Tips for Legal Professionals: Decide Your Next Role
This is the second article of a series of career pieces, contributed by Jason Elias, CEO of Elias Recruitment. The first article "Careers: Is a change on the horizon?" can be found here.
Self-assessment
Once you have gone through this process of self-assessment it’s possible you will make the decision that it’s time to start considering a change in your career. To make a strategic decision about your next role it’s important that you understand your own drivers and motivations better.
As the first step in self-assessment, it’s important that you get clear (and brutally honest) about your priorities, goals, and motivations.
Do you actually want partnership in a firm? Are you willing to make the necessary sacrifices to become a partner? Or is your goal finding fulfillment and work-life balance? Would you prefer to work in-house or government or Not-for-Profit?
Any path is fine, but you need to get really clear on your own priorities.
Dan Pink’s “Drive” looks at the things that drive people in their careers and lives, and finds that there are 3 things that most people are seeking from their career:
- Autonomy – are you directing your own life?
- Mastery — do you feel you are excelling and learning new skills?
- Purpose — do you feel you are achieving something that matters?
Opportunities
Finding opportunities for autonomy, mastery, and purpose in our careers is what will make you enjoy your next role, so it makes sense that prioritising these elements when looking for your next job will ensure you are happier and more successful in your new role.
There are several free and low-cost self-assessments that can also help support your career growth. Undertaking these assessments not only help you decide on your next role but also can give you insight into how you can describe yourself when meeting with potential employers.
The StrengthFinders 2.0 assessment is a widely recognised, reputable, and inexpensive assessment that will help you decide on how you can better leverage your natural strengths (https://
www.gallupstrengthscenter.com/home/en-us/strengthsfinder).
In addition to looking at which law firms might suit you, many people are considering opportunities within the corporate sector.
Jason Elias, (CEO, Elias Recruitment) was interviewed by the Australian Financial Review on this trend, stating "Now people are getting three to four years in and saying ‘this is not what I want to do for the rest of my life’... If you were going to work at Google or "XYZ law" firm, you would probably choose Google.”
– JASON ELIAS, ELIAS RECRUITMENT
Australian Financial Review, “Graduate Glut Turns To Drought”, Friday 21st Sept, 2018
Also read top viewed Ai Legal article: The Role of AI in Legal Research.
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