Simon Broomer Managing Director at CareerBalance Ltd advises how to get back into the workplace after a career break or maternity.

Simon Broomer Managing Director of CareerBalance talks about how lawyers can change career. Simon is a Qualified Lawyer who re-trained as a Career Counsellor and Coach. 

The average time it takes to find a job is longer than it used to be. But here’s the good news. The state of the UK job market is far better than most people think, says Simon Broomer, Managing Director of CareerBalance Ltd, the Career Planning & Job Search specialists.

The latest Labour Market statistics from the Office for National Statistics show that there are 29.16 million people in employment in the UK. “Why should we be disheartened?” asks Simon. 

Thanks both to advances in technology and the recent economic turbulence, the way we work is undergoing radical change. A growing number of people are deciding to go it alone.

A quick online search yields a multitude of services offered by sole traders and small companies - from virtual assistants, to PR consultants, editors, coaches, interior designers, recruitment consultants and bespoke tailors. Across the country, the explosion of networking and breakfast groups like NRG and SpeedNetworking is testament to the increasing number of self-employed people ranging from digital marketeers to defence experts.

Many lawyers in their 40s face a difficult predicament.

As partners, they are typically earning well. But between the demands of meeting fee targets, managing and inspiring people, long hours, taking risks and bringing in new business, their responsibilities are unrelenting. Against a backdrop of fierce competition, firms are being forced to take on more work for less money. For lawyers who are not passionate about what they do, the job can be even more stressful.

Many lawyers love their jobs. But many others want to break free and crave more fulfilment. One 40-something lawyer we recently saw at CareerBalance sat down and said: “If I don’t stop, it will kill me”.

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

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!

Against a backdrop of severe job and budget cuts, redundancy is opening the door for many to entrepreneurship,
says Claire Adler.

In this difficult time for the job market, some of the country's finest entrepreneurial minds are kicking into gear
- channelling redundancy money into start-ups and choosing a path they hope will offer more control over
their destiny and quality of life.

The definitive guide to Graduate Recruitment and Development Professionals earnings and aspirations in 2010 is launched today. Here are Its key findings:

• The average salary for a graduate recruiter is £27,000 (down on last year)
• The average salary for a head of graduate recruitment is £71,200
• If you get to the very top this will mean a six figure salary
• Bonuses are down across the sector this year  with 38% of respondents receiving no bonus or not having access to a scheme
• Bonuses of 20% and above of salary were only available to Head of Graduate Recruitment and/or Development
• Training and development is widely available to professionals but more needs to be done to make it specifically relevant