A DIFFERENT PATH?
“Do you want to practice?” A simply question constructed using 5 simple
words, but try asking this question to every law students you know.
TAN JIN CHI
• Graduated from
University of Essex
LLB(2.1 honours)
• Student ambassador
for University of Essex
• Representative of UOE
for BAC students in
Malaysia
•
•
Founded the
Catalyst.MY along with
a few friends, a
business consulting
firm.
Organised the first
regional legal
technology conference
in Asia along with the
CanLaw team
• Retained by CanLaw
Asia as executive for
Outreach and Strategic
Partnership
• Currently enrolled in
Asia Developer
Academy, learning
coding/ mobile
developments
especially for Android
and Website
Chances are, most of them, especially those that are still pondering hard
about their future life path, will tell you that “Hmmm.. I don’t really know.
Yet.” It’s a simple response, but the thought process needed to actually
understand what you really want would sometimes take months, even
years.
And as if that’s not complicated enough, the journey to finding your own
path does not come with a “standard operating procedure.” Each thought
process comes with its own set of factors to consider which may not only
involve you, but your friends and family. I could share my experience but
eventually, you are the only one who can answer that question above
yourself.
1.Know the values you are searching for in a career and the “runway” of it
Let’s start by having a simple test. Try to think about what you are looking
for in a career? Do you want money? Reputation? Networking
opportunities? Emotional and spiritual fulfillment? To expand your
experience and skillsets to start your own business eventually? Or, a
balanced work life?
Once you have your answer ready, try to evaluate the “runway” of your
goals in your current job. “Runway” in this context, simply means how much
more can your current job provide you with the set of values that you are
looking for.
For example, if you are looking to start your own business eventually, does
practicing law allows you to do so? Running a business requires a different
set of skills such as human resources management, marketing, sales,
business development and so on. How much of these skills can you pick up
while working as a lawyer? If the answer is “I do not get to learn any of
these skills by working in a law firm”, then it is clear that practicing law is
not the ideal career for you.
With that being said, it is still largely depending on the people you work
with.
2.Your boss plays a huge role (Especially in your early 20s)
Continuing my point above, regardless of which industry you are in, the
people you work with (Especially your boss) play a crucial role in shaping
your career path in the future.
If your boss is someone who do not see you playing a crucial role in the
bigger picture of his law firm/ his company, then you are merely someone
who executes all the work