They say hindsight is 20/20 – London's senior lawyers offer their very best advice to Legal Week readers

'I wish I had known that big law firms are really just small groups of people working together that join up with lots of other small groups and so aren't actually impersonal and machine-like – and that law firms really do have very different cultures, so you'll find one that suits you. My best advice would be to find a part of the law that you enjoy, and be yourself when doing it – you won't go far wrong' – Simon Tinkler, London corporate head, Clifford Chance

'When I was starting out I was not aware how important the culture of a law firm is and how different firms have very different cultures. I was lucky because the firm I chose, which is the one I have remained at, has a culture, an international breadth and people that I really like. I would encourage anyone starting out today to invest time in open days and so on to get the best possible feel for the firms that might best suit them' – Gary Senior, London managing partner, Baker & McKenzie

'Grasp as great an understanding as you can about the work the City-based firms do and how it ties in to the wider business environment' – Mark Curtis, head of corporate, Simmons & Simmons

'The best advice I would give someone embarking on a legal career now is: don't be afraid to try – it is the only way in which you will learn. I would also say don't be afraid to ask if you do not understand. That is less dumb than you'd think!' – Sietze Hepkema, global corporate co-head, Allen & Overy

'Revise hard, and then let it go – most of it will be totally irrelevant to what you find yourself doing. Just hope that the 90% you forget is the 90% that you won't be needing' – Alec Burnside, Brussels managing partner, Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft

'I left University a nigh-on unemployable pseudo-intellectual with a shaky nutshell grasp of the post-structural theories of Lacan, Foucault, Derrida et al, and no idea what a balance sheet or P&L was. Looking back, a primer in essential accounting practice and business law would have been a huge help, rather than picking it up from clients and jobs as I started my career. And also having the confidence to ask the obvious questions. It's funny how often they don't get asked' – David Stewart, chief  executive, Olswang

'That woollen ties were not a good look' – Graham White, executive partner, Slaughter and May

'I wish someone had told me that if you don't play golf or shoot and if you insist on being a lifelong supporter of Ipswich Town FC then you'll spend many more days in the office than most of your colleagues and you'll find it deeply depressing when you have to organise or attend football matches for corporate hospitality purposes' – Mark Soundy, private equity partner, Weil Gotshal & Manges

'I wish I had known that the legal sector is not very innovative. If I had known that, I could have pushed for improvement in that area at an earlier stage' – Tim Marsden, deputy managing partner, Norton Rose

'What you get out of anything is directly proportional to the effort you put in. It is all about relationships – and be aware that in every situation you end up in, you are influencing your audience, either positively or negatively. You can only be yourself – don't try and be anyone else. Be prepared to push yourself to the limit and occasionally fail, otherwise you will never discover the extent of your ability' – Bryan Hughes, chief executive, Eversheds

'You should be honest with yourself about what you want with your long-term career and decide where to apply for a training contract based on the level of commitment, time and effort you genuinely feel you will be prepared to put in. There are a lot of people who are not in the right position based on their actual aspirations' – Jeremy Hoyland, managing partner, Simmons & Simmons

'The thing that would have helped me most was to have more confidence in the personalities of truly good lawyers. I spent so much time worrying about what prejudices others may have that it inhibited me being myself for a long time' – Michael Madden, litigation chief, Winston & Strawn

'That a Mighty Wah! vinyl single would become a collectors' item' Andrew Lilley, managing partner, Travers Smith

'Ignore all well-meaning advice about what sort of lawyer you should be and find out for yourself whether you're keen on corporate, love litigation or revel in real estate. As a lawyer, try to be involved in that part of the profession which personally interests you the most.  You will do better, and be happier, for a long time'  – Peter Sharp, London managing partner, Dewey & LeBoeuf

'That the next time I would be able to have a long summer break to travel the world would be 31 years later…' – Malcolm Pike, commercial divisional managing partner, Addleshaw Goddard

'I wish I'd known that if in the future I proposed to someone, it was in fact conceivable she'd say yes (at least if I caught her by surprise); that I would not need to think about declining those investment bank job offers that came in on occasion in the early years; and that a lot of life is about luck, good and bad' – James Palmer, global head of corporate, Herbert Smith

'It is ok to be yourself: don't be afraid of your weaknesses and play to your strengths' – Charles Martin, senior partner, Macfarlanes

'If possible, get beyond the official recruitment process to get existing trainees' insights into the realities of life at the firm. Do they get a broad range of interesting work and experience and good exposure to clients? Do lawyers at the firm really take an interest in training and developing trainees, rather than regarding them as workhorses?' – Sharon White, chief executive, Stephenson Harwood

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