In her last post, Elaine talked about how she networked her way into her new job. Today, she discusses a critical question for anyone considering a career move: How do you know when it’s time to leave?
How Do You Know When It’s Time to Go?
People often ask when I knew I was ready to leave. I know that it’s easier to say than to do; there are many reasons we find it difficult to leave the firm — substantial school debts, supporting a family, the fear of “falling behind,” not having a job during a recession or not being as marketable as a lawyer if you didn’t have something lined up already, the belief that you had already invested so much in a legal education and therefore couldn’t possibly throw it down the drain, the desire to maintain a high-income lifestyle, etc. etc.
Rarely is anybody ever 100% emotionally ready to leave. And rarely do you ever know if you made the right choice until you’ve had the benefit of hindsight.
Unfortunately, not all of us have a DeLorean with a flux capacitor that can make the decision easier for us.
It took me a few years to realize that I didn’t have the personality to be a good litigator or trial lawyer. Even if I put in the long hours and made sacrifices, my best would simply be average or sub-average.
I don’t think my path is right for everyone; it was just right for me.
I also recognize that I had a number of lucky circumstances that aren’t always available to everyone. For example:
- I don’t have law school debt.
- I don’t have children or other family members to support.
- I could afford to be out of work for a period of time.
- I live in the Bay Area, a hot bed of start-up activity.
- I have a family member who happened to work in the venture capital/start-up industry.
- That family member happened to sit next to one of the investors in my current company at some random business luncheon.
- I went to two fancypants schools that helped get my résumé noticed.
- I was able to get a taste of working at a start-up through my friend.
- I never worked for the partner or boss from hell who would have forced me to leave the “reference” section of a job application awkwardly blank.
- And I can barely tell the difference between Chanel and Jansport and therefore don’t spend that much on shopping — a blessing to my bank account.
I don’t mean to say things will always end well if you leave a miserable job.
I just think that you shouldn’t give up trying . . . especially if the choice is between staying in a situation that you are certain brings you unhappiness versus taking a (calculated) risk with uncertainty.
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Word. I couldn’t agree more!
Read On:
Did you miss any of Elaine’s series on leaving litigation (and leaving BigLaw)? Catch up now!
(Or sign up for our weekly newsletter and get stuff like this sent right to you!)
- Leaving Litigation: A First-Hand Account
- Leaving Litigation: Preparing to Leave
- Leaving Litigation: What Happens When You Quit?
- Leaving Litigation: What Comes Next?
Have questions? Leave them in the comments!
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What a touching, inspiring, and well-written article!!! Not to mention hilarious! Elaine, thank you so much for sharing your fascinating and educational story with so much heart, empathy, and practical advice. If the start-up gig ever gets boring, you should become a writer! 🙂 Alison, thanks for featuring this extremely helpful and interesting guest blogger!
I worked in BigLaw for 5 and a half months. I knew my time had come that I must leave BigLaw, when I left the restroom, with a large shitstain on the back of my neatly pressed, gray pin-striped suit pants.
BigLaw was not for me.