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A portfolio career is like a kaleidoscope

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A portfolio career is like a kaleidoscope.

Because it is made up of different components, e.g. freelance projects, a part time job, a contract, a non-executive director post, and volunteering, you can adjust it when you want to and create new patterns which inspire you.

You can learn new skills, knowledge and create new experiences.

This has a cumulative benefit over time giving you more options and possibilities in future.

You can create different patterns.

What would you like to see for your career?

More

Check out our inspiration page: https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/inspiration/

Contact us to arrange your free 20 minute consultation: https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/contact-us/

22 tips to create your successful portfolio career

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Creating a successful portfolio career takes thought, reflection, self-awareness and planning.

Here are 22 tips:

  1. Be clear about your career horizon/vision
  2. Learn from those who have one
  3. Get an experienced career coach or mentor
  4. Research market needs
  5. Have self-awareness about your motivations, values, needs, wants and financial security thresholds
  6. Make time to think, plan and reflect
  7. Don’t be afraid to say ‘no’ to the wrong thing
  8. Invest in your skills and knowledge
  9. Make time to market yourself
  10. Define your personal brand
  11. Keep an eye on changing trends
  12. Build a high quality and diverse network
  13. Know what makes you unique
  14. Create and maintain a financial ‘cushion’
  15. Stay ahead of your competitors
  16. Avoid losing time e.g. politicking and gossiping
  17. Have a good support system
  18. Use technology to be expedient
  19. Be open to unexpected and unplanned opportunities
  20. Don’t be afraid to pivot/change your focus
  21. Have a compelling verbal business card
  22. Create case study examples of flagship cases and projects

What tips would you add?

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Check out our Inspiration page for useful articles and reports: https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/inspiration/

Our blogs share insights and tips on various topics and clients examples: https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/blog/

PS Our web site has a search box to save you time and find what you are looking for. (top left under the e mail address on all web pages)

Why choose us? https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/talent-liberation/

Who are our clients? https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/clients/

What is a portfolio career? https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/what-is-a-portfolio-career/

Who is a portfolio career for? https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/who-has-portfolio-careers/

Why choose a portfolio career? https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/why-portfolio-career/

When is it time for a portfolio career? https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/when/

Client testimonials https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/testimonials/

Ready to be ‘put out to grass’? Or not! Part 1 of 2.

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This is a 2-part blog by Peter Wilford about supporting Finance Directors to consider about retiring or not. This is part 1.

The rest of this blog is in Peter’s own words.

Context of this blog

I have worked with a number of Finance Directors, FCA qualified, mostly in their 50’s, who had left their last company, either through redundancy or via a mutual settlement agreement. 

They had been provided with a set number of hours and sessions of dedicated outplacement support, the term for ‘career coaching’ provided by organisations making staff redundant and through a benevolent fund, and I was their chosen career coach.

Initial issues and challenges

In every single case, my clients said that they had no wish to retire from work yet.

Many said that they could retire if they chose with their strong pension portfolios and other investments.

They were all uncertain about their options next after having had long and successful commercial careers.

Exiting corporate life is a major career crossroads.  Working with an experienced career coach is invaluable at this crucial decision point. Especially an experienced one, who has worked with many senior executives.

Lack of awareness of transferable skills.

In almost every case, they had no clear appreciation of:

  • their transferable skills
  • how the job market worked
  • where their options lay within finance
  • and outside finance.

Of course, they hadn’t needed to!

This can be a very daunting experience for people who have always worked in one profession.

You can only know what you know!

They had been siloed and sheltered working in the corporate world for many years and were now thrust into the open, in effect a boat without a captain to steer it, with no route planned and no rudder.

This can create a crisis of confidence and be stressful – venturing into the unknown!

Career options

Becoming a non-executive director (NED) is a common option considered at this point.

Also doing some voluntary or charity work and enjoying a slower pace of life and improved work life balance. A portfolio career can provide a gentle ‘slope’ to retirement, rather than a sudden ‘cliff’ stopping a long working life abruptly, just because they had reached a certain age.

