{ "lesson": { "id": 16675499, "video_id": 8278233, "downloadable": false, "autoplay": false, "download_url": null, "html_text": "

Business news

You should get into the habit of reading the news daily, if only for a few minutes. You will soon build a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of what is going on in the business areas relevant to the organisations to which you are applying. 

There are many sources you can use to build your awareness, knowledge and understanding of current affairs. BBC Business News (online) is probably my favourite source for readings about the news, as the articles are short, concise and (generally) jargon-free. 

Helpfully, these articles also tend to include a series of “related” links at the bottom, which can help you to trace back the history of a particular event or trend, and access supplementary information (such as the spectrum of opinions around a particular story). Reading these related articles can help you to build a more comprehensive understanding of different topics. 

I used to copy and paste major headlines from news websites into a Word document, the add to the document as related stories and developments emerged. This helped to boost my general knowledge and understanding of what was going on in the world, whilst also providing a consolidated document that I could quickly and conveniently refer back to before interviews to remind myself of the news stories that I have followed.

You might also want to place an additional focus on two to three topical issues that really engage and interest you. Research them in greater depth and consider not only the debate and critical analysis surrounding the issues, but also the ways in which the issues could affect City firms and their clients. I created mini reports, which really helped me to prepare for in-depth discussions about the stories during interviews.

Commercial digests

Signing up to news digests can help to get you in the habit of digesting the news in bite-sized chunks. The Financial Times and the Economist provide solid insights into some of the most relevant topical issues affecting the business, finance and political worlds. I strongly recommend subscribing to The Economist’s free weekly digest email, as this succinctly summarises 8 – 12 of the key news stories from around the world. 

If you’re interested in tech and the investment landscape, I would also strongly recommend the free weekly digests available from CB Insights and AngelList and I’m sure there are also countless other digests covering the full spectrum of business-related news.

Each of these digest takes only a few minutes to read, but over time they can help you to build a comprehensive picture of what’s going on in the world without feeling like you’re committing hours and hours to developing your commercial awareness. 

", "video_url": "https://www.commerciallaw.academy/api/course_player/v2/contents/40145921/play/8278233", "attachment_ids": [], "download_file_ids": [] }, "attachments": [], "download_files": [], "videos": [ { "id": 8278233, "storage_location": "videoproxy", "identifier": "cdubv6vmm2u60cqhv2i0", "primary_thumbnail_url": "https://embed-ssl.wistia.com/deliveries/857f58c0dafba18a06a3d11948275c8985159533.jpg", "encoded_state": "finished" } ] }