Career Coaching

A Most Obvious Truth

You are where you are, right now, on your career path. Planning and navigating a career in the law is not something that is taught in law school and it also, to many, does not come naturally. But do you know where you are and, more importantly, where you want to go and how you will get there?  Many attorneys leave their careers to, well, chance.  Or, perhaps things have changed; what you once held to be true about yourself and your career decisions, has changed and no longer applies.

 

Whatever the degree of intention you have applied to end up exactly where you are,  if you find that you are dissatisfied with the direction of your legal career because:

Something important is missing in your current position:

• You are struggling to gain traction in an extended job search;

• You feel stuck in an undesirable practice area;

• Your current position promises limited opportunities for advancement;

• You are unclear about how to live a purposeful career in the law;

• You are questioning what you want next and how to get there;

• You need support in evaluating the landscape of opportunities in the law; or,

• You are considering exiting the practice of law altogether.

 

Career Coaching helps by:

• Identifying your strengths, passions, and purpose;

• Establishing a career direction and goals that align with your values;

• Creating a plan of action for measured success;

• Increasing your confidence as a person - as a lawyer, and

• Encouraging you along your path by allaying fears, self-doubt and intimidation.

 

What’s Your Story?

To again state the obvious, careers are highly personal and each person has a personal career story. What is your story and why is your story yours? What parts do you like most/least and which parts resonate with your true self?  Do you know what you truly want to happen next? Would you like to explore the possibilities that exist for you to design and create the next chapters in your career? What is it you need to become the faithful author of your story?

 

The Challenge!
 

The key challenge in approaching your career intentionally is to commit yourself to a whole-hearted exploration of your purpose, possibilities, strengths, weaknesses, but most of all passion. You must be willing to explore uncharted territory. As you are making important self-discoveries and decisions, we help you by deeply listening to the story behind the story, respectfully challenging your assumptions, providing honest, disinterested feedback, and in evaluating your options, narrowing your focus, and assisting you in taking new action. Career coaching offers the opportunity to take a wayside rest along your career path to relax, breath deeply, assess where you’ve been, evaluate where you are, and reach deep to find your personal compass and determine where it is you truly want to go. Together we then create a map and a strategy to get there.   

 

The Reward

The reward is simple: creating a satisfying life and career that is purposeful and which aligns with your values and leverages your best self and greatest strengths.

 

A Caveat

While admittedly, the coaching described here smacks of the touchy-feely and may be off-putting to some hardened legal types, living a meaningful and successful life in the law requires an individual to discover what is meaningful and what is success. And that, in turn, requires self-discovery, which is no small task. It takes considerable courage to be open to exploring honestly one's true hopes and dreams, one's fears and concerns - and be truly seen. But anything less is, well, less.  Only in being authentic in your pursuit can you uncover your own purposeful path.

 

Nuts and Bolts:

As you begin your quest for new opportunities, you will need to equip yourself with some practical tools and skills. With over ten years in the recruiting business, I can help you with the following:

 

Personal Mission Statement - Putting your story together in a combined statement of what you offer and what you want.  It is the message you share with the world that makes you standout from other candidates and that makes others (your network) think of you when they encounter opportunities that may be of interest to you.

Interview Preparation - There is no substitution for being well prepared when interviewing for a position you want. I help attorneys put their best self forward, conduct practice interviews, and give them guidance on how to effectively communicate their message and make a strong impression.

 

Resume Writing - Putting yourself in the best light - on paper.  

 
Networking/Relationship Building - Tips and strategies for building, maintaining and using your relationship network to your advantage.