Almost without exception, they all wanted to move on from working with large organisations and away from the ‘corporate treadmill’.

Lack of awareness about their brand and marketability

Few had any real appreciation of their USP (unique selling proposition) i.e. what made them unique in the market place.

Even fewer had clarity about a target organisation that they would like to work with, and how to go about marketing how they could help, or what services they could offer of value.

A common view, perhaps because they had been in the structure of corporate life,

Some had a degree of arrogance mixed with naivety that they would ‘get something soon’. This is not a criticism, just a consequence of having been ‘cushioned’ in corporate life.

Lead time to create a new role

I had to point out to them, that most people will take 18 months on average, to secure their first non-executive director (NED) role.

Also, that if they wanted to do interim/contract work, the key issue in the mind of the interim recruiter would be “has he or she done interim work before?” and that in reality those who had would be on top of the pile of shortlisted candidates.

In the current Covid-19 market in 2021, recruitment lead times are longer, with companies risk-averse about increasing fixed costs. They also have a large pool of high quality candidates from which to choose from.

Interpersonal skills

Interpersonal skills are a pre-requisite for success and are becoming more important with the advent of Artificial Intelligence and automation, predicted to increase massively in the next 5 years.

Many Financial Directors (FDs) and senior Finance professionals are brilliant at numeracy and numbers.

Words and people are, understandably, not their best strength.

Also, whilst they bring commerciality, few are competent at marketing themselves. They have never had to.

Like lawyers, FDs, are qualified and trained to do a specific job, from their early career, and in the past this has not included pitching. 

One or two of my clients have been the exception to this norm and they have invariably secured commercial work more easily, possessing this experience, securing both full and part time roles.

Compelling CV and achievements

Some FD’s had some semblance of a CV, few have though about and been able to articulate strong and compelling achievements.

I had not expected them to know about a Skills CV and where and why they should have it in their ‘marketing tool kit’. All of them quickly saw its benefit, especially when approaching the unadvertised job market.

The beginning of the career coaching journey

Because of the above factors, the starting point of career coaching therefore, is ‘starting from scratch’ and having a conversation about their career and what they had accomplished. 

Pitching themselves

Many FD’s were not used to or skilled at pitching, and many were poor at networking or rusty at it.

This was because they had not needed to do it in their corporate careers, or because they just didn’t have the natural personality and / or the skills to identify and grow their network.

We had to work together on this as we did on giving them a proactive LinkedIn profile.

Part 2 of this 2 part blog ‘Ready to be ‘put out to grass’? Or not! Part 1 of 2.’

More

‘The 100 year life’ by Lynda Gratton and Andrew J Scott: http://www.100yearlife.com/

‘The new long life’ by Lynda Gratton and Andrew J Scott: https://thenewlonglife.com/

Peter Wilford’s LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterwilford/

Client testimonials: https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/testimonials/

Why choose us? https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/talent-liberation/

Blog – How does career coaching work? https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/how-does-career-coaching-work/

How to improve your self-esteem in 2021– 12 powerful tips – Part 2 of 2

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This is a 2-part blog by Peter Wilford. This is Part 2.

Read Part 1. https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/how-to-improve-your-self-esteem-in-2021-12-powerful-tips-part-1-of-2/

TIP 5.

Do the right thing.

When you do what you “deep down” believe is the right thing to do, then you will start to raise and strengthen your level of self-esteem.

It might just be a small thing like getting up from the sofa and going to the gym. It could also be to become more understanding instead of judgmental in a situation. It might also be to stop feeling sorry for yourself and focus on the opportunities and be appreciative for what you actually have in life.  Take some time to think about what the “right thing” is for you.

TIP 6.

Replace the perfectionism.

Few thought habits can be so destructive in our daily life as “perfectionism”.

