Learning how to effectively plan and manage your career as an attorney will help you find your dream career.

1. The Attorney Career Path:
Career Planning and Management for
Attorneys
Summary: Learning how to effectively plan and manage your career as
an attorney will help you find your dream career.
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2. In planning this article I thought about some of the career issues which currently
seem of most significance to lawyers. These include job satisfaction, stress,
lifestyle, balance, mobility, job security, glass ceilings, work relationships,
personal achievement and so forth. As I thought about these issues, it seems
clear that now, more than ever, lawyers need to actively "manage" their
professional careers if they hope to really deal with these issues.
See the following for more information:
Top 25 Reasons Most Attorneys Go Crazy and What to Do About It
Another Big Firm Attorney I Know Just Died Young
Unfortunately, many of us (myself included) either got into law by default
(seemed the best option at the time) or viewed the primary post law school
objective simply as "getting a job in a law firm". It didn't matter that most of us
really had no idea of what it would be like to work in a law firm, what the
pressures and demands would be or whether it would suit our particular
personality and career interests. After all, we had student loans to pay and there
didn't seem to be a lot of other options. Besides, we had just spent three years in
law school and that seemed like a pretty good time. How different could practice
be?
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3. Most of us have learned or are still learning the answer to that question the hard
way. In my own situation it took me over three years to define and then act upon
what I knew intuitively right from the start - that practicing law was not what I
wanted to do for the rest of my life. And as legal careers go, I had it pretty good.
However, I couldn't rid myself of that tiny but persistent feeling that I wasn't in
full control of my career. Having experienced the legal training process and gone
through the physical, economic and psychological investment to become a
lawyer, it was difficult to acknowledge, much less accept, that practicing law in
some capacity was not what I wanted to do.
It wasn't until I became actively involved in legal recruiting, which I truly enjoy
and which seems to fit with my personality and interests, that I was able to view
myself doing something other than practicing law. This was a significant
threshold to cross. Since then I have focused on career goals of my own choosing
and I have not struggled with career decisions the way I did when I practiced law.
I know where I want to go. I now manage my career instead of my career
managing me.
See The Practice of Law: To Stay or Go for more information.
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4. While I was pretty typical in the career confusion I faced, I was atypical in how
quickly I was able to resolve these issues. As a legal headhunter, I have
interviewed literally thousands of lawyer candidates over the years. I have met
with lawyers at all levels, with all types of practice experience (private in-house
and government) and with all types of personal backgrounds. While I have
certainly seen a great many lawyers who love what they do and are well-suited to
their current position or practice, I have seen an equal or greater number who are
struggling with the same types of concerns and issues I struggled with.
However, while I was fortunate and managed to find something I enjoyed, most
lawyers in this situation seem to have no idea of what they would like to do or
what the next step should be. In short, they feel frustrated, often burned out and
generally know what they don't like, but they haven't figured out the most
important part, which is where to go from here.
The simple and sole purpose of effective Career Management is to address the
question "where do I go from here?" Career Management is a proactive, planned
process for managing your career on a continuing basis. If you picture your career
as a business, which it is, (the product is you!) then Career Management involves
both the design and implementation of the "business plan".
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5. If done properly, this process will provide you with an ongoing personal road
map to guide you throughout your professional career.
So what is the magic formula? As you may have expected, there isn't any! But
following the basic career management principles set out below will help put any
rudderless career back on course.
Every Career Needs Management
Career Management is not just for lawyers who are dissatisfied or feel they do not
have control of their career. It is equally important to actively manage your career
when you are happy with your position and things are apparently going well.
There is too much uncertainty and instability in the profession to take anything
for granted. If you have not been managing your career when the axe suddenly
falls or when you decide you can't stand the person you now have to work with,
you will have few alternatives. More importantly, career management keeps you
focused on your goals and how to achieve them. This is just as critical to success
in your current situation as it is when you are looking to move.
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6. Career Management Takes Time
Like anything else, career management involves thoughtful and deliberate effort.
This requires time! Even if you are reasonably content, at least once a month but
preferably once a week you must set aside some personal time, ideally one to
three hours, to think about your career plan, review your short- and medium-
term goals, revise your action plan if necessary, consider how to deal with any
new obstacles that may have arisen and so on.
Of course, if you are actively seeking another opportunity you should allocate
time for career management and your job search every day. You can't start
looking for a new job too soon! I am constantly amazed by the number of lawyers
who show up at my door saying they have a month to find a new position, when
they have known for three or four months that they will be leaving.
Conduct a Personal Audit
As in a business, you need to have a good sense of both what you are selling and
what you would like to buy. As one of the first steps in this process, critically
assess your skills, interests, likes, dislikes, attitudes and so on.
