Science Proves Boomers Deliver Strong Thinking in Tough Jobs

If you follow the news about the job market, you’ve read that the market stinks for Boomers, those 61 and older. Bullsh*t.

There are plenty of good jobs out there for professionals in their 60s and 70s. The market is a bit complex, but winnable if you stress the right skills and contributory value.

Being a Boomer doesn’t mean you are a decrepit old geezer. All Boomers do not go around in walkers. In the summer, I play a senior softball league for men age 55+. The league is competitive. The players can still make the peg from deep short to 1^st in the air and still hit home runs over the fence.

A 60-something player recently landed a Big Data analytics job in a med tech company. He is working with very complex analytics software, and was far from an expert in the program when he was hired. There were plenty of people more qualified than he, but he’s a very smart guy. The med tech company’s boss realized he could bring a great deal of value and perspective beyond just knowing the software. 

“Smart” is what counts. According to The Week magazine, university researchers in Australia analyzed decades of data to chart how intellect, judgment and personality evolve over a lifetime. They concluded that overall cognitive functioning reaches its high point between ages 55 and 60. The study found that middle-aged minds tend to be wiser, steadier and more capable overall than younger minds. “While some people may find this obvious,” says lead author Gilles Gignac, “it had never been quantified and established scientifically.”    

I specialize in mid-life (and older) career change for attorneys and professionals. They are able to make career and/or industry changes because of their overall capabilities, not their specific specialties. I have a 60-year-old current client whose entire career has been spent in healthcare middle-management roles. She is very close to landing a new position as the Chief Operating Officer for a company in an entirely different industry, one far removed from healthcare, with a $30,000 salary increase.

I would rather write about the experiences of others than about my own, but I am representative of what older professionals can do, so here’s another story. Since Career Strategies has been good to me, a few years ago I decided to cut back on my practice so I could enjoy the fruits of my labors. I have done that. I now take on a few clients each month, but had thought I’d spend a few days each week doing fun, part-time, $15 per hour jobs at a nearby resort renting out kayaks in summer and skis in the winter.

Instead, I ended up being hired as the part-time Executive Director of a  moribund County Bar Association. I’d never worked for a professional association or a non-profit, but I had the transferable business skills to do it. It was, I must admit, odd working for lawyers when until then, lawyers worked for me! Revitalizing that organization was a big challenge involving everything from technology to grant writing to event planning to helping callers in legal distress, all things in which I had very little to no experience.

I accomplished what I needed to accomplish there and was getting ready to start renting out kayaks at the beach. But that was not to be. I was hired to be the paid, part-time Executive Director of a regional consumer affairs agency for the state Attorney General. Once again I have lawyers working for me – the natural order of things! – but it is mostly a volunteer workforce, which has presented a new type of managerial challenge. It’s been great and I intend to stick with it for many more years.

As it turns out, as a senior citizen (albeit is a fairly young one) I have been hired for top-level positions in two organizations, both in areas in which I had no prior experience.

But that’s not the end of it!

I made new contacts in these positions, and was invited to sit on three different Boards of Directors, two of which involve some heavy responsibilities. Between the three Boards, the work for the Attorney General, and my ongoing coaching at Career Strategies, I am living a completely different life than I had planned. I am having some wonderful adventures, doing things I never thought possible, and still making a good living.

I am relating this story only to show you that Boomers can make career changes, be hired for positions they had never done before, make good money, and continue growing personally and professionally. If I can do it, you can do it. I can show you how, and how to do it while minimizing career and financial risks.

In my next newsletter, I will talk with you about career and life risks. Stay tuned!

If you are an attorney or senior executive and you have been thinking about “what else is out there,” or if you are not sure how to start a career transition process, get in touch with me for a virtual cup of coffee. You will receive a confidential, no-cost consultation to discuss your situation and goals, and will also get expert advice on how to launch your job campaign. To schedule a strategy call, click here: https://live.vcita.com/site/bruce.blackwell

If you would like to receive Beyond the Bar Newsletter every 2 weeks, just click on the “subscribe” button. If you have any questions about your career, click here.

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Sundays, as Dusk Turns to Dark and that Empty Feeling Grabs Hold

I know what it’s like to hate your job. I know what it’s like to hate your job even though it’s something other people would kill to be able to do. I know what it’s like to hate your job even though you are making an ungodly amount of money.