It can paralyse you from taking action because you become so afraid of not living up to some required standard. As a result you procrastinate and you do not get the results you want. This will invariably make your self-esteem fall.

TIP 7.

Handle mistakes and failures in a more positive way.

If you go outside your comfort zone, and if you try to accomplish something that is truly meaningful then you may often stumble and fall along the way.

That is OK and quite normal. It is just what people who did something that truly mattered have done throughout all the ages. Even if we don’t always hear about it as much as we hear about their successes.

TIP 8.

Be kinder to other people.

When you show kindness to others you start to treat and think of yourself in a kinder way as well. And the way you treat other people is how they will tend to treat you in the long term.

Start to focus on being kind more often in your daily life.

TIP 9.

Try something new.

When you try something new, when you challenge yourself either in a small or large way and go outside your comfort zone, then your opinion of yourself will start to go up.

You may not have done something you planned to do in a spectacular or significant way, but you at least tried instead of sitting on your hands and doing nothing. That is something to start to appreciate about yourself and you will find that it can help you come alive as you get out of a rut.

Go outside your comfort zone regularly. Don’t expect anything quickly, just tell yourself that you will try something out for the first time.

TIP 10.

Stop falling into the comparison trap.

When you compare your life, yourself and what you have in relation to other people’s lives and what they have, then you are on the way to having a destructive habit on your hands.

Because you can never win.

There is always someone who has more or is better than you at something in the world. There are always people ahead of you.

So replace that habit with something better.

TIP 11.

Spend more time with supportive people (and less time with destructive people).

Even if you focus on being kinder towards other people (and yourself) and on replacing a ‘perfectionism’ habit, it will be hard to keep your self-esteem level up if the most important influences in your life drag it down on a daily or weekly basis.

So make changes where you can. Choose to spend less time with people who are nervous perfectionists, unkind or unsupportive of your dreams or goals. And spend more time with positive, uplifting people who have more human and kinder standards and ways of thinking about things.

TIP 12.

Remember the reasons you have behind raising your self-esteem levels.

What is a simple way in which you can stay consistent when you are doing something or working towards a goal? As mentioned above stop and reflect so that you can remember the most important reasons why you are doing it.

Remind yourself of these reasons regularly and this will help you stay motivated to work on your self-esteem and to make it an essential priority every day. Doing this simple thing and keeping these powerful reasons in mind has done wonders for some of our clients. I hope it can do the same for you.

 If you would like more information on this, please contact us: https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/contact-us/

How to improve your self-esteem in 2021 – 12 powerful tips – Part 1 of 2

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This is a 2-part blog by Peter Wilford. This is Part 1.

As we start a new year, I have reflected on some of the clients we have worked with recently who have low self-esteem which has, typically, come from any one of the following reasons:

  • Recent job loss
  • Redundancy and the way it was managed by the organisation
  • Lack of progress and slow results when looking for a new job
  • Low confidence and self-belief due to a disability, an ongoing mental illness or a specific personal situation (a client who suffers from ADHD)
  • Feeling of low self-worth

This has clearly impacted on their career as well as their personal life.

Having a high opinion about yourself, who you are and what you do and, basically, a love for yourself is often one of the things that people miss or have too little of in today’s society.

TIP 1. 

Start to say “stop” to your ‘inner critic’.

A good starting point to help increase your self-esteem is to learn how to handle and to replace the voice of your own ‘inner critic’.  We all have an inner critic.  How well are you managing yours?

It does two things. It can spur you on to get things done or to achieve things more and to gain acceptance from the main people who are in your life. But at the same time it can drag your self-esteem down. What would you prefer to use it for?

TIP 2.

Put into action healthier motivation habits.

To make your inner critic less useful, that ‘internal voice’ weaker, and at the same time motivate yourself to take action and with it raise your self-esteem, it certainly helps to have and regularly use healthy motivation habits.  Start to think about what motivation habit will work for you and introduce it into your life and daily routine.

TIP 3.

Take a 2 minute self-appreciation break.

