Ben Tomlinson 2009-2013

As a boarder at St Bede’s I appreciated the advice given to us by boarding tutors. Some of the tutors were recent school leavers who could give us sound advice and valuable insight into University life and career paths. They were very supportive and approachable.

Throughout my NCEA years at St Bede’s, I studied all the subjects that would get me through to studying health science at Otago University, a career that I had been set on for years. Halfway through Year 13 however, as the time arrived to finalise my decision to study, I suddenly discovered a new path, law! I left St Bede’s at the end of Year 13 and went straight to the University of Canterbury to complete a Bachelor of Laws, a decision I have never regretted. During my third year of study, I went to Wynn Williams for work experience.

After finishing my law degree, I received a job offer from Wynn Williams, where I have now been for over two years. Since beginning as a commercial lawyer, I have discovered that my change in career plan has not been restrictive – all the subjects that I did have provided useful foundational skills.

A defining moment in my career would be when I was admitted to the bar and, although I have a law degree, there is still much to learn in the everyday world of law. I now work as a commercial lawyer, with a focus on commercial contracts, intellectual property, and general commercial law. I also assist clients with their personal affairs such as wills, trusts and other property matters. These focuses provide a lot of variety and give me plenty of great opportunities to work closely with clients.

As I stated earlier, I have never regretted my career choice change. If I meet students still at school, the advice that I give to them is to never feel restricted in what you are studying, rather focus on the subjects that you are doing and use them as a foundation for anything that you want to achieve in the future. At the end of the day, it’s not what you study, but how you use what you have learnt.