Law students – especially those unsure about what they want from their careers – should proactively seek as much diverse experience as they can. As Hayden McLoughlin has discovered from working in-house, one will be much better placed from having taken up such opportunities. In this episode of The Protégé Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with NIOA Group paralegal and QUT law student Hayden McLoughlin about being open to new ideas and pathways as one progresses while studying, how he “fell into” an in-house role as a student, whether in-house work is undersold to students as a vocational pathway, and what his duties look like in his current role.

Mr McLoughlin also reflects on the capacity for students to become better-rounded graduates if they engage in in-house work, the benefits he has gleaned, challenges he has faced and overcome, how undertaking a summer clerkship has complemented his in-house experience, why law students need to seek as broad a remit of experience as they can, questions one should ask of one’s self, and why students must go out and seek value. If you like this episode, show your support by rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!