Lessons I Learned the Hard Way from Going to Law School - Part 5

Here's the fifth and final lesson I learned from my law school experience that you can apply right now as you search for an alternative career:

I was bored at my first summer clerkship. I was bored at my second summer clerkship. I wish that I could say that I was surprised to find that I was bored when I joined a firm.

Lesson #5: Hoping and praying you’ll enjoy your work is not the same thing as enjoying your work. Do a few informational interviews with folks already in the field. Ask if you can spend the day with them. Nothing beats direct experience.

The only caveat is that you heed what you learn, instead of fooling yourself into thinking it’ll be better once you actually start your career.

Lessons I Learned the Hard Way from Going to Law School - Part 4

Here's the fourth of 5 lessons I learned from my law school experience that you can apply right now as you search for an alternative career:

I didn’t want to be on Law Review (it sounded boring) but I knew it was prestigious, so I opted to compete anyway. That week I had my first migraine…for the next three days. The moment I dropped off my law review writing samples the migraine lifted.

Lesson #4: If you are an HSP (“Highly Sensitive Person”) or heck, maybe even if you’re not, your body will tell you when your work is not a good fit. I suggest you heed it. (By the way, I didn’t make Law Review and once I got over being hurt about being rejected, I was relieved.)

Lessons I Learned the Hard Way from Going to Law School - Part 3

Here's the third of 5 lessons I learned from my law school experience that you can apply right now as you search for an alternative career:

My attempts at “normal” conversation with law school classmates were failures. All they wanted to talk about was the Supreme Court. I complimented a classmate on her Banana Republic shirt, and she stared at me blankly. Maybe her mom bought it for her.

Lesson #3: If you can’t find anybody like you in the alternative career you’re exploring, maybe you’re in the wrong place.

Are You a Complainer?

Lawyers are natural-born complainers. If you think I'm exaggerating, just hit a Happy Hour. Or conduct a round table discussion at a law school.

If you're willing to admit it's true, check out Heather Mundell's Life@Work blog today where she talks about when it's good to complain and when it's not. Better yet buy one of those purple rubber bracelets from A Complaint Free World that Heather mentions.

Here's the link: http://dbcs.typepad.com/lifeatwork/2008/03/how-to-complain.html

Lessons I Learned the Hard Way from Going to Law School - Part 2

Here's the second of 5 lessons I learned from my law school experience that you can apply right now as you search for an alternative career:

Lesson #2: Sitting in my dorm room before first semester of my first year of law school, I experienced an almost overwhelming urge to buy a one-way ticket home. What I mean is that I practically had to tie myself to a chair to keep myself from grabbing my purse and shoes and abandoning all of my possessions to catch a flight that day. I wish the ropes had come loose.

Lesson: Ignore your intuition at your own peril. You know all those job postings you're perusing and interviewing for? If your reaction to them is less than lukewarm, that's your intuition talking again. And since you ignored it in law school, it's probably talking pretty loudly and disgustedly. Listen to it.

Lessons I Learned the Hard Way from Going to Law School - Part 1

Berating yourself for having gone to law school in the first place? Don’t bother. It’s a waste of energy. There’s no changing the past. You have to start from where you are—which is, unhappy lawyer.

But there are some lessons to be learned from your past choice. Here's the first of 5 lessons I learned from my law school experience that you can apply right now as you search for an alternative career:

1. I was so excited when I got into law school. When I received the course catalogue, I flipped through it eagerly. Page after page I thought, “Boring…boring…boring…” It gave me pause but it was literally only a pause. By the time I took the LSAT, filled out law school applications, and got my acceptance letter, I was like a runaway train.

Lesson: When you explore alternative careers, if you’re not interested in the related classes or the literature, PASS. Don't just pause, pass. Don't try to convince yourself that maybe you'll like it once you're in the career. Why not find something that excites you instead?

Lawyers Looking for Enterpreneurial Opportunities

I've recently talked to several lawyers about their dissatisfaction with the law and it seems as if a large percentage of them have been bitten by the entrepreneurial bug. I can relate. I've been chomping at the bit to have my own thing for some time. While being an entrepreneur takes certain skills and comfort with risk, I couldn't be happier; I've found my home.

One of the lawyers I spoke to has a business on the side. She started a women's boutique online (check her out at www.lilylilyshop.com). The others I spoke to are exploring a wide variety of opportunities (don't want to get into details to protect their confidentiality).

Are you a lawyer who's looking for an entrepreneurial opportunity to transition into? If so, what kind?

Or are you a lawyer who left the law to pursue an enterpreneurial opportunity? Tell us about what you do. Not only do we get to learn what the possibilities are, you get a chance to pub your business!

Can You Tell Me What Six-Figure Alternative Careers Are Out There for Lawyers?

When I talk to clients, they often ask me this question sheepishly. Nothing to be sheepish about. If you’re currently earning six figures and that’s something that appeals to you, it’s not surprising that you’d like to maintain your current level of income. Financial constraints keep a lot of lawyers in the practice of law. Between law school debt and having grown accustomed to a certain lifestyle, it’s hard to imagine foregoing the money for a low-paying, albeit enjoyable, job.

I think the sheepishness comes from wondering whether you can walk out of your law office and right into a six-figure job based on the strength of your law school diploma. Great question really.

So what about that list? I don’t have it. Is there such a list or is it only a mythical beast? And if we had it, what would we do with it?

Let’s create a list. What are the six-figure jobs out there for lawyers?

I can think of a few off the top of my head that I discovered from research I did for my book "Unhappy Lawyer (Sourcebooks, July 2008)." Mind you, the lawyers who transitioned to these alternative careers didn’t start off making six figures but within a few years began earning that kind of salary:

Conflict resolution trainers/consultants, literary and sports agents, actors, editors, and entrepreneurs.

What other professions come to mind for you—-where you can earn six figures right off the bat or after a few years—-or who do you know who made such a transition? I’ll keep my eyes and ears open too, and we’ll come back to the question of what we would do with such a list once we’ve created it.