Deborah Brown, MBA/MSW

Helping lawyers redirect their careers to provide professional and personal satisfaction, gain focus and direction within law, and to improve job performance or transition from law. Ms. Brown provides online assessments, and other assessment and career-planning tools. She also offers in-person or telephone appointments. She has an MBA in Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior, and an MSW from the University of Illinois. She is a member of the Georgia Career Development Association, Georgia Psychological Association, National Association of Social Workers, International Association of Coaches. She is a former clinical social worker and stock broker. Go to www.DandBconsulting.com.

Career Change: Living With Uncertainty and Expecting Something Wonderful
By Deborah Brown

Prospective clients often ask me, “How long does the career counseling/coaching process take?”

Part of my answer goes to the sort of change you want to make: do you want to make a minor transition or a major career change; do you want to create a career development plan or improve your job performance. There are many factors to career change. Bottom line, though: the traditional rule of thumb for finding a job is that it takes one month for every $10,000 you want to earn.

There are fewer jobs now than there were in the boom of the 90’s. Fewer jobs equates to more competition for jobs. And the job search process may take longer as well depending on the kind of job you want, your salary requirements and your skills. This makes it even more important that you follow some Rules of Action:

– Be clear about what you want.
– Have a vision and set some goals with dates of achievement.
– Be realistic and flexible, and make adjustments when needed.

You have to know what you want before you can develop a plan to get there – The self-assessment process is crucial. Know what you need to be successful. Not just the kind of job you want and how much money you want to make. It’s about lifestyle, too; the job has to fit the life you want.

Focus all of your efforts in the direction of those goals – Author Anthony Robbins calls it “taking massive action.” When it comes to career change, massive action is exactly what it takes. The process is a parttime job in itself, and should be treated accordingly.

Be persistent – The clients who achieve their dreams are those who know what they want and who persist despite discouragement. Persistent people make the phone calls even if people do not call them back. They don’t give up. They keep a clear vision of what they want and continue with the process even if things go slowly.

I have often remarked to my clients, “What is the alternative (to not taking action)?” If the pain of not taking action is strong enough, chances are you will continue to move forward. But you also have to see pleasure in what is ahead of you. The life you envision is better than what you have now!

I can’t emphasize enough the role of keeping a positive mental attitude. This doesn’t mean always having a smile on your face; it doesn’t mean not having a bad day. A positive mental attitude means that despite discouragement, you persist and expect a positive outcome. It means living with the uncertainty and expecting something wonderful, even if you are not sure what that is.