This is a very simple and easy to gain habit.  If you spend just two minutes working on it every day for a month you will find that it can make a real difference. Take a deep breath, slow down and ask yourself this question: what are 3 things I like and most appreciate and value about myself?

TIP 4.

Write down the 3 things that you like and can most appreciate about yourself.

Do this again in the evening. Combining the two of them can be really powerful to help you gain two self-esteem boosts every day.

Contact us for your free 20 minute consultation to explore how we can help you: https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/contact-us/

Why I love being a career coach Part 2 – Peter Wilford

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This is a 2 part blog by Peter Wilford. This is part 2.

Read part 1: https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/why-i-love-being-a-career-coach-part-1-peter-wilford/

Giving people focus.

As a Career Coach we need to be flexible in our style and approach to each client and their specific and unique requirements. Clients also need to know where they are going and how to get there. I am naturally structured and like to give clients a focus so that they know that they are following a clear path and can see and track their progress along the way.

This does not work for everyone of course and nor should it. When I get feedback that “you gave me a real focus to everything we did which was hugely beneficial” I know that I have delivered. I enjoy working to agreed deadlines and keeping people on song!

Positive Testimonials.

We all like getting feedback from people we work with.  I have had many fantastic testimonials over the years from happy clients and this has been great. Many of them have kept in touch with me and I with them long after they have finished a programme.

Some have been with me for over 10 years and they have referred other people to me.  I am always very driven and professional with my clients and don’t expect feedback without fully deserving it but it is still good to hear that my work has helped them in some way.  

Getting results.

This is always motivational. For many clients a good result is not purely getting a new job. It can be to recover from a bad redundancy experience, discover new skills and undertake further training, fulfil a life-long dream to set up a business, get feedback from a successful presentation or land an interim assignment.

I especially enjoy when the outcome is different from our initial assessment and the client has surprised themselves and proved themselves completely wrong by moving into an area of work that they had never imagined in their wildest dreams would be where they would end up.

Read why I love career coaching by Rachel Brushfield: https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/why-i-love-career-coaching-rachel-brushfield/

Why I love being a career coach Part 1 – Peter Wilford

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This is a 2 part blog by Peter Wilford. This is part 1.

Understanding people and what makes them tick.
I love meeting people for the first time and getting to know their unique story. I enjoy finding out what makes them tick and why they do the work that they have chosen to do. I like having these conversations outside work, at dinner parties, over a coffee or when meeting someone new.

My innate personality and interests underpin this. I have become very self-aware from doing many psychometric assessments during my HR and Training career and that has made me even more fascinated by other people and inquisitive about them. As well as this I have always had a genuine interest in others and I like to feel that I can quickly put people at ease with my warmth and openness – also with my humour!

The fact that I can do this professionally is a fantastic bonus and that is why when I first became a career coach at age 42, I realised that I was doing something that I really enjoy.

Making a difference.
There is no doubt that I have helped to change people’s lives, both directly and indirectly, through the work that I do and that this is very rewarding and a driver for me. It can be in many ways. It may be by helping them to secure a new position against the odds, encouraging them to go it alone and set up a new business or just to give them a focus and new sense of self-worth when their confidence and self-esteem has been at a low point.

I have seen visible changes in people for example when they see what they have really achieved at work captured effectively in their CV, learnt some fresh insights into their personality which make them realise what is unique about them and why then can change direction in their careers or just by helping them nail a job interview and convert it into an offer. I enjoy every new success and this has spurred me on to the next challenge.

Variety.
No two clients are the same and no two days are identical. I enjoy that. At any one point I can be working with 15 or more clients from across the whole of life and society. I used to have a saying that my clients varied from “Bankers to Ballerinas, Lawyers to Florists” and that is true.

