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Finding Your Path: A Business Coach Weighs In

August 11, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Crystal MarshPlease welcome Crystal Marsh, former attorney and career business coach. She is the owner of Crystal Marsh Coaching — a where she helps millennials define success and fulfillment for themselves and then land their dreams jobs or start their new businesses. Today she is sharing answering questions and sharing her insight on law school, the first years and finding your path.

Welcome, Crystal!

I’m getting ready to start law school, and I’m not at all sure I should go. I think I’d be good at law, but I’m not sure it’s my passion. Is this a terrible idea? What should I be thinking about as I make this decision?

I love this question! Before going to law school, you should get really clear on what your reasons for going are.  Do you truly want to be a lawyer or is there someone else who expects you to go to law school? Is someone going to be disappointed if you don’t go? Are you going to be told you’re not living up to your potential if you don’t go to law school? People who think they want to go to law school should talk to some lawyers.  Find a lawyer who has the career that you would want including the types of cases he works on, the types of people she works with, the number of hours worked per week, and the salary.  Find one person who has all of those things and talk to them, find out what they did, and see how you can follow the path they’ve already tread.  If you cannot find a lawyer who has a career that you would want for yourself, its possible law won’t give you the career you want.
I’m a young-ish lawyer and I really hate my job. I liked law school okay, and did pretty well, but I hate going to work every day. Help! What are the three most important things I can do now, to figure out what to do with my career?
Network.  As soon as you get an inkling that your job is not going to be a long term role you should begin networking like crazy.  Actually, it would be better if you start networking even before you realize that.  Most jobs these days are not posted anywhere, you’re going to have a leg up in the job search if you’re well connected. Networking will also be useful in helping you determine what kind of work you might enjoy.  The more you can talk to people about their work, legal or otherwise, and find out what their day entails, the easier its going to be for you to evaluate your options and find something better suited for you.
Hone the legal skills you most enjoy. If you get really good at a few things that you enjoy doing, you’re going to have greater leverage when you try to transition.
Get clear on what you like and don’t like.  Even if you don’t like your job, there are probably aspects of it that you do enjoy.  Don’t disregard those.  Take inventory and begin researching other positions that require more time doing the things you like.
Could you talk a bit about what you do in the average day at work and how it’s similar to (or different from) what you thought you’d be doing when you started law school?
I work as a career coach so my life is nothing like what I imagined when I was in law school! I spend my days coaching private clients, writing articles, and reading personal development and career books.  The reading and writing I expected, but the content is different.  The coaching is totally different than what I expected although it does have similarities to counseling legal clients.

 

Thanks, Crystal!

Crystal is a career and business coach, who helps millennials define success and fulfillment for themselves and then land their dreams jobs or start their new businesses. Crystal was working as an attorney, earning six figures and, for all  intents and purposes, seemed incredibly successful, but lacked fulfillment. Crystal had to discover for herself how to define success and fulfillment in order to  find work that she loves.  Her life’s work is helping others do the same. You can learn more at www.CrystalMarshCoaching.com or connect with her on Twitter or Linkedin.

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