I know what it’s like to get that pit-in-the stomach feeling on autumn Sundays when the dusk was descending into darkness and it’s time to stop raking the leaves. There’s no more delay, no more diversions … the weekend is over. I know the dread of realizing that soon, I’d have to go to “that place” again.

I remember Mondays, as the train would be pulling into Grand Central Station, hoping – praying – that I would suddenly be stricken ill and have to stay aboard and ride the train back to Westchester.

I know what it’s like to be very good at what you do, but to hate doing it. I know what it’s like to have a really good job, with nice people in handsome offices, with a company-supplied BMW, and yet be miserable. It wasn’t the company or the people, it was the work itself. It wasn’t a good fit. Going to another firm for even more money wasn’t the answer. The work didn’t have meaning to me and wasn’t fulfilling.

I know what it’s like to try to convince yourself that maybe it’s not so bad after all – but not believing it for a minute.

If you are unhappy in your career, I know what it’s like to be you.

I also know what it’s like to have a non-working wife, two young children, and a big house with a bigger mortgage. I know what it’s like to be afraid to leave a great job, but to be more afraid of staying. Finally one morning I walked into my boss’ office and quit. I took a part-time consulting job with one of my clients at half of what I had been making.  My wife (now ex-) wasn’t happy about it. But I was.

I am very grateful to have held a job I hated. It was the first and only time in my career that this happened. This experience, though, enabled me to understand what my clients, lawyers and senior executives, are going through. Thanks to this experience, I can understand what it’s like to want to leave a high-paying, prestigious job that other people envy you for having. It made Career Strategies possible.

The part-time consulting gig I took for a start-up TV network became a full-time job with Vice President’s stripes. I had never worked for a TV network before. I had never done what they asked me to do. I must have done well at it though, since I was brought into the network’s parent company, a first-tier consulting firm that handled Fortune 100 clients. I’d never been a consultant before at that level, or worked cases in such a diverse range of industries, from healthcare to fast food. It was an amazing learning experience, and I contributed meaningfully to the firm’s clients. That job led to big marketing positions with two motion picture companies. I had never done anything in the movie business, but I parlayed what I learned and helped set box office records and snare some Oscar awards for our movies. Then it was onto a post with a world leading technology company. When they hired me, I didn’t know a file server from a process server, but I ended up on their Executive Committee. When we sold the company, I knew it was finally time for me to start Career Strategies.

I have had a career that has been a blast! Different industries, different functions, but always challenging, rewarding, lucrative and fun!

The point of all of this is not that I am so wonderful – my clients often have more going for them than I ever did.  My point is that you are not trapped. Not by money. Not by training. Not by your practice knowledge. Not by age. Not by industry experience.

If you have half a brain, a little courage, and a modicum of faith in yourself – and perhaps a little guidance — you can find a career and a life that you love.  I am proof of it.

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If you are an attorney or senior executive and you have been thinking about “what else is out there,” or if you are not sure how to start a career transition process, get in touch with me for a virtual cup of coffee. You will receive a confidential, no-cost consultation to discuss your situation and goals, and will also get expert advice on how to launch your job campaign. To schedule a strategy call with me, click here: https://live.vcita.com/site/bruce.blackwell

If you would like to receive Beyond the Bar Newsletter every 2 weeks, just click on the “subscribe” button. If you have any questions about your career, click here

Do You Still Love Your Career?

This month marks the 33^rd birthday of Career Strategies. In a way, I am not surprised that I am still here because I had great faith in my business concept and thought it through thoroughly … but in another way, “wow, this is amazing!”

The odds are very much against any start-up making it even 5 years, let alone 33. The odds that someone will still love their work after 33 years are, I suppose, very small. But I do love helping people enjoy their careers as much as I enjoy mine, which is why I am still doing this work.

If anything, I guess I am an object lesson for my clients. Unlike most people I have counseled, I set career goals and developed a plan to achieve those goals. Then I followed it.

While still in college, I sat down one evening and made a list of the things I wanted to do professionally: be a press secretary and speechwriter for a Congressman; be a reporter and columnist on a daily newspaper; be involved in television programming and production for a TV network; help market movies for a major motion picture studio; work for a top-tier consulting firm solving difficult problems for Fortune 100 companies; get on the Board of Directors for a profitable corporation. I achieved each of these objectives.  Why? Because I had a plan, and the courage to try.

