Careers
Looking for Alternative Work? Expect a Pay Cut, Experts Say
Posted Apr 1, 2009, 02:13 pm CST
By Martha Neil
More than 100 lawyers thinking about leaving the law packed a meeting of the New York City Bar Association last night.
Panelists offered helpful suggestions about building up alternative skills that could lead to careers outside of law practice. But career-switchers should expect to make significantly less money, at least at first, the panelists said. And, they advised, those looking for alternative work shouldn't give up their day jobs until they find it, reports the Am Law Daily.
Melissa McClenaghan Martin, who is now a career coach, previously worked as an associate at Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson before founding Career Women's Initiative. She remembers feeling sick when she looked at her first post-practice tax return, the law blog recounts.
Because the job market is flooded with applicants right now, both within the legal profession and generally, attorneys should think carefully before making a move to an entirely different career—especially if it involves giving up a lucrative job, she and other consultants advise. Another option is to develop a sideline business or work on alternative skills while retaining one's current position.
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: "Gloomy Times for NY Lawyers and the Recruiters Who Want to Help"
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