Recently, I have been working with a CEO of a Mid-sized Pharma company, a recruitment consultant who wants to move into Risk Management, a fresh graduate who is rudderless, A change management consultant in Financial Services, a Criminal Lawyer who is developing a portfolio career, a Senior Payments executive, an Insurance Underwriter who is the other side of the world, a publishing specialist who is looking to work freelance, a Chief of Staff in the Retail sector, and a virtual PA. As well as this I have 10-15 outplacement clients all moving on from recent or pending redundancy.

I have learned to switch quickly from client to client during the day and provide a seamless level of support to each one. All of this is motivational and enjoyable. I also do some other work as well as Career Coaching and that gives me fresh focus when I return to my real passion.

Read Why I love career coaching by Rachel Brushfield: https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/why-i-love-career-coaching-rachel-brushfield/

7 tips for healthy career capital in 2021

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What are your career capital goals for 2021?

Building career capital

Career capital is the combined value of competencies, knowledge and individual personality attributes and other career assets that you have to produce economic value.

Your career assets combined = your career capital; the sum total of your time, talent and potential. You need to consider career capital in terms of its present and future value when thinking about your long-term career prospects. If the internet is an ocean full of ‘fish’ i.e. opportunities, you need the right bait to catch the fish you want. Career capital helps you to do this. What ‘fish’ do you want to catch e.g. a future employer or amazing clients? What is the best bait to catch the fish you want to catch?

Why is career capital important?

In future, in less than 5 years, employers will have reduced permanent headcount and resource up on an as needed basis with individuals and employers rated transparently on-line.

Are you ready for the new world of work? Do you have clear differentiation from your competitors and are you visible on-line?

Career assets

Your career capital is made up of multi-faceted career assets which accrue over time. Career assets include; accolades, academic achievements, endorsements, published works, talent, networks, events, charitable activities, career credibility etc. Here are some examples of each career asset category.

Accolades

  • Patents
  • Awards
  • League table rankings e.g. Chambers
  • Who’s who listing 

Academic 

  • Higher qualifications e.g. MBA, PHD, MSc/MA
  • Links with academia or prestigious universities e.g. guest lecturer 

Endorsements

  • Client testimonials
  • Accreditations
  • Employer references
  • Peer testimonials/endorsements

Published works

  • Articles
  • Chapters
  • Books
  • White papers
  • Videos
  • Podcasts

Talent

  • Multiple mastery areas
  • In-demand skills e.g. creativity, big data management 
  • Languages
  • Good emotional intelligence e.g. empathy 

Networks

  • Professional association involvement
  • Membership of elite clubs
  • Size & diversity of network
  • Quality of network e.g. senior decision makers, high net worths

Events

  • Hosting an event 
  • Speaking at an event 
  • Conference speaking
  • Conference chairing

Charitable

  • Pro bono
  • Trustee post 

Career credibility 

  • Prestige/trophy employers & clients e.g. FTSE 100
  • Senior leadership positions e.g. C-Suite

Miscellaneous

  • Personal brand

What would you add? How would you rate your career capital?

  1. Create a career strategy and ensure your career capital is aligned with it
  1. Define your ‘fish’ – i.e. target employers or clients
  2. Audit your career capital quarterly and define career asset S.M.A.R.T. goals
  3. Ensure you have insights about what is important to and valued by your target audience e.g. who are their heroes/heroines?
  4. Measure stats for your career capital so you can monitor progress
  5. Monitor your reputation – set up Google alerts & track your name/brand on Twitter
  6. Use/monitor LinkedIn stats to evaluate the quality and profile of your network

Get in touch for a no-obligation meeting to discuss your needs: https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/contact-us/

7 tips to think about your career KPIs in 2021

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Career KPIs – what are they and do they matter?

“A key performance indicator (KPI) is a metric used by business to evaluate factors that are crucial to the success of the business.”

How do you measure career performance specifically? If you are employed, your employer may use very different measures to what is important to you and if this is the case, it may be a good time for a job or career rethink.

If you are self-employed, is it the rate per day, how many paid days you work a year, enjoyable work, prestigious projects, number of referrals, client testimonials, repeat business, value per transaction/project or number of new clients?

