immediately. Because if a law firm just values both substantive excellence and having some humour, then I would like to know more about it. Conversations were held and my enthusiasm grew. It was clear to me that substantive quality was obviously of great importance to BASE. But it was became clear to me quickly that humour was considered equally important. Indeed, one of the reasons for this, I was told, was that it enhances the quality of work. When you feel at ease with colleagues, you also dare to ask questions. And by daring to ask questions and by daring to give input, you promote the substantive quality of yourself and your team. This way, talent can continue to develop. And of course, a nice workplace with plenty of room for joking around greatly enhances job satisfaction. In short: I was overjoyed to start at BASE on 1 August 2017.

Training talent and ensuring it excels

After the 'preliminary process' has been successfully completed, actually starting a new job (especially if it is your first real one) is different. Questions like "Can I do it?" and "Am I doing it right?" regularly haunt your mind. And while you know that the answer to the first question is yes, the second question can still make you a little uncertain at first. After all, how can you actually be a good lawyer from day one?

And especially when you then see your colleagues at work, you don't believe that you will ever be as confident. After all, successfully completing law school does not make you a top lawyer. You have to develop that talent and experience plays a big part in that. Fortunately, nobody was surprised by these 'day-one jitters' and it soon became clear that I would not be left to my own devices. On the contrary. At BASE we always work as a team, but at the same time you are also given the space and confidence to jump into the deep end. In my view, that is one of the ways talent is developed at BASE.

Talent and teamwork: we are stronger together

One of the most important factors in developing talent is practice. Malcolm Gladwell in his book 'Excelling' writes that it takes about 10,000 hours to become an expert in a field. That's at least five years of dedication and effort. Valuable years that deserve to be filled carefully. And BASE does just that. Talent is taken seriously and your opinion matters. Right from the start. So at BASE, you get involved not only because it is instructive, but also because your insights can be important. No matter how much or how little experience you have. By working in teams, everyone learns from each other. As a team of equal sparring partners, we arrive at the right course and insights together.

Another great thing is that because you collaborate on a case from A to Z, you naturally get a glimpse into the thought process of your more experienced colleague. And that is incredibly instructive and useful for your own development. But there is an important caveat to this. For I will always remember what one of the partners always said: 'Learn from another, but never become exactly the same lawyer. Make sure you learn and take something from everyone's qualities so that you can become your own ideal lawyer'. So be yourself. On a personal level, but also as a lawyer. That's the only way it works. Moreover, teamwork only really becomes valuable that way too.

Talent and responsibility: dive into the deep end

Taking responsibility starts with giving it. That is why BASE encourages independence, no matter how young or inexperienced someone is. You get better quickly if you do things yourself and actually feel that responsibility. By diving straight into the deep end and writing that subpoena or petition yourself. By trusting your talent, not being afraid to make mistakes and above all: by always wanting to learn from each other. Age, experience or position play no role. And although this is quite exciting in the beginning, it does ensure that you make very big steps in a short period of time. Not to mention the rush you feel when you have then done your first meeting independently or submitted your first 'own' procedural document.

Talent and job happiness: source of energy

So we take work happiness and humour very seriously at BASE. Not only because it brings great pleasure, but also because we believe that happy people do the best work. Work happiness is therefore at the heart of our culture and it is our inexhaustible source of energy. We work hard, but with a smile on our faces and room for sociability. To hold on to that smile, BASE invests in a healthy work-life balance continuously, but also in mutual contact. This shows itself in all kinds of ways. Varying from a game of table tennis between work to get out of that work mode and relax to the group sports lessons offered in our own gym. But also the weekly get-togethers or other theme parties, team outings, Christmas dinners and unforgettable ski trips all ensure that the mutual bond is maintained. We know each other well and we really have fun together. For me personally, this philosophy ensures that I remain highly motivated to work for BASE. And I hope my job satisfaction is contagious as I help clients achieve their goals.

Talent and customisation: starting and growing

Leveraging talent is tailor-made. Those who want to go deeper in terms of content will also get that opportunity at BASE. Because apart from the training obligations, such as the professional training of the Bar Association and obtaining the annual training points, there are now several colleagues who have completed a training course via Grotius or the PALA on their own initiative (cum laude!). And even if you want to develop commercially, you can. So you get the space to help think about acquisition. What's more: it is highly appreciated if you contribute to that.

Naturally, our door is always wide open for talented law students. As a paralegal or student trainee, they can get a taste of the legal profession and participate in (almost) all aspects of BASE. Our secretarial support is also provided by a team of enthusiastic and energetic law students. This way, a diversity of talent finds a place with us to test, develop and flourish their talent.

Talent is never 'worn out' and is always evolving. During my time as a lawyer at BASE now, I have had the opportunity to experience this myself. It makes me happy when I consider that it is a never-ending journey. And I am very curious about what talent development still awaits me at BASE.