The live music and entertainment industry is one fueled by entrepreneurship, dynamism, resilience, and creativity. We caught up with Jasmine Loupidis, a recent law graduate from Royal Holloway University to offer a unique insight into the career as a paralegal at AEG Europe – a role which she was promoted into, following her work serving in the Guest Relations department at The O2, the world’s busiest music arena, owned and operated by AEG
Little did she know, at the time of working as a Guest Relations Assistant at the iconic O2, that her journey would bring her full circle. Jasmine admits how it was through being exposed to a variety of opportunities within the media and arts industries, that led her to kickstart her career with one of Europe’s leading “live” entertainment companies.
“I wanted a profession that challenged me, stimulated me and gave me flexibility in which sector I wanted to go into, and I realised law did exactly this.”
As a student, Jasmine recalls being told of the need to be “commercially aware.” Something she opens to never fully grasping until she started her role as a paralegal. She now realises this is essentially the importance of knowing your industry inside-out and building experience to give you authority on the subject.
Not one for being tied down to one path, Jasmine found taking on a law degree gave her the flexibility to fulfil her ambitions. She puts this down to a law degree’s relevance across society, as well as playing a crucial backbone to the running of different sectors!
Jasmine found gaining work experience through a media conglomerate early in her education fuelled her desire to combine both her personal interests with her academic skillset. This led to a career she could enjoy and thrive within.
Opportunities and Challenges
Jasmine humbly points out how she was not entirely sure what to expect when she started with AEG Europe. For her, the best part of being part of their in-house legal team is seeing your contributions and work come to fruition (i.e. working on an artist’s agreement).
Working within the Guest Relations Department offered Jasmine a foundation from which to build skills around working independently, leading a team, training new staff, and learning the art of teamwork – all whilst working through the challenges and opportunities that come with supporting customers through their individual queries. This has enabled Jasmine to develop her resilience and increase her confidence in dealing with demanding situations.
The Journey
Taking strength from her musical family background, Jasmine is professionally trained in dance. She took an active interest in the arts industry, gaining experience through roles across several art galleries. She admits that she had always kept her career and personal interests separate until one day she thought, “why not combine them and work in a role where I could experience both.”
Her experience with AEG Europe has been cemented through what she describes as an incredibly thoughtful and encouraging environment -the very reason she wanted to stay. Knowing her role in Guest Relations could not last forever, she had observed promotions from her department to head office, which encouraged the law graduate to ask about her current role as a paralegal.
“The legal team here have been incredibly supportive and there is a real atmosphere of teamwork. The variety of work I have in this role is what makes it most exciting for me as it keeps me stimulated and on top form every day…I am learning so much and being exposed to new lines of work each and every week.”
Leading the Charge
For those interested in a career as a paralegal, Jasmine’s advice is to look for an area/industry that you genuinely have a personal interest in. She highlights how the combination equips you with a wealth of knowledge and practical experience.
“It simply comes down to having the general all-round knowledge of the area you want to practice in, not just the laws and legal instruments. When you really know an industry, have experienced it from a personal perspective, the work you do becomes easier as it is just common sense.”
As a skillset, Jasmine believes expanding your repertoire of people skills, and having attention to detail is vital. None more so, than when engaged with reviewing contracts and various agreements. With the terms being legally binding, she makes a note of referencing that any work you complete must be correct!
Looking forward, Jasmine aspires to qualify as a solicitor in the next few years and continue to thrive in the entertainment and arts industry.
Written by AEG Europe
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