There comes a point in every lawyer’s career when they look around and wonder if partnership is the right path for them.
Law firms are typically eager to know who will progress to partner and who won’t. Established lawyers have built up sound knowledge and technical skills and want to be rewarded appropriately. Still, a lifetime of being on call at the weekend, helping another bank ink yet another corporate finance deal, and being interrupted at dinner by another client who has been served a writ, is hardly an alluring prospect for everyone.
While some forward-thinking corporations offer flexible working hours and career breaks while guaranteeing to hold your job, City law firms are not always amenable to women with a family focus. Perhaps this explains why women represent 50% of trainee lawyers but just 10% of City partners, according to CareerBalance founder Simon Broomer.
Many lawyers feel demoralised once it emerges they don’t want a partnership role, and complain of being sidelined. One fit and healthy woman who visited CareerBalance recently confessed she feels constantly exhausted. Another who regularly brings in new business to her firm, described her City law firm as a gentleman’s club where she felt pushed aside. Some lawyers CareerBalance has seen have been signed off with depression and feel unable to confide in anyone at their firm.
So if you find yourself at a similar crucial crossroads in your career, don’t let it pass you by. If you’re being pushed to your limits, set boundaries and make some changes. Think - what’s best for me given my priorities within my career and outside it? How appreciated do I feel by colleagues and clients?
At CareerBalance we know it’s hard to set aside time to make your next career move a reality. An initial career questionnaire lets us know all about our clients’ job satisfaction levels before we even meet for our first session. We specialise in helping lawyers take the future of their career into their own hands. Maybe we can help you too?
Posted by Simon Broomer, Managing Director and Founder at CareerBalance Ltd
