by Jamie Barnes
Is your job 80 percent drudgery? Is the enjoyable 20 percent of your position enough to keep you happy? We're going to assume that because you're reading this, you want to continue pursuing your legal career. We'll also assume that you're not satisfied with your current position because it simply isn't providing you with a number of important opportunities. Are you being denied access to a partnership track or the opportunity to improve your skills? Are the most interesting assignments always being given to others? Does it just feel like something critical is missing?
Perhaps you have personal reasons for wanting to change your position. Maybe you're more productive and happier when working in a smaller, more intimate environment. You may even be someone who actually prefers a faster, more dynamic workplace. Some attorneys just want to return to a favorite city or relocate to a bigger or smaller one. An upcoming marriage to someone living in another city or family ties to a different part of the country also motivate many people to move.
Our experience has taught us that what matters most is whether you believe your reasons for finding a new position are valid. It generally isn't important what others have to say, as long as you have carefully thought about all of the most important issues involved. If you're a BCG candidate who believes it's time to seek out a new position in your same city or elsewhere in the country, our recruiters will do everything they can to meet your needs.
It's a cardinal rule in life, though often broken, that a person should never make a change just to avoid or escape something. Why is this true? When you fail to do a bit of careful self-analysis, you're likely to make the same mistakes all over again. You'll just end up taking your unhappiness with you. So what is a good reason for making a change? It's time to move when you are certain that doing so will provide you with greater professional and personal satisfaction in your life.
No professional recruiter should ever work with a candidate until it's clear that the individual has taken the time to realistically determine whether better opportunities can be found elsewhere. On a daily basis, we refuse to work with numerous candidates because their stated reasons for moving simply don't make sense. Once we can tell that you are truly acting in your own best interests, we will do all we can to provide you with a long-lasting placement.
BCG Attorney Search's Job-Analysis Tool has been designed by a professional career counselor to help you develop "insights" into your current career status. Once you've totaled your scores, you should achieve some sort of generalized understanding of whether or not changing jobs will be in your best interests. Before deciding to work with BCG or another professional recruiting firm, please be sure to use our Job-Analysis Tool.
Please rank each of the following from 1 to 10 (1=strongly agree; 5=neutral; 10=disagree).
Question | Rank |
I believe my organization will be successful over the long term. | |
I believe I will be successful in my organization over the long term. | |
I am happy with the reasons I took my current position. | |
I am willing to do whatever is necessary to be successful in my organization over the long term. | |
The demands my organization currently places on me are fair and realistic. | |
I would like a faster-paced environment. | |
I would to work in a slower-paced environment. | |
I am appreciated in my current organization. | |
I perform well in the type of culture I am currently in. | |
My organization offers me a realistic possibility for advancement. | |
My firm's environment is conducive to high-caliber work. | |
My boss (or supervising attorney) regularly communicates with me and tells me how well I am handling my job. | |
My boss (or supervising attorney) analyzes my performance in a fair manner. | |
My salary is competitive with others of my year. | |
Becoming a partner is important to me. | |
The city I'm living in now is the right size for me. | |
I would rather be working in some other part of the country. | |
Where I live is unimportant to me. | |
Salary is very important to me. | |
Location is very important to me. | |
My specialty is very important to me. | |
I have seriously thought about it and would like to switch specialties. | |
My short-term objectives are being satisfied in my current position. | |
My long-term objectives will be satisfied in my current position. | |
Another position would make me happier. | |
Another position would better satisfy my long-term objectives. | |
Another position would better satisfy my short-term objectives. | |
The promises and representations that were made to me when I took my current position were accurate. | |
My current organization has taken steps to address all or most of my concerns. | |
The organization has not taken any steps to address my concerns. | |
I like the people I'm working with. | |
I do not like the people I am working with. | |
In past positions, I have liked the people I worked with. | |
In past positions, I haven't like the people I worked with. | |
I need more mentoring. | |
I need more responsibility. | |
My current firm allows me to enjoy life outside of work. | |
Enjoying life outside of work is important to me. | |
There are things about myself I could easily change that would make me happier in my existing organization. |
Location: Massachusetts - Boston
Location: Florida - Tampa
Location: North Carolina - Charlotte
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