by Lisa Taylor
My client is up for partnership at a Toronto-based law firm. She will be very proud of being made Partner, she’s just not sure it is what she wants anymore. She went to law school intent to pursue certain ideals and provide a very valuable service. However, the actual day to day work of a private practice lawyer does not match her original expectations of the profession or the work.
According to her, the problem is that, while she doesn’t love what she’s doing now, she can’t imagine being anything other than a lawyer. Confused by conflicting advice she receives from friends and family, she has become ambivalent. She could make a change. Or she could stay. She’s willing to put up with anything as long as she doesn’t have to make “the big decision” today.
Why do we feel that, when it comes to our careers, we need to make radical, risky, big decisions in order to move forward? My client feels that the decision to change careers needs to be made in one step – she’ll decide and immediately need to know where to move, what her resume should look like, how to interview and what to tell her shocked network.
I know a better way to take small steps towards the career change this client seeks.
In North America, what we do (our job) is central to our identity. “I’m a lawyer or I’m a teacher” is an easy shorthand introduction we use to understand how people we meet fit into our social groupings. Our jobs are so closely tied to our identities that changing careers affects us to our core. It shakes our self image, and feels uncomfortable and risky. If I am no longer able to say I am a lawyer or a teacher, who am I? Understanding the tie between our identity, and our career choices is the first step to finding a more meaningful career.
On Tuesday, October 18, I am attending the Small Business Forum in Toronto with a dozen clients who all currently work for corporations but are considering launching new businesses. The event provides an ideal opportunity for them to test-drive a new identity, to see how it feels, and observe how others react. They will introduce themselves all day as entrepreneurs about to start new companies. It is a meaningful first step for each of them on their marathon to launch their own businesses in a completely risk-free environment. At the end of the day they’ll be able to reflect on what they learned not only from the educational sessions on the agenda, but also how it felt to be an entrepreneur in public for the first time.
Anyone contemplating career change can seek these types of opportunities to test-drive an upcoming move. I’d love to hear from those up for the challenge, and look forward to receiving comments and feedback.
Afterall, it’s your career. What are you waiting for?
Image courtesy Microsoft Office.
Comments
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I couldn't agree more with the statement, "In North America, what we do (our job) is central to our identity". It's the second time I've found myself without an "identity".
The first time was following graduation from university. I spent the summer looking for work and became quite discouraged. I remember my mom saying to me, "You're looking for a job and that can be difficult, but you must remember, there is more to who you are than what you do for a living." At the time, I remember thinking, "Yeah, like what?"
This past fall, seven years later, I found myself in the same situation. I had chosen to leave my job in June. I didn't love what I did and I wanted to be someone who did. I wanted to do something I was passionate about!
I had always been interested in the environment so I set up an internship where I spent the summer working in Ghana at the Water Resources Commission. I loved it! I began to update my resume but when I tried to update my Linked In profile, I was at a loss, what was my Professional "Headline"? Who was I?
It is months later and I still haven't been able to find the right identity or maybe, more accurately, I haven't been able to completely let go of the old identity. Change can be hard.
Great article.
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