Here is our definition of career KPIs for individuals:

“Career key performance indicators” (KPIs) are metrics used by an individual to evaluate and measure factors that are crucial to their own perceived career success and progress.”

Types of career KPI

Here are types of KPI with examples of each.

  • Financial; salary, rate/day, rewards, bonus etc.
  • Progress; speed of promotion, increases in responsibility.
  • Work life balance; flexible working hours, sabbaticals taken, no of days holiday/year.
  • Fulfillment; feeling satisfied and enjoying your working hours and career, and having a sense of well-being with low stress.
  • Reputation/career capital; being seen as an expert, testimonials, being sought after, e.g. headhunted and needing to do less marketing over time.
  • Fit; a role that plays to your strengths and in which you feel ‘in flow’.
  • Purpose; giving back, making a difference to the world, involvement in corporate social responsibility (CSR), working for an employer with clients in the charity sector or social enterprise.
  • Academic; membership level e.g. fellow in professional organisation, grade for further qualification attained.

What are your top 3 career KPIs?

KPIs may change with life stage e.g. needing to fund children through school or university can make salary or a pay rise very important even if you are not that motivated by money, whilst flexible working is essential if you have young children and work for example.

7 tips to think about your career KPIs.

  1. Define your own unique career KPIs – don’t feel obliged to use standard measures – what is important to YOU?
  2. Track your progress; measure and monitor at least every 3 months.
  3. Know your industry averages so that you can bench mark/negotiate armed with facts and examples.
  4. Build self-awareness; know what motivates you and your personal values; what is important to you.
  5. Get a career coach to protect time to focus on your career and help you to see your full potential, something people often can’t do as they are too close themselves.
  6. Give yourself an annual performance review, or ideally diarise a career review and planning meeting four times a year.
  7. Grade your KPIs; primary and secondary or ‘must do’ and ‘nice to have’.

Get in touch for a no obligation 20 minute meeting:

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/contact-us/

Career tips – from the ‘horse’s mouth’

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I love writing and it enables me to help more people. Chapter 3 of the Career management book I wrote for the Law Society is comprised of career transition case studies. This blog shares their tips for a successful career transition.

These tips are written for solicitors, but they apply to all sectors/professions.

Rachel Pearce

My 5 tips to solicitors considering whether to become a partner or not are:

  1. Get to know the other partners as well as the team to make sure that you will be happy working with them
  2. Be clear on what is expected of you in the new position and if you are not sure, ask!
  3. Make sure that the extra responsibility is adequately remunerated
  4. Ensure that you effectively time manage your caseload and management duties.
  5. Always strive for a good work/life balance

Nicola Wallbank

My tips for lawyers at a career crossroads are:

1. Take time to take stock

2. Using an experienced career coach can be beneficial,

3. Speaking with contacts in your network and finding a mentor can provide a useful sounding board, and

4. Don’t fear change.

Serena Spink

My three tips for a successful change in career direction, especially if you are thinking about moving from private practice to work in-house are:

1. Have confidence in yourself – don’t rule out positions that you would otherwise be interested in because you think that you lack experience

2. Understand your strengths and weaknesses – career coaching can help with this, and

3. Find a mentor who you respect or read up as much as you can on articles/blogs from others who have made successful and relevant career moves to the one that you aspire to.

Rachael Williams

My three tips to other returners for a successful transition back into work are:

1. If you are thinking of getting back into the profession – take that step – what do you have to lose?

2. Listen to the recommended courses of action from others and do them even if you are not sure that they suit you – they probably will.

3. Decisively carve out time for yourself – create that space to push back the endless domestic jobs or other commitments which may have stopped you from doing what you wish to do. In that newly carved space, write, read, research & experiment.

