Career Advice Detail

I’m a Lawyer, get me out of here!

Business is slowly getting better in the legal profession, but has life really improved for most of us? The economic downturn has meant that many firms are operating with less people and have be afraid to recruit as work has picked up. This often means that there are fewer of us doing the same if not more work and more demanding fee targets.

CareerBalance consultants work with many legal professionals who draw the conclusion ... “I don’t know if I want to be a lawyer any more. If partnership is as good as it gets, get me out of here!”

The first problem many confront is that they often don’t have anyone to talk to about this – someone who really understands the issues and options open to you. Colleagues and HR directors in the firm present obvious issues in terms of confidentially and ongoing working relationships. Family members are supportive but, particularly if you have reached partnership or a senior role in your firm, can often offer limited practical advice. Recruitment consultants may want to put square pegs back into square holes.

One way to overcome that anxiety and be confident in regaining control of your career direction is to talk to a specialist career adviser. Having worked with many legal professionals, we at CareerBalance can quickly pinpoint the issues which are causing you unhappiness or frustration and identify some good options for you to take your career forward.

We recognise that the grass is not always that much greener on the other side. Law remains a well paid profession compared with many other occupations and offers greater intellectual challenge and career progression. Any change in career direction – inside or outside the legal profession - needs to be carefully thought through. That’s where CareerBalance can help:

1) Practising the law in a different environment
In an industry which is so diverse in terms of the personality of different firms and the roles on offer, the key to a fulfilling career is often about knowing what kinds of people you want to work with and where you will thrive. The recession has created new demand in areas from debt restructuring to divorce. Regulation is increasing in financial services. Getting advice on what other markets may exist for your legal skills can be the first step to a successful change.

A wide range of options also exist to move to a different size or differently structured firm, or to find a fresh challenge by a move “in-house, into advocacy or even to the bench. Many in-house roles offer you the opportunity to perform a commercial and management role alongside using your legal skills and expertise.

Alternatively you may want the freedom of starting up your own practice or reducing your hours. Technological advances mean that you can work from home for part of the week, including keeping your career going while bringing up a young family.

2) Using your legal skills and knowledge to work in a related industry
Areas as diverse as banking, publishing and academia offer opportunities to develop in new ways. We have successfully helped a Structured Finance lawyer move to a debt restructuring role with a major bank, a Head of Litigation in a City firm transition to become Dean of a Law School, and a banking partner to become a board director with a fund manager.

3) Get me out of here!
If you want to make a complete break the starting point is to look at whether you have some of the skills needed and the potential to develop others. Most people we see can make a significant change in career direction. Its not so much about ability, its do I have the will to do this and to go through what it will take to move from where I am now to a fulfilling career in another sphere?

We have helped clients find a more satisfying and meaningful role in their current firm or to buy time to plan and make a move in a new direction. The sense of relief they feel when they can see a way forward is palpable.

Don’t be frightened to dream. We can help you identify new career options, and to achieve the change you want.

If you would like to arrange a consultation to discuss your options in 2010 please contact Simon Broomer LLB in confidence on 020 3051 1054.
simon@careerbalance.co.uk
www.careerbalance.co.uk

Simon Broomer is Managing Director of CareerBalance Limited. He is a qualified solicitor and a professional career counsellor assisting lawyers with career changes, career planning and job search.