Want to Leave the Law? Why Those Lists of Careers You can do with a Law Degree Don’t Work (and What You can do Instead.)
I remember sitting at my office desk, miserably googling for articles like “50 Careers you can do with a Law Degree” and “Careers for Former Lawyers.”
What I recall most about those recommendations — and what inherently is necessary to make them — is that they were all based on skills you use as a lawyer.
That was a problem, because while I was good at practicing law, I didn’t enjoy it. I didn’t want to be using those skills in a full-time job. Or at least, not in a way that was similar to how I used them as an attorney.
Those suggestions didn’t take me or my individual needs into account. So, they were never going to lead to a job that was a good fit for me — they were jobs I’d be trying to contort myself into fitting.
It doesn’t matter if you “can get” or “can do” a job. If what you’re looking for is a career that makes you excited to start each workday, that feels like you’re making a difference, and that plain old makes you happy, it’s really important to start your search with your individual needs and motivators.
But how do you do that? After all, if school had taught you how, you wouldn’t be in this situation in the first place!
Most of us try to work this out by looking at just one or two things, like trying to figure out what we’re passionate about or what we’re qualified to do. But research has shown that you need to get clear on a number of factors if you want to find career fulfillment. You need to identify your strengths — and not just the things you can do well, but the ones that you also enjoy and would want to use and grow. You need determine your individual personality needs, which can help you figure out not only what type of work will be a good fit, but also what kind of organizational culture, manager and team would be a good match for you. You need to dig into your interests, which may include the type of impact you care about making in the world or may simply be areas that you’d actually enjoy spending time on. And you need to clarify what you want your job to be providing for your life outside of work.
Here are a few questions you can ask yourself to start thinking about this:
- If you could wave a magic wand, what would you have more of in your workday? What would you have less of?
- Try asking your friends what they think you’re really good at — and what jobs they think might make sense for you based on that.
- If money or the job title weren’t issues, what would you like to spend your day doing? (Yes, I know that money is an issue and so you might be rolling your eyes at this. But you’d be surprised at how much helpful information this question can get you!)
- Do you ever lose track of time? Not just at work, in any area of your life. What are you doing when that happens?
- What type of activities, in any area of your life, motivate and energize you? (I’m not talking caffeine!)
What do you learn when you ask these questions? Don’t throw it out if you can’t see it being helpful in building a career — most lawyers are sooooo incredibly practical and analytical that you might see more of the problems than the possibilities. And FYI, I built a career based on enjoying one-on-one conversations and personal growth!
You can look at your transferable skills later in the process. And believe me, you have them. But start with identifying your individual needs and priorities. You can use those to guide you towards careers that will actually provide what you’re wanting. Once you’re clear on the direction you want to move, you can figure out what skills you have that will help you succeed. It very well may be a legal or legal adjacent job that works for you — but your transferable skills should follow along, not lead the way.
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Kelley Shields is a career change coach, helping unfulfilled professionals find work they find meaningful, enjoyable and profitable. Feeling stuck? Wondering if you should stay at your job or if it’s time to leave? Check out my quiz, “Should I Stay or Should I Go?”
