Up Close & Personal with Lindsay Traves

Where did you go to Law School? Did you always imagine yourself going to Law School/Being a lawyer?
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I’m a proud graduate of Window Law. I knew I wanted to be a lawyer long before my elementary school principal told me to pursue it after I talked myself out of detention. I have lawyers in my family and an early mentor once said to me “what a testament to our profession that so many of our children want to do our same job.”

When did you realize that you wanted your career to go in a different direction? When did you know you wanted to pursue a “Life After Law” career?
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I don’t think I had any sort of “aha” moment per se. I enjoyed the sport of litigation and never expected to stop doing it. But opportunities for change came knocking and I realized I had other developed skills in marketing and relationship building that I could blend with my legal knowledge to try something new.

How did you make that transition?
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By accident! I was at a crossroads trying to figure out what was next and a friend of my cousin reached out saying she was looking for someone with a background in sales and law. I went in thinking we were meeting for coffee and was suddenly in a job interview for a Legal Recruitment role (good thing I was dressed business casual). I met this amazing team of people who had moved on from traditional legal roles and into talent acquisition and I thought “yeah, I want to be like them.” The rest is history.

Did you have any Mentors or Role Models that helped you out along the way?
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I’m so fortunate to say I had many. I had some role models as a student that helped me find my place in my earlier jobs, law school, and as a lawyer. As I transitioned into recruitment, I met some incredible people who taught me so much about the industry and working at these types of organizations. I am fortunate to have former colleagues and leaders I can still bounce things off of.

What do you enjoy most about your current role?
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The relationships. My favourite experience is when a client calls you again to work on the next thing because you worked so well together the first time. There is also NOTHING more satisfying in the work grind than telling someone they’ve got a new job offer.

What would you do if you had an extra day in your week?
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To me, there are few joys better than waking up and knowing you have nothing to do in a day. Picking a videogame with a 10+ hour average finishing time and building in breaks for takeout…rejuvenating.

What do you do in your Free time?
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If I’m not at work or home, I’m probably at the movies. At the risk of sounding too much like that specific viral ad with an Oscar winning actress, there is nothing as soothing as the blanket of darkness, a salty snack, and a contained story for you to chew on for the next couple hours.

If I’m not taking in a flick, I’m probably trolling the city for the hottest new bite. I love trying and tasting new things and taking inspiration to go home and cook. Cooking and playing in the kitchen is another contender for what I’d do with an extra day in the week.