This is what I try to impart to my clients: Determine what you want, put a well-considered careful plan together on how to achieve your goals, swallow hard, then execute your plan.

I am nothing special. I didn’t come from privilege. I am not what I call a Harvard-Harvard, and don’t have college and graduate degrees from an elite Ivy. I didn’t have a network of powerful contacts who could open doors for me.

I am actually like most of my clients: I was good, even very good, at what I did in my jobs. I can hold my own intellectually with just about anyone, but there are a lot of people out there who are smarter than I.

No doubt, I am much like you. But the difference is that I have had a very diverse career covering different job functions in many different industries and have loved each job. (Except for one. I will talk about this experience in an upcoming column.

I remember the night when I put my career bucket list together, and thinking I did not want to be one of those old guys in his 70s walking along the beach saying to himself, “I wish I had done this professionally,“  or “I wish I had done that.” I did not want to live a life that, at the end, I regretted for not taking chances to do the things that mattered to me.

You don’t have to live that life either. If you are not fulfilled in your career, or if you are ready for a new challenge but not sure exactly what you want to do or how to get there, I can be your guide. It’s not too late, even if you are in your 70s!  If I can do it, you can certainly do it. I will be happy to help you.

If you are an attorney or senior executive and you have been thinking about “what else is out there” for you, or if you are not sure how to start a career transition process, get in touch with me for a virtual cup of coffee. You will receive a confidential, no-cost consultation to discuss your situation and goals, and will also get expert advice on how to launch your job campaign. To schedule a strategy call with me, click here: https://live.vcita.com/site/bruce.blackwell

If you would like to receive Beyond the Bar Newsletter every 2 weeks, just click on the “subscribe” button. If you have any questions about your career, click here.

“What’s your greatest weakness?” Can be Your Greatest Strength in Interviews

A reporter from the Chicago Tribune wanted to know the best way to
answer an interviewer who asks you to describe your greatest weakness.
It’s a great question.
As an employer, and later as a career coach, I have asked this question
several thousand times. I usually get the same predictable answers: “I am a
perfectionist” or “I am too detail-oriented.” I also get the “I don’t delegate
well” and its variation, the “superman complex” answer, meaning they think
they can do it on their own better and faster than trying to explain what to
do to their staff.
These stock answers won’t cut it today. I advise clients to cite an actual
negative, but one they have worked to correct. Also, of great import, they
should say why it was important for them to correct the deficiency and be
able to help an employer.
For example, “I used to be uncomfortable doing public speaking, but I went
to Toastmasters. Now I am fine making presentations to client prospects
and helping to bring in business.” Another one that I have used is “I wasn’t
great at doing spreadsheets but I took an Excel course; now I am really
good at them and see their importance in doing budgets.”
By acknowledging a real deficit and then taking steps to improve on it, the
candidate demonstrates a sense of accountability and a desire to face
uncomfortable challenges. That’s the type of person we want to hire!
Giving one of the standard answers can hurt a candidate. Giving a stock
answer tells the interviewer that the candidate is satisfied with a mediocre
response and doesn’t go the extra mile to present something more honest,
thoughtful and less predictable.
It’s tough out there, people. All the reports indicate that this is a very difficult
job market for young professionals in their 20s and those age 40+. Recent
research suggests that Gen X’ers are facing particulary difficult challenges.

Winning an interview opportunity is hard enough; blowing an interview by
not preparing properly is shameful, inexcusable and can be very damaging
to a career.
For more information on how to prepare for a successful interview, click
here: https://www.careerstrategiesgroup.com/job-search-services/interview-
prep/
If you are an attorney or senior executive and you have been thinking about discovering “what
else is out there” for you, or if you are not sure how to even start a career transition process, get
in touch with me for a virtual cup of coffee. You will receive a confidential, no-cost consultation
to discuss your situation and goals, and will also get expert advice on how to launch your job
campaign. To schedule a strategy call with me, click here:
https://live.vcita.com/site/bruce.blackwell
If you would like to continue receiving Beyond the Bar Newsletter every 2 weeks, make sure to
hit subscribe to stay up to date. If you have any questions about your career, click here.

Can Middle-Aged Professionals Really Change Careers, Make More Money and Actually Love Their New Jobs?

