Joel Oswald

Name: Joel Oswald
Resident: Tottenham
Occupation: Inhouse solicitor for an investment bank

4U2 interviews Haringey resident, Joel Oswald who shares his inspiration on why he launched a corporate careers insight
experience for teenagers. Speaking to 4U2, the Tottenhamite said: “I wanted to create a virtual work experience for students across London, in order to help and guide teenagers who are interested in the corporate world and have the aspiration towards a professional career in the City.

Motivated by his own teenage daughter and the current “unprecedented and uncertain times,” students across the UK are resiliently enduring due to Covid-19, Oswald continued: “All challenges are accompanied by opportunities. I came up with this initiative, inspired by conversations with students in my network around me who had various cancelled engagements including internships and work experience.”
Revealing it was all down to perfect timing, the proud father of one, who is also a volunteer member with 100 Black Men of London, added: “This project happened at an opportune time when I was being asked to look for potential collaborations between the 100 Black Men of London charity and
my employer – an investment bank. It was a simple but effective idea.”

The two-day, pilot work experience took place from December 21st to 23rd 2020 using Zoom, allowing all participants to gain
a genuine understanding of what it takes to get into the corporate world and what life is really like on a day-to-day basis for professionals keeping the City running.
Remembering his own career journey, Oswald shared: “I found it exceedingly difficult to decide upon a career choice.
Eventually after several life events and developing the right commitment, I decided
to embark upon a career in law, and even then, it took me years to figure out precisely the type of lawyer, I wanted to be.”