Category: Work

January was your break from it. Now you’re back at it. The invitations are pouring in and will continue for the rest of the year. I used to hate meeting people. The fear of looking like an idiot. The pressure to be interesting. The precarious, multi-layered canapes that seem destined to topple down my new,…

So you’re fresh out four-plus years of law school. It’s true, you’re smart. If you got a job at a big law firm, you might be very smart and are almost certainly very lucky. I felt lucky. I remember getting the offer that I really wanted and feeling embarrassed. “Obviously they’ve made a mistake”, I thought, “their records must…

You know the story: clumsy Alice tumbling down the rabbit hole. You probably don’t remember it contains one invaluable lessons on life and career. I grew up with the dodgy TV version where Whoopi Goldberg plays the Cheshire Cat. Where some turn to religion or philosophy for answers, I look to Ms. Goldberg in equal…

You’re in the elevator and catch the eye of a colleague. You greet a teammate in the line up for your caffeine fix in the breakout room. You and your boss arrive early to a team meeting and you exchange pleasantries. How are you? What’s happening? How’s work going? How’s things? You know the response.…

As I get older, a life of pulsating dancefloors and 5am finishes has given way to more measured social pursuits. One pastime never to be underestimated is the humble board game. My favourite? It’s called Pandemic where players attempt to defeat a deadly virus spreading rapidly across the fold out, cardboard world. Uniquely, all human players work together to…

There are three elements to getting great career advice: first, (obviously) the advice has to be right. Second, it has to apply to the listener. Third, you have to follow it. That third part is surprisingly difficult. When I started as a lawyer at Clayton Utz, someone gave me advice that I thought sounded pretty dumb. On reflection, it was…