As a mentor for middle-aged attorneys and professionals exploring career changes, I
have often been asked if it can be done, and if so, how. Yes, it can be done. After
spending 25+ years guiding thousands through transitions, I have learned a few things
worth sharing.
Many clients are unhappily employed lawyers and executives in their 40s, 50s and 60s
seeking to change careers and find senior or C-level roles with intriguing challenges,
lucrative compensation, and good work/life balance. This is not an easy task, which is
why there are so few consultants specializing in this niche.
It is worth noting that while the steps I describe below may seem complicated and take
forever to accomplish, they can be done pretty quickly and not even interfere with your
job. Many of our campaigns wrap in 3 to 7 months.
To explore your options, start with an honest personal skills and interest inventory. What
are you good at, and what do you enjoy doing? Many clients are skilled in areas they
dislike, like litigation or drafting. Identify challenges you relish and those you would you
rather avoid.
Next, consider industries that interest you. One attorney client who had wanted to be a
doctor but did miserably in inorganic chemistry, became an employee relations council
for a hospital group. Another, a corporate attorney passionate about design, transitioned
to a finance and administration role for an international architecture firm.
Once you have pinpointed your skills and interests, research jobs that align. Research
classified ads and visit O*Net, an online encyclopedia of job information.
(https://onetonline.org). Look for employer-desired skills. You will not match all of
them, but a partial alignment can work.
One IP attorney beat a seasoned real estate attorney for a GC role with a start up
commercial real estate company. Why? Because of his outgoing personality and
networking skills. The company needed someone who could build relationships from
scratch. He didn’t need to know real estate – he needed to know people!
After doing your research, make a short list of your realistic career options based on
your transferable skills. This is the hardest part. It gets easier from here.
Prepare a career change resume and cover letter focused on what you can do, rather
than on what you have done. Sell your future, not your past! Feature the skills that are
relevant to the job you want. If you trained junior lawyers or educated clients on legal

issues and want to move into professional development, highlight those stories, not
your litigation wins. Make sure your resume is selling the right product!
Get smart about job search. There are books galore and lots of coaches (like yours
truly) who can help you crack the hidden job market.
Before launching your campaign, create a marketing plan. Include target industries, a
30-second intro, outreach goals, and well-considered answers to the questions you
don’t want them to ask, like about your age or why you want to leave a successful
career and try something new.
Once the plan is ready, start sending out resumes, building a contacts base and finding
companies that can benefit from your unique value. With solid research and execution,
you can land a job you love in just a matter of months.
If you are an attorney or senior executive and you have been thinking about discovering “what
else is out there” for you, or if you are not sure how to even start a career transition process, get
in touch with me for a virtual cup of coffee. You will receive a confidential, no-cost consultation
to discuss your situation and goals, and will also get expert advice on how to launch your job
campaign. To schedule a strategy call with me, click here:
https://live.vcita.com/site/bruce.blackwell
If you would like to continue receiving Beyond the Bar Newsletter every 2 weeks, make sure to
hit subscribe to stay up to date. If you have any questions about your career, click here.

The Lessons of 9/11: Embracing a Life That Matters

It started as a beautiful, sunny September morn. A perfect day. I was getting ready to go to work when the nasty old lady downstairs knocked frantically at my apartment door, screaming.

“What the f*&k can she want?” I said to myself. I let her in, not knowing why she was screaming at me.

“Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God,” she kept saying, and literally pulled me down the stairs and into her apartment. Her TV was on.  Chills went down my spine and I was paralyzed for a moment: the World Trade Center North and South Towers were burning. The TV people said two planes had hit the towers.

For some reason, I felt compelled to get to the office as soon as I could. Just as I was arriving, WCBS NewsRadio 88 said the North Tower had fallen. Fallen. The World Trade Center. I had been in that building myself just several weeks before.

My employees and I watched the TV in our conference room. In silence.  One of my clients, already en route to my office, joined us as we witnessed the unimaginable horror unfold. The sense of helplessness was overwhelming. I had clients at Sidley Austin Brown and Wood and at Marsh & McLennan in the North Tower. I also had friends and neighbors who worked in those towers. We all knew people, and we all knew nothing about whether we would ever see them again alive. At one point I anxiously checked my client address list to see if we had lost anyone. Thankfully, we did not, but so many others were not as fortunate.

