Lad rejected from nearly 100 jobs and living on benefits finally lands dream job as barrister

A lad who was rejected from nearly 100 jobs and forced to live on benefits has now bagged his dream job as a barrister.

Taz Aldeek, from Wilmslow, Cheshire, saw countless job applications knocked back, putting a real dent into his confidence.

The 29-year-old even had the impressive accolade of three degrees to his name - one of them being a master's.

But despite all that, Taz found it a real struggle to get onto the career ladder and had to apply to Universal Credit in 2020 to survive.

He had racked up a massive £10,000 in debt, which was not including his tuition and accommodation loans at university.

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"It was a very difficult time for me, my physical health was deteriorating, and I was trying my best to stay positive but felt like I was in a dark place," he said.

In 2016, Taz graduated from Sheffield University with a 2:1 with honours in Law and Criminology.

A year later, in 2017, Taz achieved a Distinction after studying Master of Laws in Corporate and Commercial Law at the same university.

Despite all that education, Taz said that he didn't 'fit the mould' of a barrister, so volunteered at Manchester crown court witness service to gain a bit more experience.

As he focused on criminal law, Taz took a four-month voluntary internship in the US in a death row office.

Upon his return, Taz worked at a law firm for a bit, before he was granted a scholarship from The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn.

This gave Taz the freedom to apply for pupillages and internships, as the scholarship came from one of the world’s most prestigious professional bodies of judges and lawyers.

An 18-month period of applying and rejections followed, until April 2022 when Taz was offered a role at the Information Commissioner's Office and secured pupillage - a job he will start in September.

"Now I’m ready for the job, I've got the experience nationally and internationally and I’m as ready as I'm ever going to be – I'm happy to be in crime and public service with the CPS," he said.

“It feels like I'm making meaningful impact in my community.”

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He continued: “I look back now and it has very much been a redemption story – I went to state school and was in the bottom set for everything,” said Taz.

“I scraped into law school and like anyone at university, it's a financially difficult experience.

“I felt like I didn't fit the mould but I finished university and thought I'll go for it and ended up committing to it.

“Without the scholarship from Lincoln’s Inn, I couldn't have done the bar course to qualify as a barrister.

“From 2017 until 2022, I was getting rejections every year and now, I’ve finally made it happen."

Taz's story shows no matter how many rejections you get, you can always come fighting back and reach your goals.

Well done, Taz!