Jobs are important to us. We need to earn money—generally from a job (which for lawyers can include being a partner in a law firm)—to support ourselves and our families. And our professional identity is an important component of our self-esteem--when we don’t have a job that meets our financial, career or personal needs, we feel the loss deeply.
As lawyers, we invest heavily in our education, with most Canadian lawyers having seven years of post-secondary studies and two university degrees under their belts. While we find practicing law stressful, it can be very hard to walk away from the hard work we put in.
I have heard the same story several times (and I believe it is a common story and not just the same story circulating), where a lawyer books counselling sessions with their Employee Assistance Program (EAP) which frequently employs junior and provisionally registered counsellors (roughly equivalent to articling students). When the lawyer outlines the stress, they are experiencing due to systemic issues, the young counsellor suggests that they consider making a career change, and the lawyer doesn’t go back. Sometimes, they then come to Assist where they share this story, and we reassure them that our senior level Registered Psychologists understand that leaving law is not our go-to move when stress arises. Pardon the plug for our services—but the distinction between how most EAPs operate and how Assist’s counselling service works is important.
I recently read an article about career enmeshment (https://hbr.org/2019/12/what-happens-when-your-career-becomes-your-whole-identity) (and what can happen when the person enmeshed in their career realizes that they hate their work and that they invested substantial time and effort in pursuing something that they now view as toxic and meaningless. The author, an American psychologist, shares a case study about—you guessed it—a lawyer who has an existential crisis about his career.
I hadn’t really thought about enmeshment with a career. I was used to hearing about enmeshment with another person (frequently a parent) but less so with a career. But this author illustrates that the combination of a person who values high achievement with competitive work environment and a culture of overwork can cause loss of sense of self. In careers like law, where we spend very long hours on our work, our work becomes increasingly central to our identities.
Professional identity is often a core pillar of self-concept, especially in fields like law, where the work is deeply tied to purpose and social impact. And because self-esteem reflects how we feel about who we are, our sense of competence, contribution, and recognition in our professional role can significantly shape our self-worth.
When we tell people that we are lawyers, they are often impressed with some aspect of our achievement, whether it was getting into law school when it is a competitive entry program, getting through law school, or becoming what appears to be a successful professional. If we are honest with ourselves, we like it when people accord us status based on our membership in a regulated profession, and we like the trappings which a well-paying legal career can bring.
The author shares strategies for reducing your enmeshment with your career:
- Learn to delegate tasks that you do not need to do yourself to free up time. This sounds simpler than it is—many of us have learned to control as many aspects of our practice as possible and we have trouble believing that someone else can do as good a job. But since law can be all-consuming, getting comfortable with delegation can be a lifeline in overcoming, so we can then use the freed-up time for activities that help us find meaning. And almost all experts agree to start small. Start by delegating one tiny task imperfectly today. Try letting your nervous system experience what “good enough” feels like on something small and then keep doing it.
- Also start small when pursuing new (non-law) activities. Because most lawyers are so achievement-oriented and tend to like external validation, we may gravitate to activities like training for a marathon which will impress people, rather than something like meeting a friend for a walk a few times each week, which may be much more meaningful for you. Regardless of any activity chosen, we are much more likely to continue the activity when we adopt it gradually and pursue it consistently.
- Rebuild your network. For many lawyers, our network consists of clients and lawyers. But we also need friends and family, so reconnecting with people and meeting new people who may not be clients or lawyers is important to our well-being.
- Decide what’s important to you, perhaps creating a list which you refresh from time to time.
- Consider how your skills could relate to other careers. This sounds tough—but the reality is that lawyers are good problem solvers, understand risk management, and advocate effectively. This can translate to management roles in a variety of sectors.
In the book “How To Live On 24 Hours Per Day” by Arnold Bennett, we are reminded just how important it is to “reflect, don’t just do.” Set aside time to examine your thoughts, how you’re using your time (your most precious commodity), and whether your actions match your values. Reflection anchors purpose. Bennett says to guard 90 minutes each week for self‑improvement: reading, reflection, learning. This small consistent investment will yield exponential returns.
Bennett also has some other great tips:
- Seize on the mundane moments of life—commutes, waiting rooms, household chores—these can become opportunities to strengthen your mind. Try infusing them with mindfulness. Practice disciplining your mind and focusing solely on the task at hand, no matter how small or mundane. This builds your mental muscle so you can focus on much larger and more important tasks. Consider these times as a mental workout to strengthen your ability to maintain your focus and concentrate your thoughts where you want them, and not wherever they want you.
- Don’t let your workday swallow your life. Your work hours aren’t your whole day. As lawyers we tend to forget that. Your early mornings, evenings, and weekends are fertile ground for your well-being so make a shift in mindset and stop thinking your 24 hours can or should be devoted to your work.
I sometimes talk to lawyers who have come to hate their practice who conclude that they have to leave law. However, I urge them to consider whether a different type of practice might work for them—moving from, say, criminal law to wills and estates, moving from a law firm (including a sole practice) to an in-house role, moving from a for-profit entity to a not-for-profit entity. Some choose to leave law altogether, but others find and embrace a new way of practicing our profession.
