Anonymous JD
1. Why did you go to law school?
| Wasn't sure what I wanted to do with my career after college, didn't feel ready to go into the "real world", thought I was interested in a legal career after taking a law survey class, thought I'd like law school because I liked reading and writing and my undergrad degree was in a technical field so I was looking for a change. |
2. When did you first think about leaving the practice of law or decide to quit law school?
| About halfway through my first year of law school was the first time. Decided I had too many loans to quit and needed to see it through. Have been thinking about leaving the profession ever since. Have now been practicing 8.5 years and finally making solid plans to exit. |
3. What thought, experience or event first inspired your current career choice?
| I am planning to exit to pursue a culinary career. I grew up cooking and baking with my mom, then did a lot of cooking/baking/bartending/entertaining in college and really enjoyed it. I first thought about going to culinary school when I was a few months into my first lawyering job, but the timing wasn't right. During my 6th year of practice, after I switched to a different law job, I finally did go to culinary school, at night while working full-time during the day. I loved being in the kitchen. I feel like my passion for it keeps growing. |
4. What was the very first action you took when you decided to switch careers?
| Went to culinary school. Then paid off my undergrad/law school/culinary school loans and started saving money while I fleshed out business ideas. |
5. What resources (people, books, money) assisted you most during your transition?
| People: My husband who is very supportive of my finding and cultivating my passion in life;, certain members of my family who know I'm unhappy being a lawyer and know I have other talents; my cooking and nutrition professors in culinary school; my law school friends and best girlfriends who appreciate my passion for food and being a whole person; and my career coach. Books: Escape from Corporate America by Pamela Skillings, One Person/Multiple Careers by Marci Alboher, The Alchemist. Money: Used the money from my law firm job to pay off my school loans and to build up a "support" fund. |
6. How did you handle fear and/or uncertainty during your transition?
| Talked to supportive family and friends; talked with a career counselor; read books that triggered reminders of why I want to do this. |
7. What skills from law school or your legal career have proven most useful in your new career?
| Client relations; analytical writing and precise document formatting; socializing in law school; travel during legal career. |
8. What advice would you give to someone trying to make the leap from law into your field?
| Get some training; talk to people who do what you do; explore your passions and ask yourself whether you like something enough to think about it a lot and work really hard at it. Don't be afraid to try - you can always go back to the law if you miss it or if you want the paycheck back. |
9. Any final words of wisdom? How has living your passion impacted your life?
Thinking about making the switch and doing the work to put the process in motion has been really thrilling and I am very excited to make the break and do something that I feel like I am meant to do.
