The past few years have thrown plenty of curveballs at us all, which have led people to rethink their lives, and in particular, their careers. But the job market can be competitive, so often if you’re looking to change course on your career or take a step up, you need a little extra study to get you there.

It was actually before the pandemic arrived that Trinity King started to think she may want to take her career in a new direction — and that she might need further study to help do just that.

After completing her undergraduate studies in science, Trinity had been working as a public servant for almost nine years. While she enjoyed her job, she found she wasn’t getting the opportunities that she wanted, despite having relevant on-the-job experience.

“I was looking for a change, and I felt that my science background didn’t really speak to what I became good at in my work for the government, which is what I wanted to pursue,” says Trinity.

“While I was well regarded, I felt when opportunities came up I was often overlooked for other people who had economics or law degrees, because of the nature of policy work.”

She decided to enrol in the Master of Laws at The Australian National University (ANU), and started studying part-time around work in 2020.

“I’d always been interested in studying law, and I was working on amendments to legislation at work, so I thought that was a good opportunity and a good fit. I decided that going back and doing a Masters would really give me the professional qualification to show I could do policy work,” says Trinity.

As a university, ANU is recognised worldwide and Trinity says it was the institution’s reputation that convinced her to enrol there.

“I knew it was quite well regarded, but I’ve noticed when I tell people where I’m studying, there’s a professional recognition that you’re studying at a really good university,” she says.

The ANU College of Law offers a wide range of postgraduate degrees including short courses that can be completed in just six months — such as the Graduate Certificate of Law and Graduate Certificate of New Technologies Law — as well as interdisciplinary Masters degrees that span two years full-time, namely the Master of International Law and Diplomacy and the Master of Financial Management and Law. 

Postgraduate students at ANU learn in small classes taught by passionate, world-renowned academics working on real-world research and contributing to some of the most pressing and significant real-world change. Through her lecturers and university contacts, Trinity says she had easy access to Parliamentary staff and other relevant professionals during her studies.

“One of my majors is in public law, and I was able to talk to people that I may not have been able to speak to because of those connections,” she says.

“And all of the lecturers have just been brilliant, and I’ve just gotten so much out of it. I’ve really improved my writing skills. I’m much more confident speaking in public and presenting, so it was definitely the right move to study at ANU and I wouldn’t have wanted to study anywhere else.”

Now she has graduated from the Master of Laws, Trinity has moved into a new role in the private sector working for an engineering company. But she plans to eventually return to a government role, and believes her postgraduate degree will open up more roles in the area she wants to work in.

“Having this degree means that I definitely have more opportunity, and people see me in a different light than when I just had a Bachelor of Science, because it’s more tailored to my career now,” she says.

Looking to upskill, grow professionally or seek a career change? Download our postgraduate law guide to view our programs.