Sarah-Ann did not have a single turning point. She describes a gradual realisation that she was curious about far more than the practice of law. Her MBA brought that into focus: Action Learning projects at Asia School of Business put her to work on real business challenges across different industries, and an internship at Microsoft during the programme opened the door to a career in technology. Today she is a Senior Digital Copilot Specialist at Microsoft ANZ, and she is openly sceptical of the familiar advice to follow your passion. 'Sometimes, you don't know what you're passionate about until you give yourself the opportunity to try something new,' she explains. Curiosity, in her view, is the better guide.
For Janice, the realisation was about fit. Litigation, she came to see, did not suit her personality or the kind of work that gave her energy, and she felt drawn to roles centred on people, their development and their potential. Her path took her from legal practice into consulting, then into career development and coaching, and on to her current role as MBA Careers Lead at UCL School of Management. 'It was less about leaving something behind and more about discovering what else was possible.'
What law taught Sarah-Ann about listening carefully, asking the right questions and building a case still shapes her work in technology, where she often works with stakeholders to understand their business challenges and connect people, problems and solutions. Legal training also made her comfortable with ambiguity, where the job is often about sound judgement among competing priorities. For Janice, the habits that carried over are structured thinking, attention to detail and the ability to manage several priorities at once. Law also trained her to approach complex problems critically, weigh different perspectives and communicate with clarity, skills she still describes as invaluable in her work today.
