Had a Setback? Figure Out Why, Then Regroup, Recruiter Says
Lawyers who suffer a setback need to figure out their mistakes before regrouping, according to a legal recruiter.
If you can, talk to the decision-maker who dealt you the setback, advises Frank D’Amore, founder of Attorney Career Catalysts, in an article for the Legal Intelligencer. Just as trial lawyers interview jurors after an adverse verdict, you should try to learn what motivated the decision. Also, if your loss is related to a document, such as a client pitch or a bid for a promotion, take another look at it.
Figure out what you could have done differently and change your behavior, he says. Sometimes you will discover there is nothing more you could have done, and sometimes the “big lesson” is that you need to change your career path to better suit your skills and desires.
“Adversity often produces a wealth of lessons, which, if learned, can turn a short-term setback into a long-term prescription for success,” D’Amore says. “The only way to benefit from that phenomenon is to critically examine why you didn’t win this time.”
