Carve out time to take control of your career
Recently I spent time with a candidate who is on the cusp of moving firms. We discussed the journey she has been on as part of her decision to move and her thoughts really resonated with me.
We talked about the importance of taking time out to really think about your career. About how crucial it is to ensure you are not simply reacting to the things happening around you. Equally, how key it is not to be too passive and end up a passenger on your own career journey. Taking hold of your career means carving out time to think about what you really want to achieve.
Life is busy and all too often planning for our careers takes a back seat. Quite frankly, we don’t have time to think about the long term. In reality, for a lot of us, we only think about our careers if something negative happens. Maybe, we don’t get the promotion to partnership we know we really deserve; a lateral comes on board who isn’t quite right. Or we react to an approach from another law firm. Without a plan we end up with a knee jerk reaction.
If we are at a low point we might take up that offer of coffee and a chat with a firm or recruiter. One meeting snowballs into more and more and we end up working on a business plan. Before we know it our career plan has changed. It’s all because of our initial reaction to that first phone call. Sound familiar? Without a plan we can get steered off course.
As we talked, my candidate expressed shock at the number of people who had been so free with their opinions on her career over the years. And she’s not alone in this. Everyone has an opinion and isn’t afraid to share it. Whether it’s a colleague, a friend at another firm, a family member or a recruiter. Even society seems to have expectations on where you should be in your career at a certain time. Everyone has an opinion – there is a lot of ‘input’ to deal with.
It is only when you take the time to really think about what you want your career and life to look like that you can make the right decision. If you actually take the time to think about what is important to you then you can begin to formulate a plan. From that plan you can then decide what is best for you in the short and long term.
We are coming up to, perhaps, the busiest time of the year in our work and personal lives. We are all juggling work, Christmas parties, nativity plays and present buying. Plus, these days, we have Covid to deal with. But, my message to you all, thanks to my lovely candidate and now friend, is to carve out some time for yourself. Take control of your own career. Think about your long term plans. Formulate in your mind where you want your current role and firm to take you. Yes, of course listen to others, but if you have given yourself the time to think about it then YOU are in control.
