Alycia Powers, Associate Recruitment Coordinator, Hogan Lovells

Alycia Powers is an Associate Recruitment Coordinator at Hogan Lovells and has been a member of WALRAA for just under two years. Her path into legal recruiting came by way of the life sciences industry, where she previously worked as a headhunter, and learned about legal recruiting from a prior coworker. When asked about the transition, she explained: "I was looking for a role that allowed me to work alongside the talent I was recruiting and watch them progress in their career paths. This was the perfect fit."

That investment in the people she works with has shaped what she said is her most rewarding career moment: "Seeing the students I meet during their recruitment cycles join the firm as summer associates and eventually first-year associates. Seeing others grow in their careers as you do the same creates a special type of relationship that has been extremely rewarding."

Coming from outside the legal industry, she has found that getting accustomed to legal terminology and the ways of the business has been one of her greater challenges. On how WALRAA has helped her navigate that, she noted, "WALRAA has done an excellent job in helping me navigate the legal industry by keeping me up to date with market trends, connecting me with other professionals, and allowing me to step outside of my comfort zone. The meetings always allow me to gain more information about what peer firms are doing and how we can help one another as timelines shift." Her favorite WALRAA experience so far has been the trivia night at Penn Social: "It was a fun way to connect with new people from other firms in a less formal setting while allowing us to network, play trivia, and share summer program event ideas."

On balancing her career and personal life, she shared, “Each week I ensure that I have one event that I am committed to doing one outside of work - whether it be an activity, phone call with family, hang out. It gives me something to stay committed to and something to look forward to." For her, that might mean a volleyball game, exploring D.C., getting lost in a mystery thriller, or following her Philly sports teams. Originally from Pennsylvania, she also enjoys visiting family there, particularly in the fall - and at home, she has an orange kitten named Stewart keeping her company.    

Looking ahead, her goals center on "strengthening my voice and confidence - especially through public speaking - and staying curious about the industry" as she continues to grow. It is a mindset that reflects what she said was the best professional advice she received: "It's important to be proud of the work you do, but even more important to be proud of the person you are while doing that work."