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7. You should have a good sense of the type of position and environment that you
thrive in and the type that you don't. As a quick point of reference, one of the
first questions I ask a candidate who is unhappy with his or her current situation
is: "Disregarding financial or other issues, what are the top five things you would
like to do and why?". Few have ever done this. In creating this list, a definite
pattern emerges regarding the types of career opportunities and environments
that seem to suit that person. More importantly, articulating why these five are
top priority generally leads to the first real understanding of what is the best fit!
Feedback is Critical
Your friends may offer a sympathetic ear, but not much else. It pays to get some
professional assistance from people who are knowledgeable about legal career
matters and the issues you are facing.
Generally, there are two places to start: legal headhunters and career counselors.
Headhunters do not charge fees to candidates, but unless your qualifications are
just right, it might be hard to get in the door. Even then, headhunters will be
looking to screen you out quickly if you don't fit what they are looking for in
other areas. Still, if you get an interview you will almost always get some
feedback about your career plans and marketability. LawCrossing.com

8. Career counselors charge fees, but they focus on you and your plans and can be a
great resource for sorting out difficult career and personal questions. For
individual counseling and specific advice and feedback, fees will generally range
from $50-200 per hour; however, for a flat fee in the range of $1500 to $4000,
many career consultants will offer a package of services which might typically
include:
Personal Counseling and Reevaluation-One on one counseling and preliminary
career planning.
Self-assessment - Analyzing personal and professional strengths, exploring
interests and weaknesses. Standardized testing may be included. See The BCG
Attorney Search Job Analysis Tool for more information.
Career and Opportunity Profile - Creating a customized career and personal
profile based on the individual's abilities and interests. Matching this profile to
potential opportunities.
Job Search Assistance - Providing resume preparation and self-marketing
assistance, interview practice, role playing and skills development. See
AttorneyResume.com for more information.
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9. Follow Up and Support - Ongoing Career Management. Being available for
continuing career support and guidance for a specified time frame.
As with any adviser, choose yours with care and know what your costs will be up
front. If possible, use a legal career counselor or one who has experience with
lawyers. Finally, in many cities there are often free seminars on career issues for
lawyers and there are networks and support groups you can join. Check these out
too.
Select the Right Tools
There are some excellent tools available to assist you with all aspects of the
process. A number of legal career guides have been published, there are some
effective, easy to use career management and career search software programs on
the market and there is a wide variety of legal career and job search information
available on the Internet. Generally inexpensive or free, these are great resources
to both get you started and keep you on track. Examples of available material
include:
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10. Books
Attorney Job Search Secrets Revealed
Attorney Resume Secrets Revealed
BCG Attorney Search Reference Guide to Practice Areas
The Internet
Legal job sites such as www.LawCrossing.com and Hound.com
Legal recruitment sites such as www.BCGSearch.com.
Resume sites such as www.AttorneyResume.com.
Personal assessment sites such as careerdesign.com or workzone.net.
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11. Budget, Budget, Budget!
Managing your career is like selling your own home - you think that by doing it
yourself it doesn't cost anything. In fact, it can get quite expensive. Lunches,
networking, seminars, books, software, postage, travel, long distance and so
forth can add up quickly. Allocate a specific sum to your career management and
job search activities. That way you won't get caught short or cut corners when you
need to take action. And track where you spend the money. Like a business, you
should know where the money is being spent and whether you are getting a
reasonable bang for your buck!
The Personal Career Plan
Remember, if you fail to plan you plan to fail! The personal career plan is the
most important part of the process. Once you have sorted out what your interests
are and where you would like your career to go, create a formal written career
plan. While there is no set format, at a minimum your plan should include:
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12. Overall vision and long term objectives
A summary of your interests, skills, strengths and weaknesses
Your personal career goals
Detailed strategies and actions to achieve those goals (action plan)
A one year budget
The key to this plan are the goals together with the strategies and actions you
select to achieve the goals. To be meaningful, your career goals must be:
Highly specific
Measurable
Time-limited
Achievable
You should review your goals and actions frequently to ensure you stay on track.
It is an evolving process, so be prepared to make adjustments along the way.
Essentially, you will find the process works like a funnel.
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13. At the start you will have very broad goals which fit a common pattern and are
guided by a general objective. The further along you go, the more focused you
will become, leading to the point where all goals and activities are concentrated
on achieving one primary objective.
Conclusion
Your career is like a business. Unless you proactively manage your "business" on a
regular and continuing basis it will struggle and fall short of your potential. With
a little care and feeding, managing your legal career will produce tremendous
results.
This article “The Attorney Career Path: Career Planning and Management for
Attorneys” first appeared on LawCrossing is the world leader in “pure”
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