- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
Working Moms
Not sure where to go with my career
I am an attorney, but have never "practiced." I've been in house since the day I graduaded, have a very small niche of expertise and was laid off on Thursday. I have two young kids. I don't want to SAH, nor can I afford to. But, I would love to be with them more. I feel like in order for my job to advance I need to 1) move so that I can get another in house job (not easy to do in this real estate mkt), 2) go work a big law job for a couple years or 3) put my "career" on hold for a few years and pick up odd consulting jobs from home enough to cover bills, but less than what I needed to make before since my daycare bill has dropped dramatically. But, I'm afraid if I do that, I'll never be able to build a career out of that when my kids are in school. I'm not sure if I could start up my own law practice, I don't really have the skills for it and there are costs associated with it that would probably defeat the purpose of me going out on my own.
Maybe I just need more time to think things through? Or maybe after I've had more time to look for a job I will just take whatever I can get? Who knows. I just hate this uncertainty!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Not sure where to go with my career
That is tough! I don't think you need to make your mind up now though. Why don't you start looking for each type of job your interested and see what comes up? You might be surprised at what you find and what you get offered. And you don't need to make your mind up until you have an offer on the table. I would definitely start networking for those odd consulting jobs in the meantine, since that doesn't require any commitment on your part.
Good luck in your search!
You know, I've seen postings for attorneys on HireMyMom.com. You have to pay to register (I think quarterly) but you could find a flexible arrangement that way.
You might do some consulting until you figure things out. That way you are still bringing in money but are also home more.
Good luck!
My twins are 5! My baby is 3!
DS#2 - Allergic to Cashew, Pistachio, Kiwi
DS#3 - Allergic to Milk, Egg, Peanut, Tree Nuts and Sesame
Sorry to hear about the lay-off. It sounds like you need to do a couple of things. First, find out what kind of jobs are out there in an actual sense as opposed to theoretical. I'd look at firms for postings, talk to your career services at your law school, talk to friends/colleagues about what they do and what openings they know about. The availability of any of your options might help you decide which direction you want to head.
And second, decide how much you want to advance your career right now. Is it worth moving? Working long hours for a couple of years? I realized a few years ago that I'm not as driven as I once was (or at least thought I was), and that affects the choices I make.
Don't forget about government jobs (state and federal). The pay is not always great, but the benefits and hours are usually pretty good. Also, are there any clerkships open near where you are? Sometimes those have pretty good hours and you would arguably be advancing your career.
What kind of career do you want? What did you dream of doing when you were in law school? Do you still want that?
I think I'd just start looking for any type of job you might like. See what's out there before you make a decision. Good luck with your search!
Charlotte Ella 07.16.10
Emmeline Grace 03.27.13
Sorry to hear about the layoff. If you can swing it financially, I think you should take some time to think things through. Options 1 and 2 are big commitments and will be disruptive to your family life.
How long have you been out of school and working? If you are a recent grad, it might be hard to jump back into work after being out of the game for a few years. If you have a number of years under your belt, you could take a hiatus from work without much damage to your career (assuming you kept up with new developments in your field and your networking while you're not working).
Personally, I'd go with Option 3. I've been practicing for 10 years and I would take the opportunity to explore a second career.
I have been out of school and "practicing" in my area for over 9 years now. I have a nice severance coming, so I have some time to think things over. Due to the timing of this, I'm not expecting anything to happen until after the 1st of the year anyway. But, if we can make it, I'm not taking my severance until after the 1st of the year either b/c of taxes.
I'm not really sure if it's "safe" for me to go back into financial services right now, that industry is scarily unstable right now! I think that if I could make 2/3's of what I did before and not put my kids in daycare, we might be ok. I'm going to go talk to some of my friends this week that have their own firms and see what they think about it. Not sure if the cost of malpractice insurance would make things too expensive, though. Lots to think about, fortunately I think I have a little time.
It sounds like you are in a good position despite the crappy situation. Take break from the working world, enjoy your kids and the holidays. Clear your head and start fresh in the new year.
Best of luck to you.