How LOD supports Sheryl’s legal career and passion for travel
A desire for greater flexibility led LOD Secondee Sheryl to rethink the approach to her career. Attracted to LOD due to our ‘proven track record’ in the industry, she hasn’t looked back.
Can you please introduce yourself and tell us about your current secondment?
I began my legal career in New Zealand working primarily in commercial property and on general commercial work. I moved to Sydney early in my career and then worked in banking and finance before eventually moving to inhouse banking roles. Ultimately a desire for greater flexibility encouraged me to rethink my overall career approach and led me to a fulfilling contract role with one of my former clients. This experience encouraged me to consider the contracting model more permanently and when looking at alternatives, LOD seemed to have a proven track record. I have now been on several placements and am currently on secondment in a role within the aviation industry.
What attracted you to the Lawyers On Demand model?
The model recognises that clients have a variety of resourcing needs and that contract lawyers are among the options available when internal capacity is stretched. The LOD model seems to make this option easier to access for both the contract lawyer and the client. LOD also seem to have an enviable network of client organisations. This translates to a wide selection of roles across numerous industries in a variety of locations.
How has Lawyers On Demand supported you in your career and your life?
LOD have worked closely with me to identify roles that align with my experience and meet client requirements. LOD have also coordinated with me to facilitate periods between secondments to explore my other interests. I have enjoyed all the secondments I have been on and have observed that each placement has offered different opportunities to develop my professional skills and experience.
What has been your experience working with Lawyers On Demand clients?
My experience working with LOD clients has been overwhelmingly positive. In most cases the teams I have worked in have been small, 10 people or less, however when working in an inhouse legal team you often interact with broad sections of the wider business. In all teams I have felt supported and included as a team member. I have also benefited from clear leadership from my direct supervisors.
What is the best thing about being a Lawyers On Demand secondee lawyer?
I couldn’t settle on a best thing ‘singular”, but the best things ‘plural’ are the variety of work plus the ongoing challenges of adapting to new environments, processes and people. As someone who had work in permanent roles for relatively long periods and who found comfort and stability from this, I’m pleasantly surprised that adapting and learning with each new role can be an energising experience.
How does Lawyers On Demand support you to achieve other goals/parts of life?
LOD have worked with me to coordinate time between secondments that allows me to spend time on my other interests such as travel. Most recently I spent the Brisbane summer snowboarding in Canada followed by completing the Otago Rail Trail and the Queen Charlotte hike. These trips would be difficult to fit into a full-time permanent role but are an important part of the flexibility that LOD can accommodate within the contracting model.
What advice would you give to new Lawyers On Demand lawyers starting out or someone who may want to change their career trajectory?
Wherever you are in your career and life it can be useful to periodically think critically and honestly about what is important to you and if this is where you want to be. Are the goals you once set for yourself still relevant? Is it time to reassess the plan, or if you never really had a plan, make one – or at least think about making one. Pretty sure there are Ted Talks and podcasts galore on this type of thing so nothing new, but for what it’s worth being more intentional and clearer about my career and life goals got positive outcomes for me.
How do you spend your time when you are not on secondment?
I spend quite a bit of time (and money) on travel, mainly activity related travel like snowboarding, hiking, cycling. When I’m at home I spend way too much time playing tennis – plus various other fitness related activities. I’m desperately trying to reinstate reading so I have at least one cerebral past-time, unfortunately it fell off a cliff during covid and doesn’t seem to want to return.