The tragic events of September 11, 2001, left an indelible mark on the world, but especially here. As the twin towers fell, so did the illusion of safety and certainties about life that many of us held: You get up, go to work, go home, have dinner, watch TV, go to bed. Repeat.

We couldn’t count on that anymore. Now it was Get Up. Go to work. Pray that you don’t die.

In the immediate aftermath, my phones were silent. I was surprised. I had thought that people, realizing life was very fragile, would be abandoning jobs they hated in droves and be seeking new careers that were satisfying and fulfilling. That didn’t happen at first. Our September retainers were down 56% from August, always our slowest month. The phones didn’t ring at all. I didn’t want them to. The hell with business — it was time to burrow down inside ourselves, grapple with the shock and horror of what had transpired on that beautiful morn, and look closely at our personal values and our lives.

But as the dust settled, a profound realization began to take root: life is fleeting, and we should spend our time doing things we love and that bring meaning to our lives. Instead of killing ourselves at the office in a job we hate and billing 2100 hours to get our bonuses, we should be spending time with our families and doing things that we find fulfilling and meaningful.

The lessons of 9/11 remain with us today. They remind us to live each day as if it matters,  because it does … and we may not get another. We should each strive to find our own paths, paths that align with our passions and values, and do work that makes us feel alive and connected to something greater than ourselves.

In doing so, we honor the memory of those 2,977 souls who were lost, and ensure that their legacy lives on in the lives we lead.

Do you Love Your Job or Just Labor at it?

This is Labor Day weekend, so what better time to think about your labor? Unless, of course, doing so would ruin your weekend. Or you have to work and can only think about the files on your desk. “Save me a burger, honey, I’ll be done soon. I promise … Honey?”

While this will be the last hurrah for the summer, and a time for beach visits and barbeques, it should also be a time for reflection about your life and career choices.

Do you love your job? Like it enough? Don’t really enjoy it anymore? Hate it? Do you look forward to going to work in the morning or do you dread it? At the end of the day, are you feeling fulfilled about what you accomplished or was it just work? All serious questions to consider this weekend.

You made the choice to become a lawyer X years ago. Why? Was it for good reasons or bad?

I have been a career transition coach for lawyers for decades and have talked with 20,000+ attorneys about their career choices. Only a handful entered the profession out of a passion for the law or justice. Many more went to law school because they liked to read and write, took the LSATs on a lark, got good scores, so went to law school because it seemed like a decent career path.

There are many good reasons for wanting a career in law, but there are many bad ones. Among the bad: a quest for money, the panache of being a lawyer, pleasing your parents, blowing med school because of a poor grade in organic chemistry, and one of my favorites, not knowing what else to do after college.

The truth is that the money in law is good but not great — unless you excel at both law and sales. To really score the big bucks you have to bring in big clients … and that means you have sell. As attorneys have told me many times, “I didn’t go to law school to become a salesman!”
Most of my clients are in mid-life, with many earning in the $150,000 to $400,000 range– which is very good money by most measures, but it doesn’t make you wealthy. These folks can bring in enough business to keep going, but it is not something they enjoy or at which they excel. Most of them dread having to sell themselves.

The panache of being a lawyer has become a myth, no thanks to the lack of conscience shown by so many attorneys in the upper levels of the Executive Branch these days. The  reality is that the bloom started falling off the rose with the O.J. Simpson trial, if not before.

I have talked with many lawyers who chose their career to satisfy their parents or live up to the expectations of others. Law is not what they really wanted to do, but they did not have any better alternatives. And I can say for sure that we would not have a physician shortage in this country today – and we would have a lot fewer lawyers! – were it not for the need to do well organic or inorganic chemistry.

There are many myths about legal career change that need to be debunked – two of the big ones are that you will make less money and that you will have to start toward the bottom. Both are untrue. Our experience is that lawyers can make as much money or more in a new career than in their law firms. We also see them going into senior-level and even C-suite business and/or legal positions.

A legal career can be excellent and satisfying. I am even encouraging my younger son to give it serious consideration — but if your work is not your passion, or if it was but isn’t any longer, then find something that is! You owe it to yourself and your family. There is a way out if you want to find it.

