Leaving The Law -- Part 5/6

Strategy #5
The Power of Exploration

Once you’ve identified some exciting career possibilities, it’s time to test them. That can seem impossible when you’ve already got a full-time job. This strategy is all about using your creativity to find ways to test out the jobs of your dreams.

I talk to a lot of dissatisfied lawyers who’d prefer to stay on the brink and just daydream about how wonderful the alternative careers they’ve come up with will be. But if your ideas just stay in your head, you’re going to find yourself still at your law firm next year.

Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

Hit the library! Or your local bookstore. It’s the first place my clients go to get a wealth of information on the careers that interest them.

Sample it! Scheme your way into spending some time with an individual or organization that does what fascinates you. Curious about being a chiropractor? Ask yours if you can spend a day with her. Maybe personal coaching has piqued your interest. Sign up for a class.

Talk to others! I’m a big fan of informational interviews with folks. There’s nothing like getting the good, the bad, and the ugly from someone who spends their days immersed in work you think you might enjoy. Create a list of questions about the issues that make you curious and go pick someone’s brain.

One more strategy to go!

Leaving The Law -- Part 4/6

Strategy #4
The Power of Play

We’re taking a look at six powerful strategies you can use to find and explore exciting career alternatives and we’re up to #4.

What do you do for fun? What interests you? If you don’t have any idea, it’s not your fault. Most of us focused very intently for a period of time to get to our law firm jobs. Once we’re there, we’ve got limited time. There’s time for work, family, friends, exercise, sleeping and maybe an occasional fun activity. We’ve lost any sense of what engages us.

It’s imperative that you learn how to play again. That you learn to identify something that catches your attention and run with it.

This exercise takes about 6 – 8 weeks. Patience, my friends, the end results are fascinating. You’re going to need a small notebook that you can keep in your pocket or your purse. And your assignment is to carry it with you at all times.

First, jot down any and everything that interested you when you were younger—childhood, when you were a teenager, college, if you had any interests in law school. Write them all down.

Now to the present. What gets your attention? Write down 5 -10 things. Then keep going because you’re going to need a lot more, at least 25 – 50. For the next 6 -8 weeks, every time something captures your interest, write it down. For example, if you’re constantly stopping at a local bakery, write down “pastry chef, delicious foods, chocolate, neighborhood hang-out.” No censorship. Write it all down!

Once you’ve got your 25 – 50 items or more, you’re going to sort them. Put similar items in a category and title the category to define the interest. The titles can be one word or hyphenated strings of words. You should end up with 5 – 10 categories.

Now you’re ready to do some brainstorming. Spread out your interest sheets and your talent sheets. What career possibilities come to mind? Write them all down. If one of them really turns you on, run with it. This is not the time to do a critique. If it interests you or excites you, it’s fair game.

Do a 2nd brainstorming with a small group. Friends, trusted colleagues, children are really good at brainstorming. Naysayers, not even the well-meaning ones, are invited. Write down all of the ideas that come up. These sessions are often hilarious.

By the time I finished brainstorming by myself and with a group, I had 75 possibilities. I’m not kidding. 75. Get started!