As part of our MHC Intern Life series, Ibak Baky tells us about his experience as an intern at MHC, studying at the University of Hong Kong and competing in ‘Escape Room’ games both at home and internationally.
What inspired you to venture on this career path/why did you choose law?
I chose psychology on completion of my Leaving Certificate with the long term view of becoming a lawyer as they both seek to initially understand human behaviour. Broadly speaking, lawyers deal with the effects of human behaviour and psychologists seek to understand the operations behind it or why thus behaviour occurred.
From the beginning, I have always had an interest in the history of our world and I believe this has a logical placement in the scope of a career in law as humans have proven time and again that those who don’t know their history usually repeat it. I have a minor in History that runs parallel to my Major in International Psychology from the UCD School of history and I have seen how historical proceedings impact modern law.
Why did you choose MHC?
Many of the reasons I chose MHC over any other firm, I have already experienced within my first three days here. When researching MHC prior to applying, three main reasons stood out for me; assignment to a partner, assignment to a trainee and the chance to attend court during the intern programme. I have already become familiar with every one of these resources and I haven’t even finished my first week! This highlights MHC’s investment in their interns and it truly offers a springboard for the rest of my career. The firm has also sought to match internships with application profiles and I couldn’t have chosen a department that would suit me better. Finally the open plan office and the unique way trainees are hired in the firm will offer me the most comprehensive experience to working law life that I wouldn’t get anywhere else.
What was your journey to MHC?
My path to becoming an intern is a little different from the majority of interns I have met so far. I didn’t actually choose to do law in University! Although when I was applying for university it was always a close call between psychology and law and psychology was the broader of the two. This allowed me to keep my options open for a longer period of time and to understand the ‘why’ before I understand the ‘what’ of human behaviour. In the second year of my degree I competed against my year for one of three places at The University of Hong Kong. While in Hong Kong, I attended a number of moot courts and this really sparked my interest in understanding what happens behind the scenes. I then came home to complete my fourth and final year of psychology and it was during this time I made the ultimate decision to apply to MHC.
What sports/hobbies/pastimes?
Sport-wise I am a keen soccer player and have played my entire life. More importantly, I find, are my hobbies outside the realm of sport. In my final year of university I was a co-host on a university radio show, titled ‘Forever Jung’, in which I would carry out psychological analyses on issues in the media. This radio show allowed me to build on my public speaking; enhancing my capacity as an effective communicator whilst offering me the opportunity to conduct interviews with students.
Moreover, competing in ‘Escape Room’ games both at home and internationally (Egypt, Hong Kong, Czech Republic) is a massive interest of mine. These involve a series of puzzles and riddles that must be solved within a certain time in order to successfully escape the room relying on accurate team work as puzzles often lead into each other sequentially.
What's your idea of a perfect holiday/favourite place you've ever visited?
I’ll go with the best place I’ve ever visited on this one as it also constitutes my idea of a perfect holiday. I went on holiday to Japan in March 2017 for a total of two weeks as flights there from Hong Kong were ludicrously cheap! In those two weeks, I travelled the length of the country and I noticed something ubiquitous across every prefecture. Life there focused on hard work and it is the reason their culture has manifested itself as an avant-garde society. While in Hiroshima, a place that was essentially decimated just over seventy years ago, I noticed how it was more built up than Dublin. This pays testament to their innovation and highlights how Japan is a perfect blend of past and future.
Head over to our Summer Intern Programme page or the Graduate Hub for more information on our internship programme.