Michal Freeman-Shor

My  three tips for a successful career transition back to the law for other returners are:

1. Treat the nay-sayers (including your own self-doubt) as ‘white noise’ and make sure that you surround yourself with positive people who will support you

2. Don’t believe those recruiters who fob you off due to a lack of ‘recent or relevant experience’. They are only interested in making a ‘quick buck’. Find a recruiter who actually cares and is willing to represent the benefits that you bring as a candidate to their clients, even though you don’t tick all the boxes, and

3. Never, ever, give up on your dreams and aspirations. If you can dream it – it can happen. I am now a Back to law Ambassador for The Law Society empowering and mentoring returner solicitors and it is great to share insights and ideas from my own career journey to help others.

Stephanie Boyce

So, if you are thinking of creating a second/portfolio career, then here are a few tips you should consider:

  1. Evaluate your finances – can you afford to be out of work for any length of time, will you earn enough from your portfolio activities/second career?
  2. Evaluate your skill set – know your strengths and your weaknesses.
  3. Plan – do your research and make a plan. Set your objectives.
  4. Network – build your network in order to make yourself visible and make use of opportunities that your network may present.
  5. Finally – last but not least, enjoy!

Jenny Brewer

My 3 tips to lawyers considering a portfolio career are:

1. Expect to have to learn from others no matter how senior you are

2. Go with the flow, and

3. Enjoy the differences, don’t fight them.

Adrian Horne

My top 3 tips to help other young lawyers to choose the right career and law firm for them are:

1. Talk to people. Don’t be afraid to reach out to someone you don’t know for advice – in the process you will learn something new and potentially gain a valuable contact. Lawyers love to talk about themselves, so you will rarely be an inconvenience.

2. Do your research. Know the firms you are targeting, and why you are targeting them in particular. Know the area of the country you are targeting, and be prepared to explain why you are interested in that area. Decide early what work/life balance you are aiming for, and what remuneration you are comfortable with.

3. Boost your CV at every opportunity. Volunteer with the Citizen’s Advice Bureau and Victim Support etc.

Puja Gohil

My three tips to young people thinking about becoming a solicitor and evaluating which qualification route to take are:

1. Make a good first impression and strive to always maintain it

2. Accept that you will make mistakes – this is a natural part of learning to be a lawyer, but learn from them and do not repeat them and

3. Get as much experience from an early stage in your career, apply to the courts, magistrates, law firms and counsel chambers to understand each party’s roles in the legal process.

Kim Whitaker

My 3 tips for lawyers at a career crossroads and considering a career change are:

1. Try to do something you are interested in and enjoy: you have to do it every day

2. If you aren’t happy, try to find a way to make things better. You only have one life; and

3. Ask for help if you need it. People will usually support you if they can.

Tom Chakraborti

My three tips for a successful change in career:

1. Think about what you really prioritise

2. Do something because you really want it, and

3. Find a mentor with experience in the field, with whom you can bounce off ideas.

Chris Seele

My three tips for a successful change in career direction are

1. Have the courage and confidence that you can do something else

2. Go for something that truly excites and motivates you, and

3. Have a strong support network.

Olivia Streater

My three tips for a successful change in career direction, especially for women returners, are

1) Value your experiential/life learning as well as your university/academic learning

2) Remember you are competent, and

3) Have disciplined routines.

Lydia Brookes

My five top tips for lawyers ready for a career change would be:

1) Career change is made up of lots of small steps, even if you may not realise their significance at the time; think of it more as a gradual shift than a Big Bang!

2) Make a map of your network and talk to as many people as you can: verbalise what you want (including to your employer) and don’t feel you have to pretend you want a traditional career path if you think it’s not really for you.

3) Volunteer! Hands-on volunteering can be invaluable, as well as being on a board or a committee. It will make you realise what you are capable of and push you out of your comfort zone.

4) Don’t be put off by other people’s reactions. Lots of people can find it difficult to understand why you might want to do something other than be a full-time lawyer.

5) Be a regular saver so that you have some funds put aside to give you the flexibility to take some risks in the future, e.g. a period spent volunteering or with reduced working-hours.

What would your tips be?

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