Wednesday 8 April 2015

Home Stretch

As we near the home stretch of the articling experience, students everywhere are beginning to feel the excitement and buzz surrounding the fast-approaching call to the bar. Reflecting on the past eight months of articling and trying to find ways to push forward to complete the last two months with grace, perseverance and enthusiasm I find myself thinking of the five most important things I’ve learned to help keep myself motivated throughout this process:

Reflecting on the last eight months of articling... thinking of the five most important things:


Make time to see friends and family
We were lucky enough to have a fantastic articling group, which is a testament to the kind of people that work at MB. But regardless of how well you get along with your articling peers, it is important to make sure you have time to see your friends and family outside of work. While articling can be an all-consuming endeavour, it is important to start learning how to balance your personal and work commitments.

Lean in and out as needed
In any job certain weeks are bound to be busier than others. Learning to lean in when needed and enjoy the lulls when lucky enough to have them will allow you to pace yourself during these ten intense months. You may have to work late nights and even weekends some months, and during this time your workload may demand all of your attention. However, enjoying the slower periods during your articling term and ensuring not to overload yourself will help you be prepared for those more demanding times.

Don’t give up your hobbies
Whether it be going to the gym, or taking a cooking class, make sure you don’t give up all your hobbies once you start articling. Continuing to do something you enjoy outside of the office that is just for you will help you be more productive during the day. It will help keep your mind and body refreshed and will also decrease stress levels.

Photo by Ambro. free digital photosSeek out assignments that interest you
Everyone has different interests and lucky for us, the lawyers at MB encourage us to seek out work that we find interesting. While it is important to ensure you give yourself a wide variety of experiences, seeking out assignments in practice areas that interest you can also help keep you motivated at work.

Don’t bite off more than you can chew
Despite the above advice to seek out assignments you are interested in, keep in mind you have to keep up with your workload and over-committing to too many projects or people is a sure-fire way to upset others as well as burn yourself out. Staying organized will also help you ensure you don’t over-commit yourself.
By Divya K.