Alternative Careers For Lawyers: Preliminary Checklist

Preliminary Checklist - Alternative Careers for Lawyers Preliminary Checklist - Alternative Careers for Lawyers

Alternative Careers for Lawyers

Preliminary Checklist

This preliminary checklist of questions will help you revitalize your career.

Your career revitalization may cause you to pursue an alternative career for a lawyer.

Or, the answers on this preliminary checklist might lead you to conclude that your current career path is the best one for you.  Even if you must transition into a new practice area, go to a different firm, go in-house, or become a lawyer for the government.

If you would like to discuss any issues raised by the questions in this preliminary checklist, please send me an e-mail or schedule a call for us to talk.

Your Health

  • How is your physical and emotional health?
  • How are you managing stress?
  • Is your job (or lack thereof) causing health problems?

Your Why

  • Why did you become a lawyer?
  • What is your why now?
  • Why do you get up in the morning and go to work?
  • Why do you have your current job and career path?

 Your Family, Close Friends & Colleagues

  • What are their views on your job and possible career paths?
  • Can you count on them to support you emotionally in a transition to an alternative career? 

Your Finances

  • Can you sustain your lifestyle on your present income?
  • What income must you have to support your lifestyle?
  • What income must you have to support your desired future lifestyle?

Your Strengths, Knowledge & Skills

  • What are your strengths?
  • What knowledge do you have? List areas where you are knowledgeable.
  • In what areas do you have the most knowledge relating to your career?
  • What industries or type clients do you know well?
  • What specific knowledge did you gain during your formal education?
  • What knowledge did you acquire outside your formal education or career related to your interests, hobbies, or life?
  • What skills do you have? Categorize your skills.
  • In what areas do you have the most skill relating to your career?
  • What skills do you have that are related to your interests, hobbies, or life?
  • What are the strongest areas of your personality?

Your Professional Interests

  • What interests you about the jobs you’ve had?
  • What did you like to do in your jobs?
  • What were you doing when you had those periods when you were “in the flow” and lost track of time?
  • What subjects interested you in school?

Your Hobbies & Other Interests

  • What are your hobbies and interests outside of work?
  • What were your hobbies and interests when you were younger?
  • Do the hobbies or interests suggest a purpose, passion, or interest you have forgotten?

Your General Career & Life Vision

  • What is your vision of your future?
  • What is your vision of a perfect job and an ideal career?
  • Imagine your best job and life at three points; say 3 years, 10 years and 25 years from today. Now is the time to be open, creative and non-judgmental. Let the ideas and images flow without censoring whether you think they are realistic.  What do you see?  Be specific.
  • What are you doing in your job and life?
  • Why are you doing what you envision?
  • Who are the people you are closest to in your family, local community, professional community, and life?
  • How do you measure success?

Your Specific Vision

  • What are you doing on a typical day?
  • Where are you (home, office, traveling) during the day?
  • Who is your employer and/or your clients?
  • Who are your colleagues?
  • What do you wear?
  • What are your employer’s/client’s problems?
  • What skills do you use to help solve your employer’s/client’s problems?
  • What services do you offer to your employer/clients?
  • How much money do you make?
  • How are you compensated (salary, equity, commission, contract)?
  • What does your family look like?
  • Who are your friends?
  • What do you do in the evenings?
  • What do you do on the weekends?
  • Where do you live?
  • What are your hobbies?
  • What recreational activities do you participate in?
  • What are your other interests?
  • How are your physical condition, nutrition, and sleep?
  • What is most important to you?

Bonus: PDF of Alternative Careers for Lawyers – Preliminary Decision Checklist

Click here to get it