St. Louis Business Journal
Professionals often struggle to find their niche

By Anna Navarro

July 2002 - Many people enter a profession thinking it will exempt them from the struggle of finding the right niche in the world of work. But the reality is that many professionals flee their fields despite a heavy financial investment and the rigors of education. And even more end up making dramatic shifts within their professions. The disenchanted include doctors, lawyers, teachers, social workers and others. They range from recent graduates to those who have been working for years.

Some professionals entered their fields because they were attracted by its status or power. For others it was a default decision because they were unable to decide what they really wanted to do. A few were pushed into a profession by well-meaning parents. Some were motivated by an idealistic belief that their field would allow them to champion the cause of justice or make real change in the world while simultaneously earning a high income.

Take the profession of law for example. For some attorneys, finding the right niche happens naturally and easily. But for others it means changing jobs within the law or leaving altogether.

As is the case with other professions, many entered the legal profession without really understanding what the practice of law would be like.

Then they became lawyers and discovered that there is a trade off between earning a high income and working for idealistic causes; that the hours are long and the pressure is intense; that the tasks can involve rote paperwork and that there can be back stabbing among associates to attain partner status. That's when disillusionment begins to set in. More experienced lawyers are often frustrated by the relentless pressure to improve the bottom line that can sometimes conflict with serving clients. Others are finally burned out on long hours and the time sheets that require them to account for their work in six-minute increments. A few are simply bored and need a change after years of doing the same thing.

These struggles are not reserved for lawyers. Other professionals have similar concerns about finding their niche and achieving fulfillment, though the specific issues that gnaw at them will vary with the field.

Here's how two lawyers made changes that made a difference in their enjoyment of work. A senior partner in a major law firm knew she was ready for some kind of change. She had been practicing for 20 years and her clients loved her. But she was very tired of the internal wrangling between partners over compensation and related issues. She also was weary of working 12-hour days and half a day on Saturday.

She disliked the practice of law itself, as well as overseeing the younger attorneys. What she did like though, was attracting and developing clients. Our analysis showed she needed a position where bringing in the business was the major task, and where she was not responsible for day-to-day client service.

She explored a number of different areas and in the end decided to switch from law to selling life insurance programs to major employers. One of the stumbling blocks for her was an unease in making the change from being an attorney to being in sales. But, after thoughtful consideration, she decided she could live with that, as long as she got to do what she most enjoyed - developing new business.

In another instance, a young law associate I worked with was having a great deal of trouble with the legal work he was assigned. He entered the law because he wanted to serve people. Instead he was spending months doing research on huge cases that would take years to come to trial. He had a young family who he rarely saw because he worked such long hours.

An in-depth analysis of what he wanted in his work and his life revealed he wanted a slower pace, a simpler lifestyle and a healthy place in which to raise his family. He left the pressures of a big downtown firm to become a "country lawyer" in a small town. He now enjoys a varied practice, a greater sense of service, and more family time.

The important thing to realize is that while getting a professional degree opens doors, it still can take a little strategizing to end up in the right place.

Anna Navarro is the founder of Work Transitions, a nationwide career consulting firm that trains independent career strategists and consults with individual clients.

This column was originally published by the St. Louis Business Journal. The actual title of the column and date in which it appeared in the Business Journal may be slightly different from what appears on WorkTransitions.com.