Challenges for Jobseekers in Mid-Life and Beyond

Last week, I was interviewed on the very awesome “Chris and Amy Show” on KMOX-FM in St. Louis. Chris and Amy are a very up-tempo couple so we took a jocular approach to a serious topic: the difficulties of finding a new job after age 40 and whether it’s ever too late to make a career change.

The short answer is yes, it’s more difficult to find a job when you’re 40+, but no, it is never too late to change careers (unless you think it is!).

To be successful in either endeavor, you must have a deep understanding of how the career game works and what you bring to the table that will make you valuable to an employer, regardless of your age or past experience.

At Career Strategies Group, we specialize in job searching and career changes for professionals in mid-life, which I define as age 40 and older. My oldest clients are in their 60s and 70s, and they’re not looking for part-time retirement jobs — they’re seeking real, full-time, intellectually challenging and fulfilling employment.

Re-imaging Your Job Search

Winning a new job in your 40s and beyond means being creative in your job search. You can’t rely on what I call the “Traditional Triad” of job search methods: classifieds, recruiters, and old-fashioned networking. These methods are much less effective for the mid-life jobseeker than they are for their younger colleagues.

Your job search itself has to reflect the value you bring to a new employer. If you see yourself as a creative problem-solver, you need to prove it by conducting a creative job search. Get smart about innovative versus traditional job search methods — it is much different today than it was the last time you looked for a job! (For information, click here: https://www.careerstrategiesgroup.com/job-search-services/tactics/ )

Understanding Your Value

A key to a successful job search is understanding what you’re good at, and that means looking beyond the obvious, your practice area expertise. We had a client in his late 50s who ran a very successful niche practice for 18 years. When his major corporate client moved on, his business started to fail, and he came to me for career coaching.

My client kept insisting he was “just a lawyer,” and given the narrowness of his niche practice, he felt defeated before he even started. It took a lot of work, but I finally helped him realize he was, in fact, a skilled businessman. He had created his firm from nothing and grew it to a respectable size. He handled IT, HR, training, employee relations, client service, advertising, marketing, purchasing, accounts payable/receivable, sales, and more. What made him successful for all those years wasn’t just his legal skills — it was all these other attributes. When he finally understood this, he was able to get a high-paying job in operations management in an entirely different field.

There are lots of examples like this:
• The bankruptcy lawyer who became a documentary film producer.
• The elderly small-firm associate who became a construction project manager.
• The late-middle-aged personal injury attorney who turned his hobby of managing his stock portfolio into a $400k job in wealth management.
The list goes on and on.

Practical Tips for the 40+ Jobseeker
While there is much more to it, here are some practical tips that can help you in your 40+ job search:

• Remove Graduation Dates: If you graduated more than 20 years ago, remove your class years from your resume and LinkedIn profile. There’s no need to advertise your age!

• Show Only Recent Job History: Just show your job history for the last 20 years. You can add earlier positions, but only if they’re relevant, and they should be in an encapsulated format.

• When the Interviewer is Younger than You: If you are being interviewed by someone much younger than you—a very common occurrence for my clients –don’t bore them with your old war stories. You need to understand their current problems, needs, and potential opportunities. Focus your discussion on these areas and how you can help with them. Approach the interview as an informed problem-solver, not a jobseeker.

• Sell Your Future, Not Your Past: Employers are buying your future, not your past. If an employer thinks you can solve their problems, they won’t care how old you are or where you went to school. Know their issues and what specific skills and perspectives you bring that will enable you to deal with those issues successfully.

One parting thought: The average age for a Fortune 500 CEO is 57.7 years. There are CEOs in their 60s, 70s, 80s, and even 90s. You are not too old to reach new career heights!

To hear my interview with Chris and Amy, click here: https://www.audacy.com/kmox/hosts/the-chris-and-amy-show-on-kmox

If you are an attorney or senior executive and you’ve been thinking about exploring your career options or discovering “what else is out there” for you, or if you are not sure how to even start a job transition process, get in touch with me today for a virtual cup of coffee. You will receive a confidential, no-cost consultation to discuss your situation and goals, and will also get expert advice on how to launch your job campaign.

If you would like to receive the “Beyond the Bar” newsletter every 2 weeks, make sure to hit subscribe to stay up to date. If you have any questions about your career, click here

Talk is Cheap. It’s Results that Count.

We give a lot of advice in this bi-weekly missive about how to conduct an effective job search and how to get out of your own way and find a high-paying career that you actually enjoy. But talk is cheap. Does what I teach, preach and impart to clients really work?

