Zoe Hilson

What's your name and job title? What did you study? When did you graduate?

Zoe Hilson, a partner in Baker McKenzie’s Energy and Infrastructure team. I studied a combined degree of economics and law at ANU and graduated in 2003.

Please list the most important stages of your life in regards to schooling, education and work experience.

I went to a primary school in a small town, Pomona, on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. We moved to Canberra and so I finished high school at Canberra Girls Grammar School. While I was at university at ANU, I had a host of part-time jobs, including working in catering at Parliament House and paralegal work. I obtained a graduate position with Norton Rose (previously Deacons) in Canberra, where I remained until joining Baker McKenzie in 2006.

How did you get to your current job position and for how long have you occupied it?

I have been with Baker McKenzie since 2006, initially as an associate, before being promoted to senior associate, special counsel and finally, a partner in 2017.

What advice would you give to job seekers in terms of applying and interviewing for jobs in this sector?

Job applicants are typically more successful if they have an in-depth understanding of the specific job they are applying for, including the areas of expertise and focus of the employer. For example, a law firm may offer unique opportunities (such as international clerkships) or specifically exclude areas of law (e.g. criminal law). The job seeker should also have a genuine interest in applying for the role – law firms vary with respect to culture and practice focus. It often resonates in a job interview when the candidate has attended a career fair and met with current employees, as well as undertaken thorough research of the job and the employer.

Are there any challenges that graduates can expect to face? For example, will they bear a lot of responsibility? Will they have to work on weekends or do frequent overtime?

One of the challenges that graduates can expect to face is being asked to research matters that are new to them or prepare documents that they are not familiar with. Good employers create an environment that engages graduates and ensures they are maximising their learning during this phase of their career. The structure of Baker McKenzie is unique in that graduates have typically more access to clients, senior lawyers and partners. Graduates are also appropriately supervised so they don’t bear levels of responsibility beyond their levels of experience. Whether a graduate has to work on weekends or longer than usual hours at Baker McKenzie ultimately depends on how busy the practice groups are, however, it is certainly not the norm.

What is the future employment outlook for careers in your sector? How is the field changing?

I specialise in energy law and projects in the renewable energy, electricity and gas sectors. The energy sector in Australia is changing rapidly as we transition towards a low carbon future and for lawyers, this creates opportunities for us to advise a variety of different players that are seeking to take part in the transition. For example, in the past few years, Australia’s energy sector has seen significant investment in solar, wind and storage projects as the cost of these technologies has declined, which has given us the opportunity to advise these developers as well as energy retailers and other industry players. As the energy market develops, other players are looking to fill gaps in the market such as by developing innovative solutions to energy issues, and it is exciting and inspiring to work with the people that are leading progress in this sector.

Which three pieces of advice would you give to a current university student?

1. If there is something that interests you such as an idea, a particular industry, or a body of law, try to find a way to make it a part of your career. If you decide to pursue a legal career then you could try to practice a particular type of law or develop legal skills that are relevant to a particular type of industry. This might involve some creativity but it is worth it if it will allow you to pursue an interest or purpose you are passionate about, as you’re most likely to succeed at something you enjoy.
2. Don’t be too worried if you don’t know what it is that interests you yet – often you won’t know until you try out a few different types of work either in different jobs, different tasks at your job, or during rotations as part of a graduate program. It might be that you like a particular style of working, a process or a way of thinking that’s applicable to different industries and practices of law, which is great!
3. At the end of the day, it’s the people that make the difference, so don’t underestimate the value of having people around you that support you, challenge you, and allow you to be the best you can be both in your professional and personal life.