Aashna Jain Interview
Q. You have built your career around law and career coaching. How would you describe your journey to someone discovering your work for the first time?
While I was in my fourth year of a 5-year law degree at NLU, Jodhpur, I received job offers from law firms and hence was free from any internship overload in my final year of law school. Resultantly, I used my free time to help my friends from college and other law schools with their applications, taking mock interviews for their upcoming interviews. This continued even when I worked in two law firms after graduation. I helped the interns there and my fellow associates redrafting their applications and apprising them of how to handle interviews. So, during Covid, when I decided to transition out of law, coaching was the most obvious choice for me, and I have never looked back since.
Q. Law students today have more career options than ever before. What do you think they should understand before choosing a particular path?
While I agree that law has more options today as compared to someone pursuing this profession 30 years ago, it is a matter of utmost importance that the stream of practice should be selected not on impulse but on practicality.
For instance: certain practice areas such as media and entertainment law are only practiced in Mumbai, or a practice area like real estate requires one to have language proficiency in the native language of the city the law firm is based out of; certain areas have a lower starting salary; a few areas require you to grapple with the litigation side of things; some areas, such as patent law, require you to have a background in the sciences, etc.
Therefore, all such relevant factors should be considered before selecting a practice area.
Q. You work closely with law students and young professionals. What is one career mistake you see people making repeatedly, and how can they avoid it?
Too much diversity and approaching internships in a quantitative manner. Simply because one has 10 internships does not mean they are employable. Do those 10 internships bring consistency in a practice area and the skills required for that practice area? Focus on one area and deep-dive into it, collecting internships, publications, certifications, and competitions all in that area to become employable.
Q. A strong CV can open doors, but what makes a candidate stand out once they reach the interview stage?
The ability to have a structured conversation and to be able to prove to the interviewer that whatever is claimed in your resume is true and that you have not oversold your candidature.
State most of your answers in points and not in a speech-like manner. Address the question asked. Do not just start speaking the moment you hear the keyword. Understand if the interviewer wants a definition or an exception to the concept mentioned. Take your time before speaking. There is no prize for the fastest answer. Back up your answers. Monosyllabic answers do not lead to acceptances.
Q. You have also built a significant presence on LinkedIn. How has creating content and interacting with such a large professional community shaped your own perspective on careers?
Yes, I agree connecting with around 69,000 people on LinkedIn and 40,000 people on Instagram has exposed me to 3 kinds of people. Firstly, my target audience who can receive help from my services. Secondly, industry stalwarts like law firm partners, bureaucrats, in-house counsel, data protection officers, and others whom I learn from by conducting podcasts with them. Thirdly, professionals who are helping me build my career consultancy. It could be a tech developer, an IP lawyer, or a potential mentor for my consultancy.
Q. Looking at the legal profession today, what is one emerging change that you think young lawyers should start preparing for now?
The ability to grapple with technology and AI. AI has taken over jobs, especially for freshers and young professionals. We are close to the day when agentic law firms will take over and there will be no need for students and freshers at the bottom of the pyramid.
Q. If you had to recommend one book, movie, series, or even a person whose work has influenced the way you think, what would you pick and why?
I am not sure if these books have influenced the way I think, but I will recommend them nonetheless: Animal Farm by George Orwell and Kill the Lawyers by Shishir Vayttaden.
BIO
Aashna Jain is a Career Strategist for Lawyers and Law Students, Public Speaker, Resume Writer, and Legal Career Coach based in Delhi. A graduate of National Law University, Jodhpur, she has previously worked with Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. and Dua Associates, gaining valuable experience in the corporate legal sector. Through Career Solutions by Aashna Jain, she helps law students and young legal professionals navigate career paths, build impactful resumes, and master interview preparation.
Interviewed By Ritika Tawar
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