From small firm to big firm. Consequences? Need help!

I've currently graduated this year with a 2:1 LLB. I'm currently doing a 6 month internship (unpaid) with a joint legal team for 3 local authorities. I've spent 3 months in litigation, and my final 3 months will be in commercial contracts. I'm basically doing paralegal/trainee types of work. Drafting my own legal advice, shadowing meetings, amending contracts etc. In litigation there was generally a lot of bundle work and attending courts. With the commercial team, I will get given my own cases which is usually unheard of for someone who is unpaid and an intern.

A very experienced lawyer (used to work for Clifford Chance) told me that if my aim is to get into a big city firm, I should not apply to very small or smaller high street type of firms because then it will become almost impossible to make it into a larger firm. I should add that I am also interested in working in house for large banks.

His reasoning was that the big city firms and financial institutions would rather have somebody who has helped close multi million pound deals compared with work that's done in the high street. I kind of see where he's coming from when he says this, considering that a couple of the previous interns have gone on to work for Clifford Chance and Barclays.

I have someone I know who is pushing me to work as a paralegal (paid) at their firm but the firm is small. Probably has about 10 employees. I'm afraid that if I take the offer then working at bigger firms may not be possible, or at least extremely diffiuclt. So my question is, is this true? Was the solicitor right in saying that it becomes difficult to break into a big firm if I have been in a small/high street type? Should I take the offer, or keep applying and wait for something bigger?

I've currently graduated this year with a 2:1 LLB. I'm currently doing a 6 month internship (unpaid) with a joint legal team for 3 local authorities. I've spent 3 months in litigation, and my final 3 months will be in commercial contracts. I'm basically doing paralegal/trainee types of work. Drafting my own legal advice, shadowing meetings, amending contracts etc. In litigation there was generally a lot of bundle work and attending courts. With the commercial team, I will get given my own cases which is usually unheard of for someone who is unpaid and an intern.

A very experienced lawyer (used to work for Clifford Chance) told me that if my aim is to get into a big city firm, I should not apply to very small or smaller high street type of firms because then it will become almost impossible to make it into a larger firm. I should add that I am also interested in working in house for large banks.

His reasoning was that the big city firms and financial institutions would rather have somebody who has helped close multi million pound deals compared with work that's done in the high street. I kind of see where he's coming from when he says this, considering that a couple of the previous interns have gone on to work for Clifford Chance and Barclays.

I have someone I know who is pushing me to work as a paralegal (paid) at their firm but the firm is small. Probably has about 10 employees. I'm afraid that if I take the offer then working at bigger firms may not be possible, or at least extremely diffiuclt. So my question is, is this true? Was the solicitor right in saying that it becomes difficult to break into a big firm if I have been in a small/high street type? Should I take the offer, or keep applying and wait for something bigger?