Career change

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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Get in touch for your no-obligation 20 minute meeting to explore your needs.https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/contact-us/

Book for the Law Society: “Career Management for Lawyers. Practical Strategies to Plan your Next Chapter”.

Career management for lawyers: https://bookshop.lawsociety.org.uk/p/career-management-for-lawyers-practi-paperback/

This client example concerns a lawyer, Rebecca, who was feeling frustrated with her work and wanted something more meaningful. She succeeded in her change of career …… but with her current employer.   

Rebecca was recommended to Energise through a legal recruitment agency. Rebecca is a senior associate in her mid-thirties specialising in tax law who was looking for more fulfilment through her work. Getting involved in corporate social responsibility in her current firm was one way of increasing job satisfaction, but a change of specialism or career was the ideal answer.

We identified about fifteen different career options that fitted her skills and interests. I then helped Rebecca break down the research needed to explore each option into specific small steps and to find out information and ask questions through her network, plus creating a framework to make an informed decision.

The favourite option was charity law, which built upon her legal heritage and moved her into a more motivating area that fitted her values. She also factored in her desire to have children in future and charity law appeared to be an option that would give her flexibility later.

With a wedding in the near future and having decided to study for a Masters, she had plenty on her plate as she was working full-time. As a result of someone leaving, an opportunity emerged in her current firm to do charity law work. She successfully approached the partners expressing her interest, and agreed a role combined with her current specialism. This made her career change a smooth transition, increasing fulfillment.

This decision was a great one to give her experience of a new area, especially post-downturn in a challenging jobs market, and which could pave the way for her to make the next move externally at the right time. Like many people, career change felt quite daunting to her, and so this internal move also helped to pace change and reduce uncertainty.

“Rachel is full of great ideas and really helped me see that making a change like this is not as scary as it might first seem. I would recommend her to anyone who wants to change career or direction but doesn’t know how or where to start.”

Rebecca, Senior Associate