Have you started the New Year feeling overworked, worn out and unconvinced about your future in the law? If so, you’re not alone.
While firms that expanded rapidly during the boom have been laying off staff, they’ve also been burdening those left behind with piles of extra work, longer hours and the pressure of bringing in new clients. A decade ago, young lawyers achieved partnership by their early 30s. Today equity partners eager to hold on to their slice of the cake for longer are drawing out this process - many lawyers now only become partners in their late 30s. In the meantime, many live with the frustration of serving as a small cog in a very large wheel. Employee Rewards, Benefits and Savings survey by Mercer's recently found that employee engagement amongst lawyers is on the wane. http://insight.badenochandclark.com/legal/30/11/2010/employee-engagement-waning-for-those-in-roles-such-as-legal-jobs-survey-shows/4599/
But the good news is, lawyers have choices. You’re not tied to being a lawyer just because you qualified as one.
At CareerBalance we’re finding that despite both the fragile economy and the £500,000 to £1 million salaries partners can expect to earn, many young lawyers are now putting their quality of life first. After careful consideration, some of our newly qualified lawyer clients have either secured in-house or training and development roles, moved to smaller firms where they are part of the bigger picture, switched to a business career, or taken time out to travel or trade shares. Some of our clients are moving out of the law completely – doing an MBA, a Masters in War Studies before returning to law, or embarking on a career in speech and language therapy.
If you’re considering making a career change and you’re in your early 30s, now is best time to start preparing. We firmly believe there’s still work out there – good people are finding jobs. At CareerBalance, our strength lies in showing you the options and rewards available
to you. Happy New Year!
