By : Larry Wang
The other day I was speaking to a bright professional I have always admired who is practicing as a successful attorney. She is well regarded in her field, making excellent money, and held in high esteem by her peers and colleagues. There was one thing very odd, however, as she described her situation to me. She intensely disliked what she was doing. She was very unhappy. Even worse, she felt trapped that she had no other career alternatives she could come up with that would provide a suitable escape.
My purpose for sharing the above story is not to criticize the legal profession. Actually, I find myself often having similar conversations with consultants and bankers as well. In all seriousness, deep-seated dissatisfaction within a job or career track can happen easily within any profession. I use these three careers as examples, however, because it surprises me as to how many professionals I talk to in these fields who appear to have pursued these careers based on the status that they would provide, or the salaries they would offer. The image and sound of the title and industry alone seem to have had a major impact on the career decision process. Far less considered were fundamental factors, such as whether they felt they were well suited for a position, or whether they would be happy doing a particular type of work.
Lofty title, attractive salaries, and high profile position are nice to have, but are they enough to keep you content with your job? Rather than get influenced by the "herd mentality" of peers, a career choice should be evaluated from the inside out, rather than the outside in. Inside out factors are the ones that bring personal satisfaction regardless of outside influences. How does the work you do make you feel? Is the work you do something you enjoy? Something you can be proud of? Something that makes you feel worthwhile? Important questions to answer when you consider that this is the job you'll be doing day in and day out for roughly two hundred and fifty days a year.
If you do find yourself in a profession you truly dislike, you need to be realistic about your options. One candidate I met recently was working for a major investment bank as a corporate finance associate. After several years, he realized he disliked the type of job and/or lifestyle his current career track was offering. He felt however, that he was unable to switch to another profession. For one, his primary work experience was mostly strategic in nature, done from a distance, rather than hands on. He had never participated in or managed at an operational level, with bottom line responsibilities. While he was good at the big picture, he lacked "real world" work experience.
Compounding his problem was that switching into another area would require a significant reduction in his salary and prestige. The legal, consulting, and banking professions are among the highest paying, and typically, their salaries out-top the highest industry salaries. There is a trade-off to be made for those wanting to leave high profile/high paying careers. Sometimes you have to start over and make some sacrifices if you want to enjoy greater satisfaction within your job. Even better, however, is being more honest and selective about what career you choose to begin with. Being able to determine whether you'll be happy within a particular career requires a good understanding of the primary work that is done within that position. It also requires an honesty, and what is ultimately important to oneself. By doing so, you can avoid feeling trapped later on with nowhere to go.
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The other day I was speaking to a bright professional I have always admired who is practicing as a successful attorney. She is well regarded in her field, making excellent money, and held in high esteem by her peers and colleagues. There was one thing very odd, however, as she described her situation to me. She intensely disliked what she was doing. She was very unhappy. Even worse, she felt trapped that she had no other career alternatives she could come up with that would provide a suitable escape.
My purpose for sharing the above story is not to criticize the legal profession. Actually, I find myself often having similar conversations with consultants and bankers as well. In all seriousness, deep-seated dissatisfaction within a job or career track can happen easily within any profession. I use these three careers as examples, however, because it surprises me as to how many professionals I talk to in these fields who appear to have pursued these careers based on the status that they would provide, or the salaries they would offer. The image and sound of the title and industry alone seem to have had a major impact on the career decision process. Far less considered were fundamental factors, such as whether they felt they were well suited for a position, or whether they would be happy doing a particular type of work.
Lofty title, attractive salaries, and high profile position are nice to have, but are they enough to keep you content with your job? Rather than get influenced by the "herd mentality" of peers, a career choice should be evaluated from the inside out, rather than the outside in. Inside out factors are the ones that bring personal satisfaction regardless of outside influences. How does the work you do make you feel? Is the work you do something you enjoy? Something you can be proud of? Something that makes you feel worthwhile? Important questions to answer when you consider that this is the job you'll be doing day in and day out for roughly two hundred and fifty days a year.
If you do find yourself in a profession you truly dislike, you need to be realistic about your options. One candidate I met recently was working for a major investment bank as a corporate finance associate. After several years, he realized he disliked the type of job and/or lifestyle his current career track was offering. He felt however, that he was unable to switch to another profession. For one, his primary work experience was mostly strategic in nature, done from a distance, rather than hands on. He had never participated in or managed at an operational level, with bottom line responsibilities. While he was good at the big picture, he lacked "real world" work experience.
Compounding his problem was that switching into another area would require a significant reduction in his salary and prestige. The legal, consulting, and banking professions are among the highest paying, and typically, their salaries out-top the highest industry salaries. There is a trade-off to be made for those wanting to leave high profile/high paying careers. Sometimes you have to start over and make some sacrifices if you want to enjoy greater satisfaction within your job. Even better, however, is being more honest and selective about what career you choose to begin with. Being able to determine whether you'll be happy within a particular career requires a good understanding of the primary work that is done within that position. It also requires an honesty, and what is ultimately important to oneself. By doing so, you can avoid feeling trapped later on with nowhere to go.
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