Yes, it does. (You expectedme to say that, didn’t you?)

The truth is I am researching how Artificial Intelligence is impacting job search and hiring. I had planned to write about that this week, but I am still neck deep in research. Since I am not ready to write about AI and needed a topic for today’s newsletter, I started looking on my PC for potential topics. Fortunately, I stumbled across these Career Strategies stories and comments from clients.

I am happy to share them with you now.

* Using what he learned from our program, at our insistence a client reached out to a former law firm colleague he didn’t like, didn’t get along with, and had said bad things about when they worked together. The former colleague was actually glad to hear from our fellow! Several weeks later, the colleague called and said he had a client who was looking for someone with our man’s experience. The hiring company did a series of interviews with our client, including flying him overseas to meet with their Board. Our client walked away with a post as US General Counsel at a compensation package nearly six times what he had been earning in a law firm practice!

* Our client was interested in transitioning from litigation to Professional Development. There was a major annual Professional Development conference in Washington, D.C. that we felt could have been a bonanza for our client, but the conference was very expensive. We looked at the numbers with our client, did our ROI estimate, and recommended they spend the bucks.

I then did some networking for my client and called a “graduate” of mine who had transitioned from law firm attorney to professional development executive years before. (BTW, “graduate is a term I use for my clients who successfully obtain new positions. Most of my clients become “graduates.”) Not only did my former client say he would be happy to help my current client, he said he was a featured speakerat the event and in fact, had obtained his first professional development job years prior by following our advice and going to the conference, when he met people that led him directly to a career change.

* This isn’t a success story per se, but attests to the power of what we teach. Our client said he learned that we were right: “If you are going to tell them you can solve their problems, you damn well better know what their problems are before you say you can solve them. What I learned from you is that you have to do your homework before interviewing with a company.”

This seems self-evident, but there’s more to it than meets the eye. When I am putting a marketing campaign together for a client, it is very detailed and thorough. It contains action items, talking points and much more. When clients use a line like “I can help solve your problems,” I make them prove it. I put them through what I call “the interview from hell,” and make them support their claims. I will do this with a client multiple times until they come up with answers that will impress a senior business leader. I will not accept slovenly intellectual thinking, nor will the decision-makers who hire my clients. Part of what we bring to the dance here is that I have run businesses or corporate business units for many years, and understand what it takes to be successful.

* This last client is not a graduate yet – as of today – but has two firm offers and one we feel will be coming in within the next few days. Getting three offers sounds great, but it can be very hard to pick the best one. We help with that very critical process by providing objective, non-emotional evaluation of the options. Here’s part of what my about-to-be graduate told me:

Fiest, I want to thank you. The “cold call” e-mail I sent to the GC/VP of (Company Name Deleted) didn’t initially yield anything until…he called me out of the blue.  He said he saw my communication (a pitch letter and resume we had written for my client) and wanted to know what I wanted. So I told him! We had a good dialogue, but there were no openings.  Then he called this month and said that is about to change. They have decided to go through a reorganization.

Second, you were right.  They don’t advertise these positions.  You have to get on the radar before that.  Your method works – even for lawyers!

Third, I just had my first-round interview with the GC/VP.  I think it went quite well.  He is reorganizing the legal department in 3 weeks, after which the interview process will continue.  He explained he is not the sole decision maker. I will interview with other VPs (marketing, sales, etc.).  He said I should be prepared to speak with non-lawyers from (Location Deleted), who are very smart businesspeople but have no patience for legalese. I told him – who does, other than other lawyers?

“Anyway, I wanted to express my gratitude. Whether or not I land this gig, I am grateful.”

[Editor’s Note: This is the offer that is pending, but the other two offers are in hand.]

Please note that these are actual cases of people who have worked with me. I am not creative enough to make up stuff like this. If I were, I’d be in Hollywood writing screenplays! Nah, not really. I have found my niche and love what I do. I can help you feel the same way.

If you are an attorney and you’ve been thinking about exploring your career options and/or discovering “what else is out there” for you, feel free to contact me. If you are not sure how to even start the job search process, then by all means get in touch with me today for a virtual cup of coffee. You will receive a confidential, no-cost consultation to discuss your situation and goals, and will also get some expert advice on launching your job campaign.

