Charlie Fisher talks rowing for Cambridge, his MPhil in World History and career plans for this year and beyond
Hi Charlie! First off, congratulations on being part of the winning Boat Race team this year. Tell us a little about the experience?
This was my second time in the winning Cambridge Boat Race crew, having also competed in 2016. That year was infamous for the women’s crew almost sinking as the conditions were so challenging. Thankfully we avoided the same fate and managed a hard-fought win. This year, we achieved the same result as in 2016, although the race was more of a comfortable victory, as we had an emphatic lead from an early stage. Being part of the CUBC has been the highlight of my time at Cambridge. I’ve made friendships that I hope will last a lifetime, and really enjoyed the opportunity to be part of a high-performance sporting environment. It’s an opportunity I will likely never have again so I’m glad to have made the most of it.
What especial skills do you feel you’ve honed through rowing which you will eventually take into the world of work?
The main skill rowing (and sport more generally) helps is time-management, which I’ve already touched upon. The hours we train and the nature of the Boat Race programme means it is necessary to perform at a high level, under intense pressure, often at very unsociable hours. I think that offers a number of parallels with the careers that Cambridge students often seek after graduation. It also presents the unique dynamic of competing against a number of your friends for spaces in a particular boat. It is really important, and often tricky, to try to separate the competitive dynamic of sport from your personal friendships. More broadly, rowing and sport requires you to cooperate with a whole variety of people in order to achieve a common objective: that’s the part I most love about it.
Which college are you a member of, and how did balancing rowing training around your studies work? Any tips for other students aiming to do the same this year?
I am a member of St John’s College, where I studied undergraduate History followed by an MPhil in World History. I have been very fortunate to have accommodating supervisors. They still expect the same high level as they would from non-athletes (as should be the case), but I have always found them to be flexible in terms of scheduling supervisions. My Director of Studies, in particular, has been very supportive. I have always found rowing to have helped my academic work. It requires me to be up early (usually around 6am) and so I am ready to face the day. It also provides a rigid structure, which has honed my time-management skills. I have found sport to boost my mental health, which in turn has helped to work more efficiently. I’m a big advocate of extra-curricular activities as a means of complementing academic work. I know many athletes who have achieved very highly on and off the water, so there is no reason it cannot be done.
The Careers Service was a fantastic resource for me. I signed up early on during my time at Cambridge and went to quite a few law firm presentations at the start of my second year
What did you do over the summer this year?
I worked as a parliamentary researcher for Greg Hands MP, working full-time in Westminster, balancing the role with my legal studies.
And finally, what are your career ambitions and goals for the next couple of years?
I am starting the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) in London in October, followed by the LPC next year. I will be joining Freshfields as a solicitor upon completion of both. The Careers Service was a fantastic resource for me. I signed up early on during my time at Cambridge and went to quite a few law firm presentations at the start of my second year. I do not believe I would have secured vacation schemes (and subsequent training contract offers) without the opportunity to go to these presentations, which were advertised through the Careers Service.
Follow our diary at careers.cam.ac.uk for upcoming events, panels and employer presentations in 2019-20. You can also find us on Facebook, where we publish event pages and reminders throughout the year