Waleska Vernon reflects on her time at the CDO and provides her advice on forming and achieving sustainable career goals
On September 13, Waleska Vernon left the Faculty of Law’s Career Development Office (CDO) to take on the role of Director of Professional Recruitment and Development at Paliare Roland Rosenberg Rothstein LLP. Waleska graciously sat down with Ultra Vires to talk about her time with the CDO and give some final advice to students.
Ultra Vires (UV): You worked at full-service firms in New York and Toronto from 2002–2011 and then changed gears to pursue mentorship. What led you to make this choice?
Waleska Vernon (WV): I was at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (Blakes) in Toronto in the corporate department. Around 2006, I switched from litigation and did the rest of my practice in mergers and acquisitions. In that position I was acting as a mentor to the students and associates. That’s where I got my first taste of mentoring others. I was also mentored by a senior associate at the firm. Those experiences really resonated with me and that’s where I started thinking much more about a career where mentorship would be my central role.
UV: In your position at the CDO, what did you find to be the most rewarding and most difficult aspects of the job?
WV: Hands down, the most rewarding aspect of my position was building relationships with students. My first role after finishing my masters in counselling psychology was at an undergraduate university career center. In that situation, students normally didn’t seek out career services until their fourth year. Obviously, at that point, there’s limited ability to form a relationship.
At the law school, I got the opportunity to meet students right out of the gate in 1L and walk with them through the various recruitment processes and career reflections they had during their time in law school. It’s such an interesting and talented group of students. I was always amazed by the accomplishments that these students had. Yet, students aren’t confident because they look around and see the accomplishments that their peers have. Building that confidence with students and seeing them grow was such a privilege for me.
In terms of what was challenging, I don’t think it’s any secret that the CDO was and is understaffed to some extent. The needs are high, and our hours are limited. I would have loved to expand our programing throughout the year for various kinds of student interests and questions and so on, but we just didn’t have the capacity for that.
UV: How did the pandemic affect the role and activities of the CDO?
WV: Last summer, the bulk of our role was negotiating and advocating with the law society and employers to come up with a new recruitment cycle that would reflect the fact that the grades became pass/fail at that point in time. We had to decide which programs were critical and what other supports students needed given the extreme circumstances. We had to figure out how to best support students in a virtual setting and help them during an online recruit. Students were very understanding though. I think they realized that these are extreme circumstances and we are all just doing our best.
UV: During your time as a career counsellor with the CDO, you were also acting as a career counsellor and psychotherapist in private practice where you worked with individuals experiencing major work-life stress. What advice would you have for students about to embark on their own careers, with the associated stressors of legal practice?
WV: What I would say is, for anyone who is thinking of a career transition, it is usually because there was not enough information available when they embarked on their career. When people are going through recruits, they only have limited information available to them about what’s out there and also about themselves. Sometimes people need to get out into a job or career to see if it’s the best fit for them. If students are going through the recruit and are not 100% confident in their choices, that is okay.
There are people I know who are certain about where they want to end up and then quickly realize it is not the best fit for them. For lawyers specifically, a unique culture exists in law school, where a very clear hierarchy is communicated to students about what are the best jobs, which jobs are prestigious, and which aren’t. Once you get out of that environment, you can be more honest with yourself about what you value.
I know a lot of people who experience this, but obviously there is a sampling bias because they wouldn’t come to me if everything was great! But people can realize very quickly that the demands of certain practice areas are unsustainable for them. I think students need to realize going into it that if you do full-service, it is very demanding. In the remote environment, the impression I have gotten is that clients are even more demanding. There is such fierce competition for clients and that’s what makes it so stressful. If students can go into their careers with their eyes open, that’s great.
I think students should go into these kinds of experiences knowing what they want to get out of it. There is nothing wrong with going into these really stressful environments as long as they know what their goals are. If you wanted to pay down your student debt, then you could do that until you felt like you were in a good position then go find a job that is more aligned with what you wanted from your life.
Also, when you’re five years out in your practice, no one cares which firms you were at — it doesn’t affect your day-to-day. I think students should be on the lookout for firms where they know they will get along with the people there. Students should allow their wellness to be factored into the equation and they should also be aware of what their top needs are.
There is certainly value to keeping your options open by doing a more general experience. A full-service firm gives you the chance to dabble in a bunch of areas. However, if students don’t think that’s what they want, then I would say they should really consider what it is they do want.
UV: Do you have any parting advice for students going through one of the various recruits, or getting ready to take them on? Whether it’s 1L, 2L, or the articling recruit?
WV: First, U of T law students are fantastic. It was a very rare occurrence for me to meet a student who didn’t have unique experiences or something special to offer. You are all eminently marketable. To the extent that students are concerned they are not going to get employed, I want them to banish that thought.
However, students should consider that their career might not start in the way that they expect. What I have noticed with students that go through the articling recruit is that there is sometimes serious disappointment that they didn’t land a 2L position at one of the top firms. However, while you might not get the full-service experience right out of the gate, you will get great work experience and if you decide that you want that full-service experience, then you can circle back to it at a later date. There are lots of opportunities once you’re called to the bar, so don’t worry.
Second, make use of the CDO. I have seen a marked difference in the quality of the application materials and knowledge of self that comes from having meetings with the CDO. When I meet students who didn’t land a 2L position or an articling position, it’s usually because they didn’t meet with the CDO to go over their experiences and what they want to convey. I’ve been working with Paliare for a week now, and it shows when someone hasn’t made use of CDO services. It just creates a disadvantage that doesn’t have to exist.
If you aren’t going to go to the CDO, just make sure that you are reflecting carefully on what you want and getting advice from someone you trust on how to best present yourself. You are all great and I believe in you all. I genuinely believe in the students from the Faculty. Sometimes you just need to get out of your own way and let your qualities shine through. You will land on your feet.
UV: Is there anything else that you wanted to say as parting words?
WV: The other advice I would offer is to present the best version of yourself to your employers. Part of what makes students nervous is they see what other students have to offer and compare themselves to other students on those metrics without considering what their own strengths are. Showcase what you bring. Students often say, “I don’t have business experience and I don’t have legal experience.” Well, most people don’t. You have to show what you have, and employers will respond to that.
This Interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