Even if we are not enmeshed with our careers, deciding to leave something familiar can be daunting. This is why Assist is involved with career changes. We can match a lawyer with another lawyer who made the type of move they are interested in who can provide personal support and encouragement. Sometimes just knowing that someone else effected the change we want to make is powerful in and of itself! And since leaving the familiar (even if we hate it) for the unknown is stressful, Assist’s professional counsellors provide support as well. You don’t have to make this transition alone.
At Assist, we support law graduates seeking articling positions and we support lawyers who want to make changes in their careers with peer support and professional counselling. But we are not a job-finding program—as a registered charity whose objectives are limited to falling within the charitable purpose of education (about lawyer mental health, substance use and similar issues as well as provision of counselling and peer support), we cannot venture into that field. We urge those seeking articling positions to work with CPLED’s Articling Assist program.
We were thrilled to see the recent launch of the CBA Job Board. When you are a job seeker, you rarely think about the employer’s perspective—you just wish that it was easier to access a single list of opportunities. Although it is easier to apply for positions posted by recruitment agencies rather than approaching individual potential employers, recruitment services are expensive, so not surprisingly many smaller organizations prefer to handle hiring on their own. It appears that there is a niche for the CBA to fill: opportunities from organizations of all sizes at reasonable prices. There are a few reasons for this:
First, the CBA Job Board allows potential employers to post articling positions for free! We hope that this results in a one-stop shop for both students and employers. While no articling positions are currently posted, the Job Board just went live last week—we hope it will be well-populated soon.
Secondly, the fees for lawyer job postings are much lower than those charged by recruitment firms because recruitment firms provide enhanced services like screening resumes, reference checks and initial interviews. The CBA Job Board offers three tiers of pricing (Basic, Enhanced and Premium) ranging from $360 to $560. CBA members, recruiters and not-for-profits receive a 20% discount.
This week, I heard that the unemployment rate in Alberta is 7.8%, with slightly higher rates in Calgary (8.1%) and Edmonton (8.6%) . I tried to drill down further to see if lawyer unemployment rates were stated—but they weren’t. But one trend that is obvious from the three rates quoted above is that there may be more employment opportunities outside of Alberta’s two largest cities. We hear about lawyers in smaller communities who want to bring a lawyer onboard with a view to turning over their practice on retirement, but they cannot find lawyers looking for this type of practice. I hope that these smaller community lawyers will promote their opportunities on the CBA Job Board.
One of the realities faced by many lawyer job seekers (and I am including law grads and internationally trained lawyers) is that they are two-job families. If their spouse has good employment in Calgary or Edmonton, they are unable to pursue job opportunities outside of these two centres. Still, I hope that lawyers perusing the Job Board will consider what smaller communities offer in terms of legal practice. And check out some pros and cons of rural practice:
- Promoting the Practice of Law in Rural, Regional and Remote Communities
- A Road Less Travelled
- Beyond Big City Law
Internationally trained lawyers face significant hurdles while seeking articles. We wish we could do more, but we welcome ITLs to our community in whatever way we can. We are happy to talk with anyone about their job search experience.
This Monday (October 20th), we will be talking about job hunting at Red Mug Coffee Circle. Please join us if you are looking for a new opportunity or if you have strategies to share.
At Red Mug Coffee Circles, everyone is welcome. On a given Monday, we will have newcomers to our profession and senior peer support volunteers who can share their insights and strategies. Newcomers can build their networks because we all know that a professional network can lead to job opportunities as well as the chance to give back once they land. And we have lawyers who have joined us while seeking articles who are now five years out—their stories can be inspirational.
I never know where a Red Mug Coffee Circle conversation will go. As moderator, I take my cues from participants. We may end up talking about something specific, like the importance of a professional (and proofread) resume and cover letter, or we may end up giving support to an articling student who was let go or was in an abusive role. If you have specific issues you want to discuss in the context of job searching, just speak up (or send me a note in the chat.)
When I graduated from law school, thirty-nine short years ago, I envisioned a career path that progressed from articling student to senior partner, finally getting that corner office all within the same firm. Lawyers didn’t move between firms as much, so staying at one firm probably seemed like the ideal way to have a career in law. But now lawyers move between firms, from firms to in-house and back, and into alternative law careers that did not exist at the beginning of their practices. Looking for a new (and better, whatever that means to us) is a normal part of twenty-first century life.
There is no shame in deciding you want something different from what your firm can provide. I tell law students and newcomers to think of job changes like dating. It is true that a few people will find their soulmate job on the first date, but many more will discover that they are not truly compatible with that first job. Learn from your experience about what you really want and get support as you plan to move on.
The link between having a career you enjoy and being on the positive side of the well-being continuum is clear, as is the negative impact being in the wrong job can have. As you think about making a change for any reason, please include Assist in your planning—we can help!
Loraine