Meet Jane Rapin, a mature newly qualified (NQ) employment lawyer. Jane is not one to sit still. She is learning to fly, rides motorbikes, cannot be photographed unless she gets to wear a costume, and she readily tackles any DIY job.
Following a career break, she wishes to resume her legal career and is therefore currently searching for an NQ position. Jane worked in industry before returning to education in order to pursue her dream of becoming a solicitor.
As a young single mum, she worked hard to put herself through college and university where she achieved a 2:1. Her hard work and effort paid off when she successfully secured a training contract at a Legal 100 firm in the North of England. When the economy collapsed, Jane completed her LL.M (Pass with Distinction) and now that the market is getting stronger, she is more than ready to resume work. Follow her on Twitter (@Janeslaws) for the latest.
Jane Rapin is also very active on LinkedIn. She has set up a group on LinkedIn to help other NQs who are searching for work. Jane checks the latest NQ legal vacancies every day and posts links to those vacancies on the Jobs tab for Li group members. Her extensive resume can be found on LinkedIn as well. However, only on DCC will you find the answers to these questions:
1: What is your most favourite part of the day?
I love mornings because they hold so much promise of what may come. A new day always fills me with excitement and anticipation. Although I can get up as early as required, I am not really a morning person and I have been known to be a bit cranky until I have had my second cup of tea but I’m fine by the time I leave the house.
2: What is the worst kind of person you ever sat next to on a flight?
I love meeting new people and always hope that the person sitting next to me will want to talk and tell me about themselves. The worst kind of person would be a very noisy, loud and arrogant one – that would make for a very long flight. The next worst kind of person to sit beside on a flight is another pilot; I am currently learning to fly and my hubby already has his PPL, he doesn’t make for a great car passenger when I am driving so I imagine it might be a lot worse when we are in the air together and I am Pilot in control… ho hum.
3: Something you always wanted to learn but never did?
I have always wanted to learn to play the piano, I haven’t yet but I will one day. I already play the flute a bit and have had a bash at the trumpet. I can also read music. I have bought a book and CD set to teach myself and every now and again I have a go at some of the lessons, I’ll keep plugging away at it until I can take proper lessons.
One day I will be fluent in French, despite the French surname my skills are limited. I would also love to learn to plaster and do electrical work, I am a bit of a DIY nut and have tiled floors and walls and done some basic plumbing. Finally I would like to get my HGV license because I love to drive anything and everything – I have a motorbike license, I have done some rally driving and I am currently learning to fly so a HGV license would make a good addition.
4: Which trials/cases still haunts you till today?
When I was doing legal work experience after completing my degree, I was asked to assist with a murder case. We were representing a man charged with murdering his brother and my role was to go through all of the statements from everyone involved, and the photos of the crime scene, and to get his response to every single word and photo. I had to visit him in prison in order to do this and spent several very long days with him as we completed the task. He was convicted of murder at his trial. What haunts me to this day are the photos. I never understood what news reports meant when they said ‘frenzied attack’ but the photos were a real eye-opener. What shocked me was how emotional I felt as the verdict was given; I almost burst into tears. It wasn’t out of sympathy, I think that I had just got so involved that I couldn’t react until it was all over and then it simply flooded out of me. Needless to say, I knew that criminal law wasn’t for me.
5: If you have a blog, how did you get started? Who or what inspired you to blog?
I like the idea of a blog because it’s not only an outlet for your thoughts but it can be an excellent tool for promoting yourself if done correctly. I do have a blog but it is woefully neglected. I have such good intentions; I keep articles that will make the basis of a good post, I read others blogs, I tweet etc but I seem to run out of time when it comes to pinning myself down to blog writing. However, I know it is a weakness of mine and I am working hard to overcome it. I have decided to shift the focus so that I allow myself to blog about anything that interests me, rather than thinking that I can only blog about law. The two blogs that inspire me most are: Charon QC and Magic Circle Minx both are absolutely brilliant – fun, informative, interesting and compelling reading.
6: Did you end up in the profession of your childhood dreams?
Very definitely yes! Albeit after treading a long and winding path. I was a teenage single parent school drop out. My rebellious nature had led me to quit school instead of pursuing university. Then I woke up one morning and realised that I really wanted to pursue my dream of becoming a solicitor, so, ten years after leaving school I went back to college to study A Levels so that I could go to University and complete my Law Degree. My journey began in 1995 and I qualified in 2006, I am certainly committed to a legal career and have never regretted a moment of my decision. I have had a career break due to family circumstances and I am now looking to return to practice. The legal profession is going through a tough time and NQ positions are thin on the ground so I guess I may have to wait a little while longer before I am back in the game, but I am not going to let that deter me.
7: Tell us about your most embarrassing experiences in a restaurant, opening a bottle of wine, or do-it-yourself projects. Pick one and tell all!
I was in a hotel in the states having breakfast with my hubby, who was working there at the time. He had introduced me to a colleague of his in the bar the night before. So, as we sat having breakfast I saw someone whom I thought was the man he had introduced me to the previous evening. I called to the man and invited him to sit with us for breakfast rather than sitting alone. He looked at me with a blank expression so I began explaining that we had met the night before, that he worked with my hubby etc. Still the man stared blankly at me. Then I heard someone behind me shouting in German. The man whom I had accosted looked relieved and raised his arm to waive in the direction of the voice. My hubby was chuckling too hard to tell me that this was not his colleague but another guest. C’est la vie.