Jessie Schreiber

How did you choose your specialisation?

Having no idea what I wanted to do when I started university, I enrolled in a dual law/arts degree. My attempts to figure out my arts major led to me trying music, German, philosophy, anthropology and peace and conflict studies. Still having no idea, I decided to just stick with law until I figured it out. 

In my third year of university, my volunteering work helped me appreciate all the different ways I could use my law degree to help others and advocate for change. Ultimately, I ended up focusing on my LLB (Hons) degree and applying for all the work experience I could that would equip me with skills to make a difference.

What does your employer do?

The short answer: a lot of things! Financial services are just one of many areas that ASIC regulates. ASIC also regulates consumer credit and markets and have a broad spectrum of regulatory powers that are constantly changing. 

ASIC does a lot more than enforcement too. We have teams that focus on making important information accessible for consumers by publishing a variety of resources, such as our MoneySmart Website. Other teams, like our Assessment & Intelligence team, look at things like licencing and reports of misconduct from the public and gathering and analysing data. We also have Registry Teams & IT teams that look after our wide suite of online services and Operations teams that are crucial in the day to day running of ASIC. And that’s just a few!

Can you describe a typical workday?

That definitely depends! I am currently on my third rotation in Financial Services Enforcement. A typical work day might involve interviewing witnesses or drafting court documents or reviewing information. In my previous rotation in Misconduct & Breach Reporting, I looked at Reports of Misconduct from the public and undertook research and various searches to determine what action ASIC could take, if any.

What do you love the most about your job?

My favourite thing about ASIC is the broad range of skillsets and backgrounds found in every team. As well as working with other lawyers, I’ve worked with accountants, investigators, people with experience in private firms, and people with experience in other government roles like the AFP (to name a few). It’s amazing how much there is to learn from people with different perspectives and approaches to work.

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

• Academia can only teach you so much. There are many other skills that can help you in your working life that are found outside your university lectures, and your time at university is the perfect time to pursue them. Take the time to participate in university societies, take up hobbies, attend events, volunteer, travel and gain work experience in a variety of different fields.
• Even if you are not sure what you want to do, sometimes it is just as valuable to figure out what you don’t want to do. The more experience you get, the easier it becomes to articulate what you enjoy and what you don’t enjoy.
• Every person you encounter has something to teach you. I believe this is true in every aspect of life, but particularly when it comes to university and graduate employment. When you’re applying for jobs, talk to your fellow students about their experiences with applications and work. Talk to your lecturers and tutors about how they came to choose their current role, and how it differs to other roles. Attend networking events where possible. Even once you’ve got a job, there is no end to what you can learn from asking questions.