– It Ended Up Being the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me!”
A career in law is a dream for many, but it’s not always easy. Once you’ve got through fierce competition at university, you still have to fight for a training contract, and then you might find yourself working long hours to keep up with the demand. On this episode of the Work It Like A Mum podcast, Elizabeth talks to a lawyer who made it to the top and who’s paving the way for others beneath her to have more opportunities and a better work-life balance.
Jas tells Liz how she qualified as a lawyer and what the early years of her career were like. She gives Liz an insight into a tough time when she was made redundant early in her second pregnancy, and how she managed to bounce back and relaunch her law career. Jas and Liz then get into an interesting discussion on the benefits and drawbacks of working from home. Jas describes her current work life at a company that truly values employee flexibility and autonomy. You’ll also learn some tips on work-life balance from a home office pro who’s been working from home since 2014!
Stay tuned to the end to find out about the career opportunities available at Harper James, and don’t forget to subscribe to the Work It Like a Mum podcast to hear more great interviews with happy, successful working mums.
Timestamps
[3:20] Jas tells Liz why she was attracted to a career in law
[4:54] Why Jas chose to specialise in corporate law
[6:11] How to get on the ‘partner track’
[9:24] Jas unpacks what options trainee lawyers have now
[11:23] Balancing family life and a career in law
[14:25] “Completely unheard of in a traditional law firm”: Why in-house is a better option for parents working in law
[15:40] Pregnant and made redundant: A difficult moment in Jas’s career
[20:07] How Jas got back into law after her second maternity leave
[22:47] “I never felt alone”: The difference a supportive team makes
[25:49] What Jas’s working life looks like now
[27:07] No distractions, a separate space, discipline: Advice about working from home from a WFH pro
[29:35] Should you spend more time working in the office at the beginning of your career?
[31:15] Why working from home is better for everyone
[33:42] Work-life balance at Harper James
[35:20] Where to go to find out more about Harper James and Jas
Show Links
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