If you would like to continue receiving Beyond the Bar Newsletter every 2 weeks, make sure to hit subscribe to stay up to date. If you have any questions about your career, click here

What It Means to Enjoy Your Job: The Mid-Life Lawyers’ and Executives’ Guide to Job Satisfaction

While some people doubt it, it is possible to enjoy your job. I mean really enjoy your job. I am not here to sprinkle fairy dust and sing kumbaya about finding joy in the your job everyday. Lawyers and executives who have been around long enough to know that “living the dream” usually involves more complex problem-solving than it does sipping margaritas on a beach.

But the truth is that it is possible to enjoy your job and make very good money.

Let’s dive into what enjoying your job really means.

The Value of Liking What You Do.

Liking your job doesn’t mean you have to love every single minute of it. I love my job but there are some days I’d rather phone in sick. Liking your job is about finding those moments that make you feel good about what you are doing. It’s the sense that, at the end of the day, you did something worthwhile and meaningful. It’s a feeling that you are not wasting your intellect and talents on things that don’t matter to you.

The Mid-Life Crisis Cop-Out.

It’s no coincidence that many lawyers and executives start thinking about exploring their options when they hit their 40s. Ah, “ye olde mid-life crisis,” that tumultuous time when some decide the answer to their problems is to buy a Porsche or Bimmer. But here’s a radical thought: instead of blowing your money on a European sports sedan, why not invest in finding joy in your job? Mid-life should be less about superficial thrills and more about finding real, sustainable satisfaction in your work.

Finding Your Niche.

Enjoying your job starts with finding your niche. For lawyers, it might mean spotting issues, doing research, training younger associates, negotiating great deals. What are the parts of your job that you really like and at which you excel? For executives, it may be the sweet spot where your strategic vision clicks into place and you then lead your team toward producing great results. It’s these pockets of time where everything just flows, and you feel good about your day. Identify those elements in your work! What’s your niche?

There are good careers out there that are based on the things you like to do and do well, and which deliver a feeling of accomplishment and meaningfulness.

Work-Life Balance: Not Just a Myth.

Work-life balance is not a unicorn — it exists! But achieving a good balance requires effort and boundaries. Enjoying your job means making sure it doesn’t consume your life. It’s about having the courage to close the laptop and actually leave the office (physically or metaphorically) at a reasonable hour. It’s about making time for the things that matter outside of work – family, hobbies, wives, husbands, golf – you know, the things in life that are important to you. The only ones who will remember how many hours you worked each week are your loved ones … the very people that you didn’t spend enough time with.

The Satisfaction of Mastery – a Two-Edge Sword.

There’s a joy in being good at what you do. For mid-life lawyers and executives, this often means leveraging your years of experience to navigate complex challenges with relative ease. It’s the satisfaction of seeing a project through from inception to completion, knowing that you have nailed it. Mastery is something that can make you feel good, but if the mastery you have doesn’t bring career satisfaction – if the results of your mastery aren’t fulfilling to you — then you need to apply it in a way that does. Identify the areas where you feel you have mastery, then look at other career areas where that skill set is valued.

The Importance of Mentorship.

One often overlooked source of job satisfaction is mentoring others. There’s something incredibly rewarding about sharing your hard-earned wisdom with those just starting out, or who are having problems grasping a legal concept. Watching them grow and succeed because of your guidance can give you a whole new perspective on your career. If helping the professional development of others is important to you, then that skill can be the foundation for a new career.

Conclusion: Joy in the Journey.

So, what does it mean to enjoy your job? It’s about finding those elements that make you feel that what you are doing really matters. It’s about applying your talents toward results that you feel are worthwhile. Most of all, it’s about having time to enjoy your family and your loved ones, and to have a life that is more than your job. For experienced lawyers and executives, it’s not about chasing a fantasy; it’s about embracing the reality of a career well-lived and finding joy in the journey.

If you are an attorney and you’ve been thinking about exploring your career options and or discovering “what else is out there” for you, but are not sure how to even start the process, get in touch with our team today for a virtual cup of coffee. You will receive a confidential, no-cost consultation to discuss your situation and goals, and will also get expert advice on how to launch your job campaign.

If you would like to continue receiving Beyond the Bar Newsletter every 2 weeks, make sure to hit subscribe to stay up to date. If you have any questions about your career, click here