A JD degree opens the door to a diverse array of career options, both within the legal profession and outside it. However, such variety can make the job search process seem overwhelming for students trying to map out their career paths. To help Queen’s Law students navigate the process and achieve their individual goals, the school’s Law Career Development Office (CDO) has been offering a tailored Career Management Plan (CMP) program for several years. Results continue to be impressive, and some of the first beneficiaries of the CMP share how the program helped them. 

Roger Sawh, Law’15, is now Legal Counsel with Desjardins Insurance, but when he was a student, he had no connection to the practice of law. “The career management planning assistance provided from the very beginning of my time at Queen’s Law was indispensable in helping me understand the magnitude and complexity that goes into entering the legal workforce,” he says. “Quite frankly, the process is pretty intimidating! However, the resources available through the great career development team genuinely made a lot of difference.”

Meagan Berlin, Law’16, a former Law Students’ Society president, is now a practising lawyer with Woodward & Company LLP, a firm that works exclusively for First Nations governments, organizations and individuals. The Queen’s career planning process, she says, helped her manage anxiety about the unknown. “Julie Banting (CDO Director) was especially holistic about help offered – she made sure to link what I was looking for and pursing during job search periods to what I had originally expressed, and communicated over time as to what my ideal work life would look like,” she says. “It helped me not waste stress or energy on things that I ultimately would not be happy with, in the short- or long-term.”

Hayley Pitcher, Law’14, now with the Ontario Attorney General’s Constitutional Law Branch, emphasizes how planning gave her confidence to pursue a career in public law. “I found the career management planning process at Queen’s Law to be an invaluable resource and it helped me explore the options available,” she says. “The Career Development Office helped me to develop a realistic action plan to target my search, craft an impressive application and hone my interview skills. With their assistance, I achieved my goal to work in public law.” 

The skills developed through the program have also helped students find non-traditional careers. After practising on Bay Street, Rayomond Dinshaw, Law’15, is now a senior policy advisor with the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. “The Career Development Office at Queen’s Law jump-started my career by helping me develop a career management plan early in my legal studies,” he says. “Developing that plan helped me realize my career aspirations, explore non-traditional career options, build my network, refine my interviewing skills, identify transferable skills, and make the most out of my time at Queen’s Law.” 

By Anthony Pugh