Alternative Legal Careers: Planning for a Job Change as a Lawyer

The career planning process will go on throughout your lifetime. Although you have chosen to pursue the study of law or are currently practicing law, there are still a number of decisions that you will need to make. There are also a number of myths that you need to dispel as you make your career decisions. Probably the first and foremost myth to dispel is that career related decisions are a one time, irreversible process.

Career counseling professionals will tell you that the average person will change careers (careers, not jobs) three to five times. Other decisions and circumstances will occur later in your career that will cause you to continue to evaluate your career choices and may be the impetus for you to move into a totally different career area.


Although there may be times in your life when you need to be flexible regarding work possibilities, most employers would prefer to hire a candidate who is seeking a position that meets the description of the one advertised. If you do not know what kind of job you are looking for, it is doubtful that you could recognize the perfect job even if it landed in your lap.
 

• See 60 Nontraditional Jobs You Can Do with a Law Degree (and Should Strongly Consider Doing) for more information about alternative careers for lawyers.

Some job seekers believe that they will have a "revelation" and that the ideal position will simply occur to them someday. This too is unlikely. Unfortunately, only a few of us have known since childhood that we wanted to become a tax attorney. The rest of us must struggle through the continuous process of self and work analysis.

Some job hunters believe that what they need to do if they are looking for a job is to check the want-ads in the newspaper, call the bar association, or answer the career planning and placement office job listings. This type of job seeker continues to look for the "revelation" or for the employer who will be impressed with a willingness to "work hard" and do "anything." Although the newspapers and other listings are reliable sources of current vacancies, they are limited in scope.

Most employers will fill positions through word of mouth, or through the informal networking process, rather than by posting open positions. This is particularly true of small businesses, which usually will not have the time or resources to invest in a sophisticated search for new employees. The most effective job seeker will recognize the hiring methods most frequently used by the category of employer they are pursuing. Your time and energy are best spent understanding the employment market you are targeting.