Darren Clark

1. Where do you work and what is your position?

I’m a graduate lawyer (Corporate) at Price Sierakowski

2. Why did you choose to come to Sydney Law School?

I chose Sydney Law School because I wanted to embrace my last chance to study overseas. I was also impressed with its global reputation and thought it would help put me in a position where I could work in major business centres around the world 

3. Did you have a part-time job while at University?

No

4. Did you consider applying for non-legal positions?

I’ll admit I considered it, especially when my options were starting to look limited but I hesitated because I really wanted to experience being a practicing lawyer before I made a decision to pursue it further or not.

5. What is the most important tip you would give to international students before they go in for an interview?

Try to use the fact that you’re an international student as an advantage instead of a disadvantage. Promote yourself in such a way that emphasizes that you will be bringing a unique perspective because you’re international. Essentially, make them see you as unique instead of as a liability.

Also do your research on the 485 visa and let them know that you will be eligible for it when you graduate so that employers won’t have to sponsor you. This is one of the main reasons that firms don’t want to hire international students.

6. If you had it to do all over again, what would you do differently?

I would have made a bigger effort to leave Sydney more often and explore the rest of Australia 

7. How did Sydney Law School help prepare you for your current career?

I guess if there was anything, it would be forcing me to become annoyingly familiar with the Corps Act.

8. Biggest Challenge and how you got over it/did you ever get over it?

Realizing that getting a clerkship as an international student is a struggle. I literally contacted everybody I knew who worked or, who knew someone who worked in the Australia legal industry and eventually landed a clerkship in Perth.

 9. What was your experience like getting a job after you graduated? How long did it take you to find a job?

I was one of the lucky few who managed to get an offer before I graduated